Soccer is a reflection of greater contradictions of the world playing out on a football pitch. Most importantly, the primary contradiction that has grasped the world tightly; the contradiction between the countries that dominate by imperialism and those that are subjected to this domination. Yet fans, being fans, have historically risked it all for a brief moment of exuberance. In 2014, Brazilian fans bicycled through the Amazon region to watch the games in the Manaus. In 2022, Argentinian fans sold their houses to go watch Messi play his last tournament in Qatar.

A perfect example is the 1986 quarterfinal match between Argentina and England. Diego Maradona, arguably the greatest player to have ever played the game, scored one goal with his hand, which was later dubbed the “Hand of God,” and then scored a second goal, splitting apart the entire England team; this goal was dubbed the “The Goal of the Century.” The quarterfinal was held four years after the English war on Argentina over the Malvinas, an Island territory of Argentina. The Argentine team leading up to the quarterfinal faced racist attacks from the English, and after their humiliating defeat, Maradona said, “Although we had said before the game that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas war, we knew they had killed a lot of Argentine boys there, killed them like little birds. And this was revenge.”

“The history of football is a sad voyage from beauty to duty. When the sport became an industry, the beauty that blossoms from the joy of play got torn out by its very roots. In this ‘fin-de-siècle’ world, professional football condemns all that is useless and useless means non-profitable,” said Eduardo Galeano, author of Soccer in Sun and Shadow.

Soccer in the developing world

Growing up in India, football (or soccer, as dubbed by the Americans) was essential. Children piled up on the streets in narrow alleyways with torn flip flops with no goal posts and played soccer for hours and hours, with scraped knees and bloodied elbows from falling on concrete. Local club rivalry between the East Bengal and Mohun Bagan was the dominant topic of conversation amongst the people.

In the early 2000s, the English Premier League was broadcast on Indian television, bringing the English game to an Indian audience and resulting in the broadening of the interest in international league soccer. But no other form of sport commanded as much devotion as the FIFA World Cup.

At the time of the World Cup, flags of Brazil, Argentina and several other countries could be seen everywhere. Latin American, European and African soccer idols found themselves on murals across the streets of Kolkata. Despite India never qualifying for the World Cup, soccer fans have for generations lived vicariously by supporting international teams in the World Cup.

Diego Maradona was banned from participating in the tournament in 1994 for taking stimulants and protests erupted across the world. Galeano notes this and says, “In places far away as Bangladesh, where a sizable demonstration repudiating FIFA and demanding Maradona’s return shook the streets.”

Soccer in the current political climate

In December of 2025, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, was awarded a “peace prize” by the governing body of the soccer World Cup, FIFA, to appease him after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the right-wing U.S.-backed candidate Maria Corina Machado. He was awarded the “peace prize” while threatening a war against Venezuela. Then in January, the U.S. attacked Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and kidnapped Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores i.e. the president and first lady of Venezuela.

Also in January and late December, ICE murdered Alex Pretti, Renee Good and Keith Porter. In March, ICE agents were deployed at several major airports to cover the work of TSA agents who were unpaid and couldn’t afford to come to work. The partial government shutdown and the increased border militarization pose additional challenges for World Cup games being scheduled later on in the summer.

In the summer of 2026, the Soccer World Cup is scheduled to happen in the United States, Mexico and Canada. 11 major cities in the United States are scheduled to have games.

Among several countries who participated in the qualification stage, Israel, the Zionist entity, was allowed to participate despite a global call to ban the country from entering the tournament due to the entity’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians. FIFA and UEFA (the governing body of European league football) in 2022 unilaterally banned Russia from participating in the World Cup due to the intervention in Ukraine. Israel has not been barred from participating, nor has the United States been barred from hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Department of Homeland Security, via FEMA, has been granted $625 million to deploy ICE agents across the 11 major venues in the US.

According to the U.S. government, “The FIFA World Cup Grant Program (FWCGP), administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate (GPD), provides $625 million in federal funding to enhance security and preparedness for the 2026 FIFA World Cup events in the United States.”

The United States alongside Israel is currently waging a war against Iran. The U.S. have murdered at least 160 young girls by bombing a high school and have destroyed civilian infrastructure, killing thousands of innocents.

Donald Trump proudly claimed that a “whole civilization would die” indicating a significant attack against Iran, but Tuesday rolled around and he chickened out and agreed to a ten point deal that uplifted sanctions on Iran.

Israel continues to perpetuate a genocide against the Palestinians, while simultaneously bombing Southern Lebanon killing hundreds and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Israel however did not qualify for the World Cup. They faced humiliating losses against every country they played. Israel is also facing humiliating losses by the axis of resistance across West Asia.

The U.S.-Israel war against Iran has sparked an energy crisis across the world, and working people are suffering. In the U.S., cost of living was already on the rise, but with the addition of increasing gas prices, the $625 million allotment to ICE at various World Cup stadiums seems even more ridiculous. Price gouging has also been a major complaint from U.S. soccer fans; Kansas City residents apparently saw a 87% increase in prices for the Algeria v Argentina game ($765 at minimum).

The sport has become a playground for rich investors from the U.S., Europe and the Gulf monarchies to snatch a pretty dime from the hands of working people. The same investors who are invested in wars and keeping people poor. The sport of soccer is ever increasingly being robbed out of the hands of working people.

Average ticket prices for the World Cup range upwards of multiple thousand dollars. The U.S. is set to make upwards of $13 billion in revenue from the World Cup. How much of this will benefit working people or bring the game closer to fans is gravely in doubt.

A World Cup year with such tremendous global upheaval, i.e. genocide in Gaza conducted by Israel, the energy blockade on Cuba, the kidnapping of the Venezuelan president and first lady, and the war on Iran perpetuated by the United States, has sidelined any joy for the game of soccer.

Galeano writes about the 2010 World Cup and reflects on the political climate in Soccer in Sun and Shadow, “Iran was fast becoming the gravest threat to humankind, thanks to an international campaign declaring it might have or maybe even does have nuclear weapons, as if it had been the Iranians who dropped the bomb on civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ships in international waters carrying food, medicine, and toys to Palestine were being machine-gunned in one of the habitual criminal acts by which Israel punishes the Palestinians, as if they, who are Semites, were to blame for anti-Semitism and its horrors”

Much of the climate 16 years ago is reflected in the conditions in Palestine and Iran today.

The joy of sport is diminished by the decline of empire.

Localities unsuitable for games

The immense infrastructural pressure a tournament of the size of the World Cup puts on cities with limited public transportation is another big concern for working people. One example is the city of Arlington, Texas, which houses the AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys). The stadium is reportedly going to see upwards of $300 million in refurbishments to accommodate soccer-style seating for nine of the games it is scheduled to host.

The stadium is ill-equipped to handle tens of thousands of people flooding the streets. Local Arlingtonians have no ability to access the stadium without having to drive there. There is no public bus in the city. Arlington is in fact the largest city in the United States without public transportation. It is a city in the Dallas-Fort Worth area without a rail connection. The decision to host the cup in Arlington seems to have been pushed by the mayor and city council members, local bureaucrats of the Dallas sports commission, local team owners (Jerry Jones owner of Dallas Cowboys and Dan Hunt owner of FC Dallas). Arlington itself is set to spend upwards of $400 million to accommodate the games. The ones pushing the expenses expect a high return ($2 billion). It's pretty obvious that these expenses would have been better spent in uplifting the local community (for example, by building local transportation, healthcare, and promoting community programs and local sports).

