Staff Reports
In recent years, the sun seemed to rise and set on woke culture, infiltrating every corner of life from what you watch to what you drink. But the tides are turning faster than a tennis ball in a Rafael Nadal match, as the world seems to be having a woke hangover. Gone are the days when putting a progressive spin on things was applauded by all, and now the ball is in the court of traditional values making a comeback. Even athletes are wearing their faith proudly on their sleeves, and the audience is loving it.
Take Fernando Mendoza, for instance. He’s not only a top athlete but an athlete unafraid to speak about his faith. Whether it’s attributing his success to his Christian values or celebrating touchdowns with a prayer, Mendoza is repping faith-fueled tradition with aplomb. Sports figures like him are more common now, and they’re boldly reclaiming space that was once dominated by endless woke narratives. Seeing athletes talk about their beliefs gives folks hope that maybe, just maybe, things are shifting back to a more traditional norm.
The media, however, didn’t get the memo. They’re a bit late on the uptake, still trying to trip athletes up with politicized questions. Case in point – the recent tennis tournament where American players were consistently badgered with political agenda-driven questions by some reporter clearly hoping to make a headline. The players didn’t bite, much to the chagrin of the reporter. Instead of falling into the trap, athletes like Amanda Anisimova and Taylor Fritz deftly parried the question, opting to focus on their game rather than share opinions that might get distorted and plastered across tomorrow’s news.
The general sentiment seems to be that people are over this constant need to politicize everything, especially sports. Athletes, like the rest of us, just want to play or watch the game without a running commentary on national politics. It’s sports, folks, not the nightly news or some debate stage. The only volleys the crowd wants are the ones across the court, not across political lines.
With traditional values making a grand return to the spotlight through sports and entertainment, perhaps society is on the edge of a cultural reset. More and more, there’s an appetite for entertainment that isn’t awash in constant political commentary. Athletes just want to win, actors just want to perform, and honestly, fans just want to enjoy the show. After all, when it comes down to it, the main stage is for talent, not politics.
