Sports and politics: what are their links? From the outcome of a vote in Congress to a recently suggested policy, sports have influenced politics for many years, dating back to the late 19th century. . Whether it's ending segregation through baseball, making a new ally through soccer, or boosting an economy through a single sporting event, there are countless events in which a sport has helped to improve a country. Where there are miracles, there are also tragedies, and sport can also have a negative impact on politics, with tragedies far outweighing miracles. There have been government boycotts, political embarrassments and, worst of all, massacres, all because of sport. The same goes for politics and government affecting a sporting event, there have been matches held in a specific location solely to boost that city's economy, with certain teams being chosen to win a sporting event based on 'a recent disaster, or even a country refusing to allow its athletes to compete to solidify its history and what it hopes to accomplish. As sports negatively affects politics, politics can also negatively affect sports, there have been counties that have killed other people at sporting events, countries have been dismantled because of sporting events, and even countries have refused to allow others to participate in a sporting event because of their religion, ethnicity, etc. When asked to describe sports and politics in a single sentence, journalist George Vecsey (2012) said, "Obama plays it safe for a basket." Clinton needs to hit a grand slam. McCain is preparing for a marathon. The contestants can't afford any mistakes, like Billy Conn trying to knock out Joe Louis in 1941. Apparently we sports fans can... middle of paper ... Russian legislation on anti -gay poses a difficult situation for the US government, as they must choose between participating and being seen as horrible people for holding back gay/lesbian athletes, or not participating and being seen as weak by the Olympic powers. The era of Hitler showed that no matter how powerful a government is, if it is humiliated by one man, it will be overthrown. The Olympics have also sparked widespread bloodshed, boycotts and protests, dating back to the early 1930s and continuing from the 1980s to the present. These are just a few of the many cases in which politics has affected sports and how sports have affected politics. The previous examples have just confirmed that sport has an effect on politics, whether positive or negative, there is always a correlation between the two..