From personal observations and conversations with coworkers there still seems to be a fair interest in the games, less so about physically attending but more so of watching the games online. Many were surprised that Arlington was even a choice to host the Cup.

Working people's joys are marred by the crushing blow of economic hardship. Gas prices and cost of living expenses are on the rise. In mid-April North Texans in Arlington paid between $3.55 and $3.80 a gallon for unleaded gasoline, and the median rent is $2519 (per December 2025 reporting). People are seriously stretched and are struggling to put food on their table. It's easy to see that those who enjoy the sport are being speedwalked away from consuming it. FIFA, however, are licking their lips at the prospect of making billions of dollars from the sport being held in the U.S.

Galeano said, “Football is a pleasure that hurts,” and in today's age, football is hurting the pockets of millions of fans locally and internationally who are willing to risk it all to enjoy the sport.

#Culture #Sports #Opinion #Commentary #Soccer #Football

Los Angeles, CA – On November 1, after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ winning Game Seven of the World Series, thousands of Chicanos took to the streets of their city to celebrate. The celebrations were met with extreme force by the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.

In East Los Angeles, seven Centro CSO members took to the streets, where they monitored police activity, documenting and calling out the crimes committed by the police.

Centro CSO and FRSO – LA members documented the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department as they shot tear gas indiscriminately at Chicano families. They agitated against the deputies by calling out their crimes as they happened. Raza was furious and called out the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department for shooting pepper balls at children. Pepper balls are like paintballs but release tear gas on impact. The crowd also called out local KTLA media who were on scene. A fire was started by an incendiary grenade thrown recklessly by sheriff's deputies.

Gabriel Quiroz Jr, a co-chair of Centro CSO’s police accountability committee and a member of FRSO, said, “We were here last year and got teargassed by these same pigs and we built a campaign to hold them accountable. We have made wins, but more is needed to hold these pigs accountable. We need community control of the police! We need and will win community control of the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department!”

Antoinetta Garcia, a local mother from East Los Angeles and a leading member of Centro CSO, said, “I just wanted to say that this pig threw tear gas in our community, and the smell went inside our house because we had the windows open. Our East LA community is always being oppressed and poisoning our community. We have homes where children have asthma and chronic lung disease and respiratory issues. Let's hold these pigs accountable!”

Sammy Carrera, a proud Chicano, Teamster, and CSO member who participated in the event, said, “LASD cannot control its urge to brutalize innocent families and children. They are an occupying violent force whose sole purpose is to destroy and repress.”

Jordan Peña, co-chair of CSO’s immigration committee said, “I stood on the sidewalk with about ten individuals. People peacefully celebrating, waving flags, taking pictures. Then an officer came up to me and told me I could be arrested. This was as other officers were shooting tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd a few blocks away in another direction. We could all see it going down. I don’t think they liked us recording.”

During their repression of the celebrations, the members of the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department wore Fort Apache pins on their shirts. The racist logo traces its history back to the 1970 Chicano Moratorium when the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department attacked Raza who were protesting the Vietnam War and unjust conditions Chicanos faced.

Centro CSO has an active campaign to ban the logo and has picked up wins like packing an East Los Angeles Townhall put on by LASD’s Civilian Oversight Commission. After the town hall, the C.O.C. voted unanimously to ban the logo but the East Los Angeles Sheriffs have failed to comply thus far.

Centro CSO’s plans are to continue pushing the campaign to win community control of the police. If you would like to become involved with Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee (PAC), you can send a message on their social media platforms @CentroCSO or email them at CentroCSO@gmail.com

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #PoliceBrutality #Sports #CentroCSO

Green Bay, WI – Undeterred by road closures and brisk evening temperatures, a dedicated group of around one dozen Green Bay, WI, activists arrived near Entrance 2 for the NFL Draft. It was April 24, the first day of the Draft, and a section of South Ridge Road at the western corner of Lambeau Field was closed to traffic; making it perfect for a banner drop. The action was organized by the Green Bay Anti-War Committee (GBAC), the small city organization that could.

GBAC’s used the high foot traffic to raise awareness about the genocide in Gaza. They were met by many fans who were excited to see the Palestine solidarity signs and banners. A post-action statement published by GBAC sums up the attitude nicely, “many of their hearts are big enough to reach across the ocean. Green Bay cares about the Palestinian people, wants them to be free from violence, and to thrive.”

The banner drop also attracted negative attention from a few. However, some quick thinking activists were able to find common ground by talking about the free handouts of money and arms to Israel. GBAC, having existed since November of 2023, has continued to stand with Palestine during this genocide, and will continue to advocate until Palestine is free. GBAC plans to have a presence at the Green Bay May Day action, in Leicht Memorial Park, on May 1.

#GreenBayWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #Culture #Sports #NFL

New Orleans, LA – On February 9, roughly 200 people took to the streets in downtown New Orleans for a rally and march against President Donald Trump’s visit to the Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome.

The protest was called by New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police, alongside a broad coalition of organizations. After Trump’s recent attacks on the most oppressed, protestors came out to demand Trump end ICE raids and deportations, stop attacks on trans people, and keep out of Gaza.

The rally began at Armstrong Park around 4:30, with speakers. The crowd chanted, “Donald Trump has got to go!” and “Un pueblo unido, hamas sera vencido! The people united, will never be defeated!” Community members brought signs and flags, reading “Nadie es ilegal!”, “Trans liberation now!” “Defend women’s and reproductive rights!” as queer flags, Mexican flags, and Palestinian flags waved above.

“A lot of us are here to resist Donald Trump, but some of us are here for other reasons,” said a member of New Orleans for Community Control of the Police (NOCOP). “I’m here because my friend’s dad got deported a couple of months ago, before Trump was even in office. I’m here because my last interaction with the police ended up with a police officer’s arm around my neck, and me sitting in jail. I’m mad, and I’m not forgetting any of that!”

“More than fear, I’m angry!” declared Molly Dayle, a member of the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP). “He’s attacking our immigrant siblings, our Black and Brown siblings, and he’s coming after unions. We are only going to be able to fight this together.”

“Immigrants are the ones who build up this city after every hurricane!” said Martha Alguera from the Southeast Dignity Not Detention Coalition. “Right here in Louisiana, we have the largest amount of for-profit detention centers in the country. Thousands of people who were just taken asylum are sent here, and have to deal with medical neglect and abuse.”

During the rally, it began to rain heavily. As clothes and signs got soaked, the energy of the crowd remained high. After the speakers finished, the people took the streets marching from Armstrong Park down S Rampart Street all the way up to just outside of the Superdome’s security perimeter. Police presence buzzed around the protest, but because of an excellent security plan and experienced police liaisons, the march concluded with no arrests, injuries, or major disruptions. The crowd cheered, “Rain will not take us down! Trump out of NOLA now!”

