The world of sports can be very unforgiving and weird sometimes. This was highlighted at the end of summer and beginning of fall, with the outpour of social activism shown by professional athletes, headlined by the Colin Kaepernick national anthem protests.

It feels like half of the sports fandom in the United States wants one thing, and the other half the complete opposite. A seemingly perfect representation of our state as a nation, this situation provides a “rock and a hard place” choice for some athletes.

Whenever something significant happens in the world that could be unjust to some, many people call for the heads of athletes who don’t speak up for a cause. The exact same happens when an athlete does make their voice heard for what they believe in. If it was up to me, it would be a one way street.

Competitors such as Tommie Smith who stood on the olympic podium and raised a fist to promote black power are prime examples of those who took a risk for what they believe in. Maybe you do not agree with the fight, but that should not affect their actions.

Any athlete, no matter the cause, should be commended for taking the risk of putting an opinion out to the world and standing up for what they believe in. The platform they have along with a fandom of millions to help make change in the world is a powerful thing, but one that can be used correctly to make the world a better place for all.

On the other hand, no professional athlete should be scrutinized for not coming out and protest for what some people may want them to. As a citizen of this country, they have the right to not say something as much as they have the right to say something.

Just because Tom Brady has the biggest platform in the NFL, does not mean he has to speak out for change simply because he has that platform. People in general, not just athletes, should speak out for social change only if they actually believe in that cause. Otherwise, it is disingenuous, ruining social change’s progress.

Any action revolving around social change is a brave action, and professional athletes should be able to be silent or vocal, depending on what they feel.

People will love athletes if they do what that person wants them to do, and nothing else. Despite this, overcoming confirmation bias, respecting and applauding athletes who do what they see fit is something that needs to be done, because fighting for change is a tough thing to do with the public eye on you.