Social Justice in the “Unified” NFL
If the NFL really wants to promote anti-racism, it seems hard to imagine a less emphatic visual statement.
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Stirring NFL Protest Optics: Unity to What End?
As encouraging as the explosion of protest in the NFL may be, let us not lose focus on the purpose of such protest in the first place.
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Protesters vs. Props for Freedom: College Athletes Can’t Breathe Either
The solidarity of the players expresses a desire not to wear “freedom” as a slogan but to seize it as a fragile part of their daily lives.
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Abdullah's 100 Yard Prayer Rug: The Visual Landscape of Faith and Violence in Sports and the NFL
The NFL's missteps must become opportunities to address the symbols of violence that the league promotes. Can Abdullah help us do that?
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The Second Coming: The Messianic Visuals of LeBron's Return to Cleveland
These images are only a small sampling, but the symbolism should be clear: LeBron James is still a savior, the prodigal son awaiting his redemption.
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Super Bawl
Too often, however, American culture upholds this kind of hypermasculine intensity as a virtue.
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The NFL and Newtown: Reflections on a Violent World
The nationalistic imagery stands out for me in the photo because I know how seamlessly it is woven into the fabric of the sport itself, especially in its most muscular, militaristic forms.
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Football’s End of Days?
Going with replacement refs, what has been happened in the NFL is nothing short of apocalyptic, at least according American sports media.
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"Take 'Em Out" at the Ball Game (Or: "The Jersey Pop")
In this image we see the almost perfect conflation of sport and nationalism. Here, the citizen as “fan” celebrates his “team,” the United States. The death of an American enemy, then, is roughly the equivalent of a walk-off home run.
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