Over the past year the sporting world has seen protests and political stances taken up across the NFL and NBA, and now word out of Baltimore might be an indicator that Major League Baseball may see it's own politicization in 2017. With opening day approaching, it has been reported that the Orioles would have no intention of inviting President Donald Trump to throw out their ceremonial first pitch, unless he apologizes for what team VP and chief operating officer, John Angelos calls views projected "from a race, ethnicity, religious, gender, disability" standpoint.
Angelos, who is owner Peter Angelos' son, has made a name for himself as a somewhat liberal figure in baseball. He was sympathetic to protests surrounding the Freddie Gray verdict when the Orioles were forced to play in an empty stadium in order to protect fans from becoming immersed in rioting in 2015, and he is responsible for the O's playing Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" during Friday night games. Public records also reveal that he is a longtime contributor to the Democratic Party, but Angelos' opinion on Trump, is one that doesn't simply boil down to politics, he says.
“You don’t say those things about women, you don’t say those things about different ethnic groups, different national origins, people who are disabled, all that. And if you do say them, you’re a big enough person to withdraw them and apologize," Angelos said, during an appearance on a local Baltimore podcast. He admitted that his statements are based on what he would personally do, and do not speak for a decision which would ultimately be up to his father and other stakeholders in the team's ownership. For his part, though, Angelos was clear on his intention to work as an agent for change, placing a social lens on sports that some applaud, and others disdain as misplaced.
“The other thing that needs to happen here is more corporate CEOs and people that want to be community leaders to act like Misty Copeland did and act like other athletes have done, right on back to Colin Kaepernick," Said Angelos. "They need to stand up and not normalize and not legitimize and not whitewash that kind of conduct. I wouldn’t accept that from a Democrat or a Republican or somebody from outer space."
Source: usatoday.com
