The Media's Influence On Athletes

Sports provide athletes with an opportunity to voice their opinions on social issues, religion, politics, and much more. Attention from the media makes it easy for the voices of the athletes to be heard not only in one country, but all over the world. Even though the attention from the media can be a good thing, for example, more publicity could potentially lead to more money, the attention can bring on unwanted stress and image. The author, David Remnick, illustrated how pressure to maintain a certain image in the eyes of the public deteriorated one fighter. Floyd Patterson was the heavy weight champion of the world and was supported by the public, the media, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored, and President John Kennedy.

Ali did not fight like a traditional heavyweight but instead would dance around the ring and would not flatten his opponents in one round. This would annoy his trainers, such as Angelo Dundee, but Ali would not change his showmanship. Due to this, many writers did not have confidence in Ali’s fighting ability and this was made clear before the Ali and Liston fight. According to a poll, over 93% of the sports writers believed Liston would win the fight. As Ali’s fame grew, so did his media coverage. Ali discussed how reporters would come up to him and ask him just to say anything. The public wanted to hear Ali speak with his usual sass and poetry because it became expected. However, Ali would take his acting to a level of insanity which would cause the media to hate him on occasion. Before the fight with Liston, Ali was seen as the senseless man who need to be put back in his place and Liston was the hero to do

Some of these individuals include Malcom X, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. However, being involved with the civil rights movement was not the only way to get your voice heard. Boxing provided all three of these athletes with a stage not presented to many African Americans in the 1950s through the 1960s. The attention the media gave them allowed each of these men the opportunity for the world to see them and listen to their opinions on different matters. However, the press coverage also brought along racial stereotypes and roles expected to fill. Patterson was the compliant man who treated white reporters with the respect the writers believed they were entitled to. Liston was the African American everyone feared. He was a hulking, thug who did not deserve to have the title of world champion. However, Ali was put into the role of the young, loudmouth and instead of ruining his career, this role promoted it. Ali embraced the image the public created for him and used it as a platform to truly become the greatest in the