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Maicke: Sports and politics need to combine more
In this Sept. 1, 2016 file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick shakes hands with a fan after the 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers 31-21 during an NFL preseason football game in San Diego.
Associated Press
▶ MIKE MAICKE
@MJ_Maicke
I love ice cream. Really, I love it, I could eat it every single day with a wide smile on my face. I also love calamari. I think it's absolutely delicious, and whenever it's on any menu at any restaurant you better believe I'm going to order it.
But calamari on my ice cream? Yuck, get that away from me.
People love sports with every fiber of their being, they love talking about sports, viewing sports and we as a culture adore everything that comes with sports.
Politics, too. People say they hate talking about politics, but that's not true. It can't be true, look at the ratings for Fox News, CNN
MSNBC - they're all up.
America loves sports and politics, but God help us all if they spill into each other's territory.
We saw a prime example of this early in last year's NFL season with Colin Kaepernick, when we lost our collective mind simply because he knelt during the national anthem.
Now we get a chance to be uncomfortable again.
The New England Patriots visited the White House Wednesday to celebrate their remarkable Super Bowl 51 comeback victory, but it won't be all of the Patriots this year.
I need to mention this separately. Tom Brady wasn't in attendance because of "family matters," it certainly wasn't because of who now
Aside from Brady, Martellus Bennett, Devin McCourty, Chris Long, LeGarrette Blount, Dont'a Hightower and Alan Branch also did not attend the ceremony.
resides in the White House because Brady has been seen before with "Make America Great Again" apparel.
A few of the players missing cited their children. Long and Branch said they wouldn't be able to face their children about why they went.
The rest of the players had one very resounding message: "We didn't feel welcome."
It's an invitation; it's not mandatory, if these players don't want to go because they disagree with Trump's policies, that's fine! If these players don't want to for any reason whatsoever, that's OK.
Once you become a professional athlete, you do not automatically strip yourself of the right to political thought or political activism.
Then how the hell are you supposed to try to make a change to a problem you think is pressing?"
Look back to Kaepernick. After peacefully protesting by kneeling during the national anthem, he received death threats, fans burned jerseys and social media nearly imploded.
"Don't protest like that."
people said, "That's not how it should be done," people said.
Oh really, it's not? Then how the hell are you supposed to try to make a change to a problem you think is pressing?
Kaepernick was not rioting in the streets; he was courageous enough to look a potential career-ending stance in the face and say, "your move."
So, why were we so uncomfortable with his kneeling? Because it was interfering with our sports, and sports and politics do not mix.
I think it's great that this group of Patriots players are skipping the event at the White House, compared to the alternative of an insincere visit and a hardly genuine handshake.
It's not like there is going to be a Q & A where the president is actually listening to any critiques, or will come remotely close to considering anything these players have to say.
Sports give you a unique platform to express your beliefs; use that platform to make a difference.
We get angry at people who only type hot political takes on social media and do nothing, but we're also going to get angry at the people who act on those beliefs and try to make peaceful change?
Good for you, Pats players, but don't expect this to go over quickly.
After all, nobody thinks calamari ice cream is appealing.
AL-HIZAM FROM
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"Anthony Curran, who's a buddy of mine, called me and said 'Hey, we're looking to put Hussain somewhere in the U.S.' " Hays said.
Hays worked alongside Dr. Phil Lowcock, coordinator for international student-athlete support, to coordinate with the Applied English Center (AEC) to enroll Al Hizam at the Universi
sity and better advance his English.
After just two short weeks, Al Hizam knew that he would be leaving the busy life of Los Angeles for the more humble plains of Kansas.
While the move was a major change of scenery, Al Hizam is more than happy about the change in location.
"You have a lot of distractions, it's like a dream. You can't do your task, you
Missy Minear/KANSAN Freshman Hussain Al Hizam participates in the pole vault competition at the Kansas Relays in 2016.
Missy Minear/KANSAN
can only do one thing," he explained. "If I was in L.A., I would probably quit track, or not go to school, I've got to choose between one of these."
Al Hizam has enjoyed a successful career at Kansas since becoming a Jayhawk in the spring of 2016. At the Arkansas Qualifier in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in Feb. 2017. Al Hizam vaulted a height of 5.46-meters (17-foot-11), putting himself in the Kansas all-time top 10 for indoor vaults.
Despite this feat, Al Hizam drew more attention to himself after he broke the Saudi Arabian national record for indoor pole vaulting, a record he set a week earlier at the Tyson Invitational, a meet also held in Fayetteville.
A little over a month later, Al Hizam also went on to break the Saudi Arabian outdoor record at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Arizona. Al Hizam managed to vault over a height of 5.60-meter (18-foot-4), breaking his previous personal best by 0.14 meters
Although, that's not to say Al Hizam has not experienced some low points at Kansas too.
"After I jumped 5.46, I was really excited to go to the Big 12 event, I was really excited to be there and possibly win it, but I didn't do great at the Big 12," Al Hizam said.
Al Hizam ranked No.17 in the nation after the Big 12 Championships, with only the top 16 athletes in nation heading to the NCAA tournament. Despite the disappointment, Al Hizam will use that disappointment as fuel heading into the outdoor season, to beat everyone who knocked him down to No.17.
Once he gets on fire ... and his confidence level is so high, you just get out of the way."
Tom Hays
Vertical jumps coach
Three of the athletes who did finish in the top 16 were fellow Kansas vaulters Nick Maestretti and Jake Albright, both seniors, and sophomore Paulo Benavides. But Al Hizam says there are no hard feelings, describing the Kansas pole vault team as a family.
"If Jake (Albright) jumps higher, it's not going to make me look better," Al Hizam said. "But, the positive thing about our team is everybody is trying to push each other so we can reach our best potential."
Although Al Hizam is slightly disappointed with his performance at the conclusion of the indoor season, Hays is more than happy with his performances following his rehabilitation from his back injury.
When Hays brought Al Hizam to Kansas, his goal was simply to get him healthy.
"I was just trying to make sure that he wasn't broken, that's the first thing," Hays said. "Once he gets on fire though and his confidence level is so high, you just get out of the way."
Being one of the best vaulters in his nation does not come without its expectations. Although Al Hizam does not know whether he will become a professional athlete throughout America and Europe after his collegiate career or will focus on his area of study, business he does know one thing.
"We're starting to think about the Olympics in 2020, plus we also have a chance to qualify for the World Championships in London," Al Hizam said.
Al Hizam and Hays have a plan to give Al Hizam the best chance of competing in the 2020 Olympics for Saudi Arabia. With the World Championships coming up this summer in London, Al
Despite Al Hizam's successful career so far, and his lofty ambitions for the future, he never forgets the people who have helped him reach this point. The same can be said for Hays, who said he will also be happy to help Al Hizam once his collegiate career comes to a close.
Hizam looks to clear 5.70 meters. Then, he believes he will garner a lot of media attention in Saudi Arabia, as well as from the Saudi Athletic Federation.
"Our biggest thing is we need to figure out what the mark is going to be. Right now it has always been around 5.70-meters, like the world championships in London," Hays said. "If he qualifies for that, then he's definitely going to be on their selection team."
Even though Al Hizam is only a sophomore, in reflection, he's grateful for the support he's received during his past struggles, naming Hays and coach Stanley Redwine specifically for helping him through adversity.
But, he's not looking back on, the tough times. He's focusing on a challenging, but optimistic, future. That future starts with the 90th annual Kansas Relays this week, and potentially goes beyond to the World Championships and just maybe back to Asia, the continent in which he was once a champion, for the 2020 Olympics.
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