# Sports stars who are openly political.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 18, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980 "2006-07-18T06:09:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980/21 "2006-07-19T20:01:43Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> Yeah, i’m most interested in athletes who are/were vocal about or known for their politics during their actual sporting career.
This has been nagging at my less than responsive memory ever since since it was posted. I was certain I had seen a list of sporting political gestures somewhere and now I have [found it.](http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1428657,00.html)
Most of the entries listed describe relatively minor incidents, but I should certainly have recalled the Flower/Olonga incident more readily, being a cricket fan.
[Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Olonga) is the Wikipedia entry for Henry Olonga and [here](http://www.rediff.com/wc2003/2003/mar/16olonga.htm) is another piece concerning the aftermath of his protest against the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.
A few more details relevant to the Zanetti/Internazionale donations to the Zapatista army in Mexico in late 2004 can be found [here](http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1330594,00.html#article_continue) and [here.](http://www.blogfc.com/theblog/?p=257)
I hope this helps.
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980/22 "2006-07-19T20:14:55Z")
Is a chess player an athlete? Former world champ Gary Kasparov left the game to devote himself to activism in Russian politics, opposing Putin.
George Weah, Liberia’s leading footie star, has run for that country’s presidency.
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### Author:  [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980/23 "2006-07-19T20:25:09Z")
> [@Chez Guevara](#):
>
> Let us not forget [Tommie Smith and John Carlos.](http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mm-mexicocity.html)
I was interested to learn that the third man on the podium that day, Australian Peter Norman, was in on the plan and in fact suggested to Smith and Carlos that they each wear one of the gloves from the single pair of black gloves they had. Norman also wore a badge to signal his solidarity with the protest.
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### Author:  [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980/24 "2006-07-19T20:48:29Z")
Not a lot of people know that. Including me until I read your post. It was the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badge he wore on his tracksuit for the medal ceremony. Good for him.
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980/25 "2006-07-19T22:09:43Z")
> [@flurb](#):
>
> I was interested to learn that the third man on the podium that day, Australian Peter Norman, was in on the plan and in fact suggested to Smith and Carlos that they each wear one of the gloves from the single pair of black gloves they had. Norman also wore a badge to signal his solidarity with the protest.
I did know that, perhaps because i’m an Australian myself and it’s something that stuck in my mind.
San Jose State University last year erected a statue to honor Smith and Carlos. The story can be found [here](http://www.sjsu.edu/publicaffairs/services/images/smithcarlossculpture/).
Peter Norman came to the opening ceremony, and can be seen with Smith and Carlos in the photos on [this page](http://www.sjsu.edu/publicaffairs/services/images/smithcarlossculpture/).
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### Author:  [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980/26 "2006-07-19T22:20:43Z")
> [@mhendo](#):
>
> I never realized that Castro had played baseball, so i went to look up the details.
>
> According to [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/castro.asp), it’s an urban legand.
>
> Although perhaps your smiley suggests that you already knew that.
Acording to [Baseball Library.com](http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/C/Castro_Fidel.stm) it’s not. I think the confusion comes from the urban legend that he tried out for a MLB team, or that he played in the minors, AFAIK that IS an urban legend, however, also AFAICT, he was briefly scouted while pitching in Cuba.
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### Author:  [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980/27 "2006-07-19T23:15:44Z")
How did everyone miss [Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E1D71F3DF93AA25755C0A96E958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fR%2fReligion%20and%20Belief)?
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### Author:  [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2006, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-stars-who-are-openly-political/364980/28 "2006-07-20T04:53:15Z")
> [@Weirddave](#):
>
> Acording to [Baseball Library.com](http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/C/Castro_Fidel.stm) it’s not. I think the confusion comes from the urban legend that he tried out for a MLB team, or that he played in the minors, AFAIK that IS an urban legend, however, also AFAICT, he was briefly scouted while pitching in Cuba.
Interesting. While that story certainly supports your contention, it’s not exactly comprehensive, nor does it cite any sources (although the same could really be said of my Snopes link).
This might be one of those cases where—gasp!—we might have to look beyond the internet for the full story. I wonder if any Castro biogs contain any details about his baseball career?
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