When the march returned to Armstrong Park, the crowd chanted and cheered “I believe that we will win!” Bright smiles and hugs congratulated the successful protest as the action came to a close.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #Sports #SuperBowl #LGBTQ #ImmigrantRights

Milwaukee, WI – Nearly 30 protesters with the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 massed outside the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee on the evening of August 22 to protest Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer turned right-wing anti-trans personality. Protesters chanted “Transphobic, anti-gay, Riley Gaines, go away!” “Can’t swim Riley” and “Sore loser Riley” as they picketed outside the hotel. They carried a large banner that read “Stop trans genocide” and received a great deal of support from passing cars and people walking by.

Gaines originally gained notoriety in March 2022 for protesting the fact that she lost to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in a NCAA 500-yard freestyle championship swim meet. She parlayed this loss – which included a fifth place tie with Thomas during the same meet in the 200-yard freestyle category – into her current grift. She’s now the director of the Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute, has her own podcast, and is set for her own show on Fox News. She endorsed Florida governor Ron DeSantis for president.

Chrisley Carpio, a resident of Tampa, Florida who is facing ten years in prison and who is up against the type of political repression that Ron DeSantis personifies, was a special guest speaker at the event. She talked briefly about the Tampa 5, a group of young women activists that includes herself who were assaulted by police during a rally opposing cuts to DEI at the University of South Florida. She used this talking point to set up a broader message about the attacks on trans people in her state being championed by DeSantis.

“In Florida, we've seen more than half a dozen bills passed lately that deny the most basic things to trans people – and DeSantis started with the youth – from gender affirming healthcare, to gender expression in schools, to bathrooms, even to loving parents,” Carpio said. “We shouldn't wait for these attacks to spread from state to state, nor for Governor DeSantis to increase them as president. We should build a movement now, stomp out these transphobic policies, and sink DeSantis' presidential campaign before it takes off!”

Ahead of the first Republican primary debate, the nationally-recognized hate group Moms for Liberty, together with the Leadership Institute, held a couple of events on August 22. They would have had a third – a town hall with several of the Republican candidates for president – but two separate venues canceled the reservation as a result of community pressure.

With the Republican National Convention coming to Milwaukee in July of next year, many right-wing groups and personalities will be descending on the city over the coming months. Progressive forces are also getting organized to fight back against the racist and reactionary agenda of the Republicans, primarily through the Coalition to March on the RNC. The coalition has vowed to protest the Republicans and their surrogates at every turn whenever they come to Milwaukee.

#MilwaukeeWI #LGBTQRights #CoalitionToMarchOnTheRNC #sports #Tampa5 #RileyGaines

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, the most watched sport in the world as well as the most played sport in the world. An average estimate of about 3.5 billion are tuning in to watch this year's World Cup held in Qatar which is almost 45% of the world’s population. The Super Bowl garners about a 100 million people on average; against the numbers of the Soccer World Cup there is no comparison. It is in many ways the working people’s sport. Places where monopoly capitalism or imperialism has gained a foothold from the poorest barrios and favelas of Latin America to the slums of India, soccer reigns supreme and in many ways is an escape from the conditions of deprivation and poverty. Some of the best players in the world come from these conditions.

This year’s cup, which will end December 18, sparkled with fantastic moments of drama. Several upsets caused by the Middle Eastern and Asian teams – namely Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan as well as the African teams of Morocco, Tunisia and Cameroon – made for an excellent watch and smashed the myth of European dominance several times over.

Morocco’s excellent run throughout the cup was seen with great delight throughout Africa and the Arab world. On their way to the semi-finals Morocco defeated Belgium 2-0 in the group stages and finished top of the group, winning against Canada and drawing the game against Croatia.

This would be Morocco’s first win in the competition since 1998 and the victory was significant because Belgium entered the contest ranked number two by FIFA. Morocco would then go on to defeat Spain in the round of 16, in a penalty shootout wherein the Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved three goals while Achraf Hakimi scored the winning penalty to send Morocco to the quarter finals. Morocco would again come out on top against Portugal in a tight, cagey game that was decided by a towering headed goal from Yousef En-Nesyri almost mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal would exit the world cup and it would more than likely be Ronaldo’s final bout.

Morocco’s intensity, determination and world class defensive performances from their captain Romain Saïss and Achraf Hakimi would place them in the semi-finals, becoming the only African team to do so in history. Their fans would relish the moment of this historic run and fill the stadiums with rows and rows of Palestinian flags, carrying forward the message that Palestine must be free. The players would themselves celebrate with Palestinian flags after their victories.

Morocco met France in the semi-final. France, the holders of the World Cup from 2018, had many blistering performances that swept away the likes of Australia and Denmark and despite losing against Tunisia, finished on top of their group. They continued their run with victories against Poland and England with amazing performances from Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Olvier Giroud.

Morocco’s match against France saw nearly 55,000 Moroccan supporters in a stadium with a 69,000 capacity, largely outnumbering the French fan base. Morocco started the game with the same defensive rigor as they had shown throughout the tournament, but their success would soon be undone as Kylian Mbappe’s shot was rebounded into the goal by Theo Hernandez; France were one goal up by the start of the fifth minute. Morocco almost tied it up with a spectacular overhead bicycle kick from Jawad El Yamiq but it was deterred by an equally fantastic effort from the French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Despite valiant efforts from Morocco and high ball possession statistics, a goal from Eintracht Frankfurt star Randal Kolo Muani made it two goals and led to the defeat of Morocco.

Emotional scenes ensued throughout the stadium as Moroccan fans tearful and left in the shadows, while the French celebrated their victory and qualification into the finals. Despite Morocco's unfortunate loss they were able to defeat teams from countries who had previously colonized them, creating hope for other African countries to follow in their footsteps.

On the other side of the coin was Argentina. Argentina entered the competition on the back of 35 straight victories including the two remarkable wins in 2022, the first against Brazil where they won the  Copa America trophy and the second against Italy in the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions final. However, their excellent run was marred by Saudi Arabia who pulled off a historic win against them in what some have called the greatest upset in World Cup history. Despite the unfavorable start, Argentina managed to defeat Mexico and Poland in back-to-back games with the same score of 2-0. In the round of 16 Argentina managed to dispatch with Australia, winning comfortably 2-1, qualifying for the quarter finals.

Argentina faced stiff competition against the Netherlands though, dominating throughout the game with two goals, the first from Nahuel Molina who received a deftly ball from Lionel Messi who appeared seemingly out of the shadows, and the second from Messi himself via penalty kick. However, two swift headed goals from Wout Weghorst saw Argentina lose their lead in the final minute of the game which then went into extra time. Argentina nearly sent the Dutch packing with three brilliant efforts on goal. The game was settled via penalties; Emi Martinez, the Argentinian goalkeeper, made brilliant saves to stop the Dutch efforts and Lautaro Martinez sent Argentina into the semifinals.

The largest contingent of fans currently in Qatar outside of Arabic countries and Brazil is Argentina. This includes non-Argentinian nationality supporters from South Asia including Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, many of whom grew up watching Argentina from the time of their first and second World Cup victory in 1978 and 1986, during the heyday of Diego Armando Maradona. Maradona, whose untimely demise came last year, was, besides being arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, a supporter of several socialist projects across the world and was a close friend of Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales. He was also a great supporter of the Palestinian people as he once proudly declared, “In my heart, I am Palestinian.” Argentina carried forward this message by refusing to play Israel in a friendly match which was to take place in 2018.

