Sports, Politics and the Olympics

The 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico is widely known for the student massacre and the racial protest from some of the athletes.  Many athletic events happened that are still remembered to this day as their records still stand or the results were so shocking the will always be remembered.  One of the biggest events was the Student massacre at Tlateloco Plaza in which student protested the incarceration of the leaders of the National Student Strike Committee as well as the PRI's lavish expenditures on the Olympic Games.  The students were murdered in cold blood by white-gloved paramilitary forces and army platoons.  At this time there were many opposing reports so the actual number of deaths vary, but a good estimate was 337 students.

http://www.olympic.org/photos/yaaat005

From Sage and Eitzen's Chapter their idea of Sport as a Vehicle of Change in Society seems to have a to of similarities with the 1968 games.  The reason I think this is because that is partially what the leading political party in  Mexico (PRI) was trying to do.  They wanted to show the rest of the world that they were emerging and that it was time to get rid of that third world title that had been associated with them for so long.  However, the students and people in opposition to the PRI believed there were many other welfare issues that should be addressed long before they bring the Olympic Games to Mexico City.  I also think the Sport and Nationalism idea by Sage and Eitzen was comparable to the '68 games because it was actually the reverse of what was in the chapter.  Essentially after the massacre there was a lessened sense of nationalism from the people of Mexico and especially students and people that disliked the PRI, which actually grew into more opposed political parties after the massacre and the games.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Olympics_Black_Power_salute

As far as the statement regarding sports as being completely devoid of politics, I do not agree nor do i completely disagree.  I think that little league and the lower levels of sports that essentially don't involve the sport as an occupation are the purest, nonpolitical forms of sport.  However, keeping in line with the Olympics I believe that these glorified higher levels of sports revolve around politics.  For example, In a Scholarly Article by Andris Zimelis title Let the Games Begin, in the 1968 Olympic Games were one vote shy of being canceled because of the massacre of hundreds of students in Mexico City that were politically revolting against the Olympic Games.  Although the games were a success, there was still a lot of domestic political unrest in Mexico City because sport.