Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard added his voice to the chorus of NFL players, coaches and general managers calling for change in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and nights of protests across the country. During a 15-minute statement the general manager addressed racial inequality, the issues the African-American community fights for, and his own personal reflection:
Much of what Ballard says in this portion strikes home. As the general manager states, this is an issue that “we have to talk about.” Many view sports are part of the “entertainment” world, but the fact of the matter is that sports provide a powerful impetus for change. When Jackie Robinson first stepped foot on a baseball field, his first steps were the continuation of a march towards racial inequality.
But that march is slow, and as the events of the last week have shown us, that march continues. Ballard’s statement that racial inequality is an issue for the white community, and something we have to talk about, is powerful. Simply remaining a passive consumer of sports, or entertainment, allows us to remain comfortable. But change – and protests – are uncomfortable at times. We are forced to reflect, to look within ourselves, and confront our own views of the world.
This is something that Ballard himself has done. He mentions discussions with his players, and his sons. He talks about how we “can’t sugarcoat our way out of this.” He states that we “can’t go back into our bubble, because that’s what we’ve always done.”
This is precisely what took place at the start of the 2017 season, when the discussion surrounding Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem became a debate on the method of protest, and not the reason for the protest. Reframing the debate allowed the national community a path to sugarcoat their way out of the discussion, and retreat back into the bubble.
Ballard seems to be the latest NFL voice who is going to fight that urge.