Argentina met Croatia in the semifinal. Croatia was the runner up in the previous World Cup in 2018 and had until the semifinal a very resolute run. They managed to finish second in their group behind Morocco, winning one game against Canada and tying the other two against Morocco and Belgium. In the round of 16 they defeated Japan; Dominik Livaković was the hero of the day as he managed to stop three penalty shots from the Japanese. The Croatians continued with their defensive fortitude against Brazil, who throughout the start of the tournament were favorites to win the whole competition. The game went into extra time as Neymar Jr. was able to break the deadlock, but a deflected shot from Bruno Petkovic sent the game into penalties. Croatia was able to continue their performance in the penalty shootout and pushed Brazil out of the contest.

Argentina in no uncertain terms demolished Croatia on December 13. It started with a penalty under slight fortuitous conditions for Messi, followed by a fantastic run and finish by Julian Alvarez, and finally ended with Messi running, turning, dropping his shoulder against Joško Gvardiol, the best defender of the tournament, and laying the ball on a plate for Julian Alvarez to finish the game, 3-0 to Argentina, sending the thousands of Argentinian supporters into raptures, basking in the sunshine of victory.

Argentina faces France in the finals December 18. The final is painted in narratives. Messi, the forever understudy to Dios Maradona, finally receiving a second chance to claim the title of the best in the world after Argentina's loss to Germany in 2014. Kylian Mbappe, at the age of 23 will have a chance to seal consecutive victories for France in back-to-back World Cups, a feat unheard of since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Whatever the individual narratives, both countries have an opportunity to add a third star to their jersey, a third star that will represent a third World Cup victory, carrying forward the collective hopes of two countries.

#DallasTX #Sports #WorldCup

Diego Armando Maradona died November 25. One of the most universally known people in the world, Maradona passed away at age 60 while recovering from surgery.

Maradona, who wore number 10 on the Argentinian national soccer team, is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time. At his peak he led Argentina to a 3-2 World Cup victory in 1986 over West Germany. And he nearly accomplished an incredibly rare back-to-back World Cup victory in the 1990 World Cup, leading Argentina back to the finals in a rematch between Argentina and West Germany. In that game Argentina lost to West Germany 1-0 on a late penalty kick.

The iconic Argentinian soccer star rose from the poor shanty towns outside of Buenos Aires to a global icon. People around the world identified with Maradona’s rise to stardom while maintaining his rebellious spirit and staying a ‘man of the people’ who never forgot where he came from. In the inevitable debate over his legacy, in Argentina the saying “Diego belongs to the people” spread quickly. People identified with his glorious moments on the soccer field, but also identified with his iconoclastic personality as well as the struggles in his personal life off the field. Maradona struggled at times with serious issues including drug addiction, and he was the father of children with several women who he did not acknowledge until later in his life.

Maradona was as passionate about politics as he was about the beautiful game. There is much pressure on athletes to avoid controversial political positions that could alienate some fans. Maradona ignored that pressure and was outspoken in support of anti-imperialist and socialist movements, including those that are most demonized by Washington.

The most iconic game in Maradona’s career was the quarterfinal game between Argentina and England in the 1986 World Cup. This game brought together Maradona’s incredible ability on the field with anti-colonial politics, as he scored both of Argentina’s goals in their 2-1 victory over England. Argentina’s victory, and Maradona’s performance specifically, were seen as revenge for Margaret Thatcher’s England’s 1982 war against Argentina over the Malvinas, or the Falkland Islands as England calls them, off Argentina’s coast. In that war Argentina tried to exercise their sovereignty over the islands off their coast, while England aimed to maintain their colonial control over the territories from across the ocean.

After England won the war and reimposed their colonial control, anti-colonial resentment was strong. Maradona’s play in the 1986 matchup personified that, with his first infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal and his second goal where he blasted past five British players to score and secure Argentina’s victory. The second goal of that game is considered by many to be the ‘goal of the century’. That performance cemented Maradona’s iconic stature by defeating the colonial power that Argentina hadn’t been able to defeat on the battlefield.

Maradona was outspoken in support of socialist Cuba and was personal friends with Fidel Castro, visiting Cuba many times. He had Che Guevarra’s image tattooed on his arm and Fidel Castro’s image tattooed on his leg. At low points in the 2000s, Maradona flew to Cuba for drug rehabilitation treatment because of Cuba’s world-class health care system.

Upon Maradona’s death, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez wrote on Twitter, “Sad news, Maradona, the ‘kid of gold’, singular player, friend of Fidel, has died. Cuba mourns and will always remember the sincere friend and soccer virtuoso that he was.” Because of Maradona’s strong support for Cuba and friendship with Fidel Castro, who he called a “second father” – it didn’t escape notice that he died four years to the day after Fidel Castro had died in 2016.

Maradona was also a staunch defender of Venezuela’s Bolivarian socialist movement and was personal friends with Venezuela’s Presidents Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro. In one well known photo, Maradona sits next to Hugo Chavez as they both laugh, while Maradona is wearing a shirt declaring U.S. President George W. Bush a war criminal. Chavez had also infamously mocked Bush when he spoke right after Bush at the United Nations, saying the podium “smelled like sulfur,” metaphorically tying the figurehead of U.S. imperialism with the devil in a way that resonated around the world.

When Hugo Chavez died in 2013, Maradona said, “What Hugo left me was a great friendship, an incredible political wisdom. Hugo Chavez changed the way Latin America thinks. We were bowed to the United States and he showed us that we can walk by ourselves.”

Maradona strongly stood by President Nicolás Maduro as well, as Maduro fended off increasing attacks from U.S. imperialism. Maradona had said about Maduro, “Don't give up. In soccer it doesn't matter if you lose three to zero, never give up. You never gave up and you're giving everything for Venezuelans. Long live Maduro! We're soldiers of Nicolas, I came here to give him my support.”

Upon Maradona’s passing, Maduro wrote on Twitter, “The world is mourning for our brother Maradona, the best soccer player of all time. A man who was simple, loving and a rebel against social injustices. The people of Argentina, Venezuela and the world love him and will always remember him. ¡Viva Diego!”

Beyond Venezuela and Cuba, Maradona was a supporter of left movements throughout Latin America, also developing friendships with leaders like Bolivia’s Evo Morales and Brazil’s Lula da Silva.

Evo Morales, former Bolivian President and head of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party, described Maradona as, “a person who felt and fought for the humble, the best football player in the world,” and “Diego was a great defender of football in the highlands, and he loved Bolivia very much. He was a great friend of just causes. Not only the world's football mourns him, but also the people of the world.” Current Bolivian President Luis Arce, also of the MAS party, wrote on Twitter, “We deeply regret the sad passing of the great 10 of football and Latin American brother Diego Armando Maradona. The world mourns his irreparable loss – our condolences to his loved ones and the entire football family.”

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo of the Sandinista party said in a statement, “We are losing another giant, an exalted militant of the revolutions of love.”

Maradona didn’t just side with anti-imperialist movements in Latin America. For example he spoke out against the U.S. war in Syria, saying, “You don’t need to go to university to know that the United States wants to wipe Syria out of existence.” He also declared his support for the Palestinian struggle, famously saying in 2018, “In my heart I am Palestinian.”

Through Maradona’s struggles on the soccer field and off, he was a rebel who sided with the poor and with struggles against imperialism. His legacy will live on the field as well as in the streets among people struggling against injustice.

