At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, the terrifying results of this past presidential election have called every single American to stand before a proverbial altar — one where they are, willing or unwilling, put to the introspective task of taking inventory of all that they hold dear in this world of unabating disaffection and collapsing morality. Seeing as I, too, belong to mankind, I was likewise called up to this marble sanctum of reflection, eventually arriving at the decision that it is wholly necessary for me to use whatever platform I may have as the sports editor of the Ram to pen some overtly and unabashedly political words.
To do anything but write a political and moral statement with my final Overtime simply feels inappropriate, as, at this juncture in time, sports genuinely seem so small, so banal and so utterly meaningless in the face of a potentially dystopian future. Thus, to sit down and actually take the time to produce some silly or esoteric article would be to betray my own feelings and my own present state of terrified consciousness by engaging in an exercise of willing ignorance: one that seeks to falsely and dangerously distance myself from the reality and unbearable weight of this particular historic moment. Moreover, I do feel that I do indeed owe the world to the writers of my section, and I can say, with a degree of unwavering certainty, that many of them are not thinking about some niche dimension or aspect of sports at the present moment. Instead, they are worrying about the consequences of America having just elected a man and an agenda that seeks to label and categorize many of them as fundamentally sub-human — as not having the right to the most basic form of human dignity by virtue of their non-whiteness, by virtue of the fact that their gender or sexuality may not cleanly fit into our typically Western binaries or by virtue of their willingness to simply subscribe to progressive ideals that demand an individual’s liberation from pure, narrow self-interest. Thus, in solidarity with them, their valid concerns and their inability to do anything but worry about their well-being (let alone watch sports), I chose to turn away from sports for my final ever Overtime.
To be sure, there are many pundits, sports fans or public figures who are bound to mindlessly (and frustratingly) parrot the following, substantively-empty phrase: “We need sports now more than ever. It’s so important that we come together and remember that, despite all our differences, we’re all on the same team.” However, I would heavily caution against taking this line of thinking seriously, especially considering that its ultimate consequence is the dulling and blunting of one’s political and moral consciousness — something that the least among us cannot afford at this terrifying present moment. While this is not to say that one should not watch any sports game in the near future, no debate, end of story, I would urge people not to mindlessly immerse themselves in sports and its meta-narratives, as doing so would be to engage in an escapist fantasy where the very fact that different people can root for the same team must mean that everything really is going to be alright for everyone. No, do not avert your eyes from the truth and willingly enter into a state of illusionary ignorance about the bleak realities of the terrifying fact that America has just cast a ballot for xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia and pseudo-fascism. In other words, as the great James Baldwin once wrote, “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance… is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”
However, all this then begs the question: if we should not be fervently watching, talking about or playing sports to relieve stress, then what exactly should we be doing during this moment of history? While I do not possess a/the definitive answer, I do believe I have a clue as to the correct path to head down: we must be persistent and “beautifully impatient” with our progressive demands and rhetoric, constantly acting in a positive, productive manner so as to combat the moral corruption that clearly lies at the heart of this nation. This country just chose a fascist, a convicted felon, a rapist and a narcissist of the highest degree to lead itself for the next four years, so an unapologetic disruption of our national norms and now-apparent national moral apathy is clearly necessary. One can not, must not, be complacent with the current state of affairs. If you have conservative friends and/or relatives, then challenge them on the underlying, harmful realities of the policies and views that they just supported/voted for — now is not the time to be a universalistic centrist. If you see another human being denied the basic dignity that ought to be afforded to them, then step in and act — now is not the time to worry about being called a “social justice warrior” or virtue signaller. And finally, and potentially most importantly, if you see another losing hope in the face of what undeniably seems like an inescapable darkness, then do all you can to prevent them from going under the saw of moral amputation, encourage them to continue to fight the good fight — now is not the time to roll over and surrender.
