Sports and Politics was founded in December of 2015 on one common goal: To bring online readers easy to read and reliable content about sports and political issues currently in mainstream media. Our coverage will focus on the United States, Canada, and the U.K.
We believe in responsible writing that employs proper standards and provides credible support for our theses when necessary.
As of June 11, 2016, Sports and Politics has joined the Last Word On Sports INC network. LWOS has a global reach with over 300 writers from 13 different countries.
Mission Statement
Politics is an issue that can be either contentious or convivial. There are two ways to discuss political issues. Discussions can be had with the assumption that the other side is wrong–that people need to be convinced away from listening to the other side. Or discussions had be had with a goal of broadening opinions and understanding. Minds may not be changed, but the eventual goal is explaining why the opinion you agree with is correct, not just beating down a differing opinion. Here at Sports and Politics, we strongly believe in the second form of political discussion.
As such, the world of sports perfectly exemplifies what we believe political discussion should be like. The best rivalries in sports have been described as a “respectful hatred,” but true rivalries are more about respect and hatred when it comes down to it. Ohio State and Michigan are known as two of the most hateful rivals in college sports, but when the grandson of a former coach had cancer, it was the most bitter rival that came to help and fundraise for the little boy.
This is what the best of sports is meant to be like. It is something that draws people together, whether they cheer for the same side or opposing sides. It’s why the Olympics are meant to promote international cooperation, not division. Through sports, we can see each other in a different way. And no matter who we root for or whether we think Jordan or LeBron is the best basketball player ever, those conversations usually function more to bring people together–by giving them things to talk about and spend time together on–than to drive them apart.
This is what we at Sports and Politics envision for political discourse as well. We are not here to judge your argument, so long as the argument is made in a way to promote your point. We want people to be able to read and think about political arguments without thinking worse of those who might take up a different position. As such, we refuse to pick a “side” here like we would in sports. We will not brand ourselves as conservative, liberal, or anything in between. We welcome all contributions because we believe that the best way to have political discourse that can bring people together–regardless of how little they share in terms of beliefs–not drive them apart.
Our goal is for our readers to be able to approach the sports articles and political articles here with the same mindset. We want readers to come here, see an argument, hopefully learn something, and then decide whether they agree or disagree with the point being made. That is the general approach most take to sports. We think that bringing that same approach to politics can allow our political discourse to be one that brings people together and enlightens people to different viewpoints, not one that leads to confrontation.
We are currently looking for writers to fill several positions:
Sports (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, CFB)
Politics (Policy, Election)
Environment
Economy
Crime
If interested, please visit: www.sportsandpolitics.org/write-for-us/