#Argentina #Remembrances #PeoplesStruggles #Sports #Soccer #Maradona

Since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, professional athletes have returned to the national spotlight for their activism. In Milwaukee, members of the Bucks, the city’s professional basketball team, have been engaging with the local protests. They marched in June in the initial wave of protests when crowds of thousands were regularly in the streets.

On August 26, the Bucks made another political statement, this time in the wake of the attempted police murder of Jacob Blake in Kenosha. Instead of coming out onto the court for game five of their play-off series, the players remained in the locker room and announced that they would not be taking the court for the game. Instead, they were sending a message to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul to arrest and charge the officers involved in the attempt on Blake’s life. Their opponents, the Orlando Magic, also did not take the court. They announced they would be leaving the stadium shortly and would not accept the forfeit.

Upon learning of their pro basketball colleagues taking a stand, Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers decided that they too would sit out their scheduled game tonight against the Cincinnati Reds. Like the Magic, the Reds have also announced they’ll not be playing, meaning the Brewers will not be forced to forfeit the game. There is speculation in the sports media world that more baseball games may be cancelled in solidarity with the demand for justice for Jacob Blake. The Seattle Mariners, which have the most Black players of any team in professional baseball, are a likely club to employ similar tactics.

An important political point that is being missed in most coverage of this action is that this is not a boycott of a game. Professional athletes, although they are very well paid, are at the end of the day workers like most people. By refusing to participate in the play-off game and instead use the time to demand Attorney General Kaul take action, the Bucks players are withholding their labor, effectively striking to demand justice for Jacob Blake.

This is not just an important cultural demonstration by professional athletes, but an example of worker power in solidarity with Black lives. As people across the United States refuse to accept the continued police occupation of their communities and the murders that often follow, workers – whether they’re professional athletes or rank-and-file union members – need to show out in solidarity to demand justice.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #InJusticeSystem #Labor #PeoplesStruggles #Sports #PoliceBrutality #JacobBlake

The history of kneeling to protest national oppression, and NFL player activism last season

Athlete protests during the national anthem isn’t a recent phenomenon. In 1996, National Basketball Association player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, a guard for the Denver Nuggets, refused to stand for the national anthem due to American Islamophobic rhetoric. He said of the protests, “the flag is a symbol of oppression, of tyranny.” “This country has a long history of that. I don't think you can argue the facts. You can't be for God and for oppression. I don't criticize those who stand, so don't criticize me for sitting. I won't waver from my decision.”

He was subject to suspensions and fines by the NBA as well as hate threats with one of his homes being burned down.

Kneeling during the national anthem in the NFL however, made famous by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, was started as a protest against police violence and the national oppression of African Americans. Kaepernick, along with his teammate Eric Reid, started kneeling during the anthem to send a message against police shootings. Both Reid and Kaepernick are currently being retaliated against by NFL teams for their activism and have filed a grievance against the NFL for collusion amongst the ownership for preventing them from gaining employment because of their protests. Reid even visited the Cincinnati Bengals, whose ownership told him that he planned to ban Bengals players from participating in anthem protests and refused to sign him because of the stance he has taken.

Last year, Trump, at a rally in Alabama, called for kneeling players to be fired, which set off massive protests by NFL players the following week. Many took part in putting their fists up or kneeling during the national anthem in a sign of defiance against the bigot Trump. Some NFL owners pledged support for the players right to protest during the aftermath of Trump’s comments. Other NFL owners such as Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, who is close to the criminal Bush family dynasty, likened player protests to “inmates running the prison,” which led to outrage amongst his players and even threats of player walkouts at practices due to the comments. McNair later walked back the comments claiming he was misquoted, saying he was actually referring to NFL executives.

It was exposed in 2015 that nearly $5.4 million in taxpayer dollars had been paid out to 14 NFL teams between 2011 and 2014 to honor the military and put on elaborate ‘patriotic salutes’ to the military. It was reported the Department of Defense spent over $10 million in tax payer dollars on working with professional teams in the NFL to show overtly patriotic messages. Therefore, the NFL had to come down on anthem protests as it directly conflicted with their bottom line.

All these incidents have led to a rise in NFL player activism, with contradictions and camps amongst the players emerging. Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Malcom Jenkins, Patriots defensive back Devan McCourty and retired former star player Anquan Boldin, players who took part in protests and/or supported the initial actions of Kaepernick, created a players’ organization called the Players Coalition made up of over 100 current and former NFL players. After initial protests, the Players Coalition, led by Jenkins and others, agreed to not protest during the anthem in exchange for NFL ownership pledging $89 million over seven years to support the Players’ Coalition’s ideals of criminal justice reform through legislative lobbying efforts. Such compromise was met with much chagrin by other players such as New Orleans Saints wideout Michael Thomas and former Kaepernick teammate Eric Reid, with Thomas saying that they “don't believe the coalition's beliefs are in our best interests as a whole.”

The NFL players, the prospects of a strike and the broader movement

As of 2017, 68% of NFL players were Black. For a predominately Black league, players must continue to organize themselves to protect their First Amendment rights, to fight against police brutality but as well improve their own labor conditions.

Under the current labor agreement, National Basketball Association (NBA) players get over half of the league’s revenue, as opposed to the NFL, where players get less than half. NFL players get twice as much total money as NBA players, but that money is spread over almost four times as many athletes. There are 32 NFL teams with 53 roster spots each, making for 1696 NFL players at any given moment. There are 30 NBA teams with 15 roster spots each, making for 450 NBA players. A huge difference in NFL and NBA player salaries is that only a fraction of the typical NFL contract is guaranteed, while the NFL is more profitable than any other major sports league in the world.

Also, NFL players have shorter careers due to the violent nature of the sport, with players taking on more safety risks than the average athlete, leading to issues around concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) being found in now deceased former NFL players.

These issues, along with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s unilateral moves around player discipline, the controversy around the NFL players’ anthem protests and the subsequent crackdown on them by NFL bosses, sets up for major contract negotiations after the 2020 season.

Star players like San Francisco 49ers defensive back have already started talking about the possibilities of a strike in 2021.

“If we want to get anything done, players have to be willing to strike,” Sherman said in 2017. “That’s the thing that guys need to 100% realize. You’re going to have to miss games, you’re going to have to lose some money if you’re willing to make the point, because that’s how MLB and NBA got it done.”

Clearly the recent crackdown on player protests by NFL owners are a bone they are throwing towards racist fans and owners disgusted with the player protests. Trump and his supporters used the NFL player protests as a battering ram against the national movement against police crimes and the broader Black liberation movement. Trump supporters called for NFL boycotts last year after the player protests. NFL ratings dropped 10% in 2017, numbers hailed by Trump supporters as showing the boycott worked. However, such an argument doesn’t stand the litmus test, given how ratings dropped even before the player protests. This can be due to NFL oversaturation on various media outlets besides television. As well, the NFL is still racking in record television contracts, including a recent $3 billion TV deal they signed with FOX sports in January.

While NFL bosses may have thought such a policy seeking to limit NFL player protests would scare off player activism, it will surely have an opposite effect. Before Trump spoke on the NFL player protests last year, there weren’t as many player protests as there were after Trump made his racist remarks. Surely a policy seeking to limit player protests will inflame NFL athletes to protests even more.

