Press Box: Freedoms for some, but not others

Kyler Gilliam, Contributing Writer

Freedom of speech, in my opinion, is a slippery slope. It can lead to justifiable criticism of an institution or issue and increase overall awareness of problems, but it also opens doors to presenting and legitimizing harmful rhetoric to the public.

In the sports world, most professional and collegiate leagues are funded and run by elites and old money. Family names like Rooney, Hunt and Jones are eminently present in the National Football League’s sphere of influence. 

Boosters for college athletic programs decide which coaches get hired and paid, as well as how much money an athletic department receives.

In a world where athletes receive their paychecks or NIL payments from the owners and boosters, some might feel inclined to be silent about certain beliefs they have to appease their bosses. 

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa put on a “Make America Great Again” hat after his team’s victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 27. He interrupted his teammates’ interview on a national broadcast to show off his hat.

During his post-game press conference, Bosa mostly avoided the incident but did give a small comment to address his antics.

“I’m not gonna talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time,” Bosa said.

Bosa did not fully stand on his decision to endorse President-elect Donald Trump. He backed down to curb some of the backlash he expected to receive, unlike a former 49er, who is still paying the price for his decision to this day.

Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem in the 2016 season to protest racial injustice and police violence against Black people. 

He received instant backlash for doing so, but stood behind it. After that season, Kaepernick was essentially forced into retirement due to a league-wide blackball. He settled a collusion lawsuit with the NFL in 2019 due to the blackball, according to NBC.

The difference in reception of Bosa’s and Kaepernick’s decisions highlight the disparity in how freedom of speech is received.

If someone expresses change and progress, they are demonized, while upholding the status quo only gets you slight pushback.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham stated athletes should “shut up and dribble” after NBA players LeBron James and Kevin Durant voiced their beliefs about Donald Trump in 2018, according to NPR. 

Ingraham then defended former New Orleans Saint Quarterback Drew Brees after he had some slight disagreements with the anthem protest in 2020 in the wake of the death of George Floyd. 

Ingraham was hypocritical because she called out LeBron and Durant for their beliefs but defended Brees’ right to free speech, adding to the discrepancy of freedom of speech of certain athletes.

Both Bosa and Kaepernick should be able to express their beliefs without fear of ostracizing themselves to their teammates, management or the media. 

They should be able to stand ten toes down on their morals and beliefs. If it leads to disagreement, let the conversations happen and we can progress from there. 

Only Bosa was allowed to do so, while Kaepernick was shown the door and was never let back in.