Article 4: Sport and Politics

In our February 27^th and March 3^rd  we discussed the relationship between Sports and Politics. We discussed how the Athletes use Politics to enhance there brand and how Politicians use Athletes enhance there brand. According to our notes, the definition of Politics is a social process through which individuals and groups acquire, exercise and maintain power over others. In an article I found from the USAToday, it discusses the possible relocation of Super Bowl XLIX due to state of Arizona refusal serve lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people based on the religious beliefs of business owner. Super Bowl XLIX is scheduled to be played in Glendale, Arizona in February of 2015. The NFL has said that it will not relocate the Super Bowl. According the article, there have been reports that the NFL wants Arizona Politicians to veto the bill. As stated in Coakley (2009, pg. 250), that even though people say politics have no influence in sports, government plays a vital role in sponsoring and regulating the game. It states that the government’s involvement is to serve the “public good.”  Also as stated in Coakley, (2009, pg 449) it states some of the reasons that the government has become involved in sports in the past such as making laws that ban animal fighting, making laws ban or restrict gambling on sports, making laws that allow the tax code of the price of sporting events tax deductible for business, interpreting laws that show college teams make a profit to be shown as a non-profit educational program.