The new decree by NFL bosses even provoked a response from New York Jets acting owner Christopher Johnson, to say he’ll pay player fines for those who choose to participate in protests. There is already talk amongst NFL players of continuing their anthem protests as well as finding new ways to protest, even from some who hadn’t protested previously, some protesting just to spite the NFL’s new policy.

NFL player protests must continue to be supported, and NFL Players Association leadership must fight harder to pushback against the infringement of First Amendment rights of the NFL workers they represent. Next season we can expect to even more protests, especially as the Black liberation movement in the U.S. continues to grow, along with the pushback against police brutality and broader institutional racism.

#JacksonvilleFL #Labor #Sports #strike #NFL #NationalAnthem

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #Sports

Minneapolis, MN – Braving sub-zero temperatures, more than 500 people protesting police brutality, racism and corporate greed gathered in south Minneapolis at Peavey Park and marched U.S. Bank Stadium, the site of the Super Bowl, Feb. 4. Upon arriving at the stadium, hundreds of participants took a knee to show their opposition to racist police terror.

Loretta Van Pelt, of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar and Super Bowl Anti-Racist Anti-Corporation Coalition (SAAC) welcomed protest participants and underscored the need to resist the epidemic of police violence.

SAAC is made up of over 20 organizations fighting against police brutality and defending immigrant rights, indigenous rights, women rights, labor unions and students.

The organizations include: AFSCME 2822; AFSCME 3800; American Indian Movement; Anti-War Committee; Asamblea de Derechos Civiles; Black Lives Matter – MN; Black Lives Matter – Twin Cities; Black Saint Paul; Blue Lies Matter; Communities United Against Police Brutality; Filipinx for Immigrant rights and Racial justice in Minnesota; Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Twin Cities; Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee; MN Neighbors for Justice; Women's March Minnesota; Native Lives Matter; The New North; Rise Up Times; Students for a Democratic Society at the UMN; Showing Up for Racial Justice MN; Take A Knee Nation; Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar; Welfare Rights Committee, and Women Against Military Madness.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #Sports #SuperBowlAntiRacistAntiCorporateCoalition

Organized by a host of progressive organizations that have come together as the Super Bowl Anti-racist, Anti-Corporate Coalition (SACC), demonstrators will gather at 3 p.m., Feb. 4, at a location that will be announced soon.

Jess Sundin, an organizer with the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar (TCC4J), states, “On Feb. 4 we are going to step into the national spotlight at the 2018 Super Bowl with a clear anti-racist message. Football players have been protesting racism and police brutality, and on Feb. 4 we will be doing that as well.”

#MinneapolisMN #Sports #Antiracism #SuperBowl

The tactic of taking a knee during the national anthem was started by African American quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started the 2016 season by taking a knee during the national anthem to shine light on widespread police crimes, police brutality and the racist national oppression of Black people. Throughout last season, different football players took a knee, raised a fist or other symbolic actions at the start of games.

Those actions have been met with much hostility and hatred from right wingers, reactionary football fans and commentators. However, Sunday and Monday's actions at different NFL football games have sent a large message to the Trump administration and police departments nationwide that NFL players are no longer sitting on the sidelines when it comes to using their platform to raise awareness around police brutality. These actions also show that players understand and demand their right of to political expression without retaliation from the NFL owners.

People represent ideals. Colin Kaepernick represents the fight against police crimes and racist discrimination in many ways. On the flip side, Donald Trump and his presidency encapsulates a lot of reactionary and bad ideas. Trump ran on being the law-and-order, pro-police brutality and overtly pro-imperialist aggression candidate.

In Huntsville, Alabama, when he called Kaepernick a “SOB” and demanded that the NFL owners fire players who didn't stand for the anthem, he choose the path of feeding his right-wing base the red meat of being pro-boss rights, having the right to fire a worker for anything, but as well equating anti-police brutality protests with an attack on the flag, vets and cops. This was a very strategic line of communication from right-wing forces to deter from the actual struggle against police violence that the NFL player actions had advocated for.

NFL players protesting and others on this day taking a knee against Trump's comments are protests against police violence and for the right of workers, especially majority Black workers in the NFL, to not want to be fired for expressing their views against racism. The actions Sunday and Monday were met with much hostility from Trump supporters and Fraternal Order of Police presidents nationwide.

These protests were progressive and very impactful for the players and as well as those in the black liberation movement. Conservative forces and political action committees have already started boycotts of the NFL for the actions that players have took. We should salute the NFL players and the NFL players union for standing up to Trump as well as their right to use their platform to protest against police brutality.

This past Sunday and Monday, we saw NFL owners being forced to support the players’ protest to avoid labor unrest. If anyone understands the NFL then you understand that each team is owned by a member of the ruling class. For example, the owner of the Seattle Seahawks franchise is Paul Allen, co-founder along Bill Gates of Microsoft. So to see NFL owners and billionaires in most cases defend their players right to protest over that of Trump's comments is shocking. Shad Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, supported ruling class member Hillary Clinton in the general election but then donated to Trump's inauguration. However, he joined with his team on the field in London, locking arms with players in protest of Trump's comments. This should shows us a sense of chaos within the ruling class, a lack of unity amongst the bourgeoisie with billionaire owners siding with their players over that of Trump.

In 2014, Trump sought to purchase the Buffalo Bills, another NFL team but was rejected from acquiring it. According to NFL team purchasing rules, owners must approve the purchase of a franchise. Trump even sued the NFL in the 1980s to benefit a professional football league he led, the USFL which he eventually bankrupted. So no love is lost between Trump and the other billionaire owners who once rejected his bid to join their ranks. However, their break against Trump mostly shows that even the owners know where the power lies. That power lies with the NFL players who are unionized workers. The ruling class can plainly be seen as still in a state of chaos over the Trump presidency. Actions taken by the people's movement and their organizations can continue to help exploit those contradictions for the betterment of workers everywhere.

Throughout our history, professional athletes standing up for justice have had a profound effect on our society. We can't forget Muhammad Ali, who spoke out against the Vietnam War and refused the draft and was punished by the U.S. government for it. In the 1968 Olympics, African-American athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith, during the 1968 Olympic medal ceremony, each raised a black-gloved fist as they turned to face the U.S. flags during the national anthem. Black athletes have historically played positive roles in uplifting the struggle of the Black liberation movement.

We should continue to support black NFL players and other professional athletes who stand in solidarity and take action against the oppression of African Americans.

Salute to Colin Kaepernick and other athletes who raise their voice against police brutality and racist national oppression.

#JacksonvilleFL #Sports #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #NFL #ColinKaepernick

Minneapolis, MN – Over five thousand people joined eleven tribal nations in demanding Washington’s football franchise “change the name!” Gathering at Northrop Plaza at the University of Minnesota over 3,000 people marched and converged on the stadium two hours before the game and were joined by 2,000 others who marched from the Phillips Neighborhood of South Minneapolis.

Protesters marched in front of the stadium and through the Tribal Nations Plaza. The plaza was built to honor the Minnesota tribes that helped pay for the stadium.

Speakers called Washington owner Dan Snyder’s defense of his team’s name, “hate speech for profit.” White Earth Band member and AIM co-founder Clyde Bellecourt told the rally, “there have been millions of people erased from the face of the earth.” Bellecourt explained the origin of the team name as being, “when blood ran down those children’s faces, those grandmas and mothers, the families… whole tribes were decimated. That’s where the word ‘redskin’ comes from.”

Earlier in the week at a press conference for the protest, University of Minnesota law student Aubrey Stangan explained how the protest would be an event to come together and speak out highlighting the history of scalping, colonialism and genocide. The protest featured over 29 speakers including the Mayor of Minneapolis, former governor of Minnesota, a congressman, a former Vikings player and many tribal leaders from around the United States.

Also speaking at the press conference, Spike Moss, a board member of the NAACP added the long history of oppression shared between African Americans and American Indians and the need for unity and solidarity. American Indian and former Vikings defensive back Joey Browner added, “As a former player I feel really sad right now.” Continuing, he stated, “We’re not mascots.”

Clyde Bellecourt cited precedent for changing the name, pointing out that 22,000 universities, colleges and high schools have changed their names, including all of the Minnesota state high schools. University of Minnesota student and Student for a Democratic Society member Matt Boynton asked, “What is the purpose of keeping the name other than money?”

Protests of Washington's team name date back to at least 1972. Minneapolis has a long tradition of protesting racism in sports including protests of the Washington football team name during the 1992 Super Bowl hosted in Minneapolis and the 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians.

#MinneapolisMN #Sports #IndigenousPeoples #Antiracism #football #WashingtonRedskins #mascots #NFL

The Korean News Agency reported Jan. 8 that Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other sports fans gathered at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium to watch a basketball game between a team of ex-NBA stars, including Dennis Rodman, and Korean players from the Hwaebul team.

According to the Korean News Agency report, “Kim Jong Un welcomed the American basketball players' visit to the DPRK and said that the game served as a good occasion in promoting the understanding between the peoples of the two countries.”

The Hwaebul Team beat the team of ex-NBA stars 47 to 39.

#DemocraticPeoplesRepublicOfKorea #Korea #Sports #KimJongUn #DennisRodman #Asia

Minneapolis, MN – Over 800 people gathered here, Nov. 7, to demand the Washington Redskins change their racist name. Marching from the Minneapolis American Indian Center on Franklin Avenue south of downtown to the Vikings stadium, the protesters rallied in front of the Metrodome chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, little red Sambo’s got to go!”

Joining people from around the country to condemn the “R-word,” protesters recalled similar demonstrations in Minneapolis – in 1991 when the Twins played the Atlanta Braves in the World Series and the 1992 Super Bowl when the Washington team played the Buffalo Bills.

The rally, led by American Indian Movement (AIM) co-founder Clyde Bellecourt, also featured the voices of many youth speaking out as well as local congress member Betty McCollum, 1964 Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills, former Viking Pro-Bowl standout Joey Browner and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. Speaking to the crowd of hundreds weathering the cold, Bellecourt highlighted the historic work of AIM to revive Native culture and tradition in addition and their past protests of racist sports mascots. He noted the international media attention and efforts that have included condemnation of the name from city councils of Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Washington D.C.

The diverse composition of the protest highlighted the widespread demand from all segments of society to challenge Washington team owner Dan Snyder’s refusal to change the team’s name. Organizations including AIM and the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media committed themselves to continue the fight until the demands of the masses were met and the racist name is changed.

#MinneapolisMN #Sports #IndigenousPeoples #AntiRacism #Redskins #football

Saint Paul, MN – Members of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) ‘huddled’ in front of Governor Mark Dayton’s mansion Sept. 25. After a rally and speeches, low-income people hurled footballs over the locked fence. Written on streamers attached to the footballs were messages such as, “Help poor kids, not millionaires,” and “Raise the grants now!” Before they left, the protesters taped signs to the outside of the fence to hammer home the message.

Last legislative session, Governor Dayton found $24 million to give to Vikings football team owner Zygi Wilf for 2013, but no money for poor kids on welfare. The monthly amount of cash MFIP – the state’s welfare program for poor children and their parents – has not increased since 1986 – 27 years ago. Had the cash welfare grants kept up with the cost of living, they would be double. A family of two gets a cash grant of $437 per month. According to the WRC, “That $437 has to cover rent, clothing, transportation, utilities etc. The current welfare grants all but guarantee homelessness.”

According to the Welfare Rights Committee statement, “Governor Dayton could call for increasing the welfare grants. He could make helping the poor his priority. Instead he gives millions of dollars to millionaires like Vikings Football team owner Zygi Wilf.” Wilf was recently found guilty in New Jersey courts for defrauding his past partners and ordered to pay damages of over $80 million.

This fall, the Welfare Rights Committee will also be fighting cuts to the Food Stamp/SNAP program. Last week, Congress voted to cut millions from the program, passing, in the words of WRC, “an irrational provision saying that adults can’t get food stamps unless they are working, even though in much of the country there are no jobs to be found.”

For info, check out the Welfare Rights Committee at welfarerightsmn.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/104618039626888.

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #GovernorMarkDayton #Vikings #sports

MLB’s racism tarnished the reputations of all the great ballplayers from its early era. Could white hitters like Mel Ott or Stan Musial have hit like the great African American pitcher Satchel Paige? Could a white catcher like Bill Dickey have thrown out a base stealer like the African American speedster Cool Papa Bell? Could African American Josh Gibson hit more home runs than Babe Ruth or Ted Williams? Because of MLB’s racism, we will never know. MLB’s segregation policy prevented them from facing all the best ballplayers of their era.

MLB ignored the demands from the people for equality in the 1930s and 1940s. Communist-led organizations and unions held rallies, gathered petitions and picketed at the MLB ballparks for an end to segregation in baseball. The Daily Worker’s fine sports writer Lester Rodney covered the Negro Leagues as well as MLB. He called for the best ballplayers to be admitted to MLB regardless of race.

MLB has buried this history. The owners want you to think that ‘visionaries like Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey or former MLB Commissioner Ford Frick were the only reason that baseball was integrated. But many MLB owners were hesitant to let the best nonwhite players join their team even after Jackie Robinson in the National League, Larry Doby in the American League and others had broken the color barrier. The first African American ballplayer on Boston Red Sox was Pumpsie Green in 1959. The Red Sox did not have regular nonwhite position players until the mid 1960s.

Fast forward to today’s MLB elite. After years of trying to get everyone to ignore past sins, Commissioner Bud Selig took a new direction. He honored Jackie Robinson by retiring his number 42 from all MLB teams. He embraced the Negro League players, even putting some in the MLB Hall of Fame. Heck that was over 60 years ago. We are more enlightened than that now.

Selig sees new markets for MLB, especially in Japan. Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and other Japanese players are heavily marketed abroad. Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico have produced great MLB players for decades. Now MLB is testing ways to cash in on its new found internationalism.

But how enlightened are they? MLB has scheduled its All-Star game in Phoenix, Arizona. Furthermore, the MLB franchise in Arizona and its owner, Ken Kendrick, have been major financial contributors for the Republicans responsible for SB1070. But unfortunately for them, that darn immigrant rights movement is challenging MLB to step up to the plate.

Like the radical civil rights leaders in the1930s and 1940s, people from MLB cities across the country have started to protest and demand that the 2011 All-Star game be moved. They want MLB to renounce the racism of SB1070. Protests in Milwaukee, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Minneapolis and Washington D.C. have grabbed many fans’ attention.

Some players who are likely to be chosen to play in the All-Star game, like the Milwaukee Brewer pitcher Yovani Gallardo and San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, have said that they would not attend an All-Star game if it is in Arizona. The outspoken manager of the Chicago White Sox has followed suit and said that he would not attend unless the Arizona laws are changed.

While as many as 30% of MLB ballplayer are from other countries or are of Latin ancestry, this is not about them. This is about racist discrimination and national oppression. This is about one set of laws for some people and another set of laws for other people. It is time for sports fans to stand for full equality for all people.

No matter which team you like, you root for all of the players whether they are black, white, brown, Asian or red. Arizona’s SB1070 is wrong, you know it, I know it and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig knows it. The question is, will MLB back its racist buddies in Arizona or will they take a principled stand?

Foster Richards can be reached at leftsportsrev@yahoo.com

#Arizona #AZ #ImmigrantRights #Sports #CivilRights #BoycottArizona #SB1070 #MajorLeagueBaseball #MLB #BudSelig

It remains to be seen if fans currently flirting with the ‘beautiful game’ will continue their enthusiasm now that the U.S. is knocked out. Americans fell in love with Mia Hamm and the U.S. team during the 1999 Women’s World Cup held in the United States. This team helped to continue to build the popularity of the sport, but many lost interest after memories of the trophy being raised faded.

No matter what, it is fun to see the confusion in the conservative camp. They can’t decide whether to be the strongest supporters of U.S. soccer or denounce a sport that Americans can’t dominate at this time. Maybe we should invade Brazil to force their futbolers to play for the good old USA.

The politics of the World Cup have perplexed some socialists and progressives as well. My buddy, Alfredo, said he would meet me at the Globe tavern to watch our beloved Democratic People’s Republic of Korea take on Portugal. It sounded like a great idea at the time, but as I was driving to the pub to catch the 6:30 a.m. kick off, I was having second thoughts. The coffee at the tavern helped. As the DPRK was taking a drubbing, we started to debate the question of who to root for in the next U.S. match.

Should we root for the U.S. against poorer countries like Algeria or Slovenia? When an imperialist power like the U.S. uses its military or economic strength to oppress the people of other countries we root against them. Why not in soccer?

Alfredo worked against U.S. intervention in Colombia. He was an outspoken opponent of Plan Colombia and U.S. domination of the region. “How can I root for the USA after that?” he complained.

The answer is simple: The U.S. players are not the imperialists. I reminded Alfredo how we rooted for U.S. players Carlos Bocanegra and his teammate Damarcus Beasley when they played for the Chicago Fire. Most of the team and fans come from working class backgrounds. In fact soccer players and fans in the U.S. tend to appreciate other cultures and peoples.

So as soccer fans around the world have their pride, it is only right that we do the same here. There are many reasons for Americans to be proud. Consider that our music, dance, movies and yes athletics are among the best in the world. The skill and ingenuity of all classes but especially the working class make this possible. It is OK to be proud, root for our guys!

Alfredo still wasn’t totally convinced, “Well, I won’t root against them,” he said as he slurped down the last of his coffee and headed to work.

A few days later we met for the match between the U.S. and Algeria. Despite solid chances from the U.S., the Algerian defense held the game goalless headed into stoppage time. A draw looked inevitable when Landon Donovan put the ball in the back of the net. The tavern erupted! Cheers, hugs and high-fives. The U.S. would advance out of the group stage and to the round of 16. As I looked next to me I noticed Alfredo jumping up and down cheering for the Donovan goal.

I am not sure who Alfredo supported Saturday when Ghana eliminated the U.S. from the World Cup. It was a close game , in which Ghana needed extra time to defeat the U.S. 2-1. Now that the U.S. has been eliminated, I can admit that it is great that an African country like Ghana advanced to the quarter finals in the first World Cup to be held in Africa. The same way Africans feel pride for Ghana, I am proud of the American athletes, what they accomplished and what they stood for in South Africa.

The rest of the competition promises to be exciting. Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and the Argentines, like several South American countries, have surprised the pundits. This at the expense of European powers like England, Italy and France, which have been sent home before the quarter finals. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korean and the U.S. are gone. But for Alfredo and I there is much soccer to watch, beer to drink and yes politics, always politics.

Foster Richards can be reached at: leftsportsrev@yahoo.com

#UnitedStates #Sports #WorldCup

I walked into the tavern. At first I seemed to be in Green Bay on an autumn Sunday. Everyone was wearing green and gold. But it wasn’t the Packers they were there to see, but Brazil. The most glorious most skilled players in world seem to come from Brazil. If your country’s soccer team is ‘no good’ or you want to adopt a new country for any reason, Brazil is the overwhelming choice.

Like a Chicago Bear fan in northern Wisconsin, I joined the hundreds wearing green and gold, but to root for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The DPRK were heavy underdogs. However, by using a strategy that focused on defense, they were able to prevent the Brazilians from scoring until well into the second half.

The Brazilian players’ footwork was dazzling, yet there were no goals until the 54th minute when Maicon curved the ball around the post just outside the Korean goalkeeper’s reach. It was a phenomenal goal. The fans in the tavern went crazy. Even we few DPRK fans couldn’t help but clap. Suspense… suspense…Goal! Celebration! You got to love it.

Soccer is primarily a working class sport in most places around the world. It inspires passion like no other sport. Soccer has speed, strength, but most especially grace and balance. Brazil’s Pele correctly called it, “the beautiful game.”

The World Cup takes this game and puts it on an international stage once every four years. For Americans, think of having the Super Bowl only once every four years. That means four years of buildup. Think of not just the United States, but teams in every city in the world. Then each country takes its very best players to make up a national team. That is the World Cup.

The political discussions at the pubs around the world are fabulous. Workers discuss South American powers like Brazil and Argentina beating imperialist countries from Europe. The controversial Argentine coach Diego Maradoni regularly speaks out on behalf of the poor and the working class. He praises Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez.

The business pages of the bourgeois newspapers blame the European countries they have labeled PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain) for the world’s current economic problems. All of these countries have qualified and are predicted to do well at the world cup in South Africa.

Here in the USA, immigrants gather to root for their country of origin and debate the quality of the USA team. The USA was a joke until recently. Since the 1994 World Cup was held here in the United States more and more resources have gone into soccer development. Today, American youth participate in soccer more than any other sport.

Finally, hats off to the hosts, the people of South Africa. They root for their team, the Bafana Bafana with pride, enthusiasm and of course, joy. They cannot stop blowing their vuvuzela horns. At first this annoys the hell out of you, but then it grows on you. It wouldn’t be South African without them.

And then there is the politics of South Africa…the struggle to bring down the racist system of Apartheid, a system supported by U.S. and European imperialism. People of conscience around the world stood with the oppressed people of South Africa to end apartheid. How is South Africa doing today? Why?

It is halftime. Time for a beer. Time to talk to the other workers in the tavern about the world situation, working class solidarity and…oh yeah…wasn’t that a great goal by Ji Yun Nam (DPRK)? Of course communists love the World Cup. What’s not to love?

#UnitedStates #Sports #WorldCup #Soccer