For decades public political expression, much less acts of open social activism, has been largely avoided like a bad case of athlete’s foot by Hawaii’s high profile sports figures.
For the most part our more visible athletes have been consumed with making a success of their careers, some also mindful of protecting their brands and sponsorship opportunities by steering clear of controversial issues.
But Mauna Kea has abruptly changed that in a matter of days.
In the past week Miami Marlins rookie pitcher Jordan Yamamoto has come out, both in his televised presence on the mound and in social media, in opposition to the Thirty Meter Telescope.
Mixed martial arts champions Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and Max Holloway also added their perspectives to the discussion with poignant posts as fans have asked them to chime in.
Whether you agree with their stands or not, this sudden burst of activism is an encouraging development. Important issues demand a wide cross section of voices and serious thought. Athletes, by their renown, can bring broader audiences to the discussion of issues that might not otherwise resonate with the general public.
“I think what you are perceiving now is really fascinating in that the Mauna Kea issue has spread over into some of the athletes,” said Michael Shapiro, a political science professor at the University of Hawaii. “It has helped give (Mauna Kea) a national and even international visibility.”
It is a bold step beyond fundraising for disaster relief and a far cry from a few years ago when St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong was almost alone among prominent Hawaii athletes in addressing the issues of Mauna Kea.
Wong, who was born and raised in Hilo and is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools’ Big Island campus, let his bats, inscribed with “We Are Mauna Kea” on the meat end, help make the statement.
When St. Louis media became curious, Wong explained, “It’s a little thing I can do to just show my support for what these guys (activists) are doing and, hopefully, we can stop this.”
Fast forward to July 18, when, in response to a posting about the arrest of 20 kupuna on Mauna Kea, the 23-year old Yamamoto tweeted, “Been sitting on this for a couple days now. It’s so hard to see this happening.
I may not be of Hawaiian (descent) but feel for them! They aren’t asking for much! All they want is their sacred land to be left alone. Find somewhere else to build the #TMT.”
Prior to his start last Sunday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Yamamoto tweeted, “Kū Kia`i Mauna” bookended by mountain emoji, and also scrawled the message on the top right side of his cap before taking the mound.
Macfarlane, Bellator’s women’s flyweight world champion, made an emotional trek to Mauna Kea and, with pictures, tweeted, “Made it to the Mauna. KU KIA’I MAUNA!!!#TMTshutdown #aoleTMT #protectmaunakea.”
Holloway, posting from Edmonton, Canada, where he will defend the UFC featherweight title Saturday, wrote Tuesday, “TMT. Many of you have been asking me to post about it. I’m in Canada now for my fight this weekend and honestly, because I live in Hawaii, just making a post felt disrespectful to everyone on all sides actually working on this situation every day. It felt disrespectful to the kupuna who got arrested. It felt disrespectful to the officers just trying to do their jobs to feed their families. I know I owe everyone in Hawaii more than a post.”
That was followed up by a longer, heartfelt plea on Instagram, in which Holloway appealed for mutual respect and civility from both sides. “One thing I can tell you about fighting for a living my whole damn life is don’t do it. Fighting ain’t it. It makes me very proud Pu’uhonua o Pu’u Huluhulu has committed to non-violence,” Holloway wrote. “But when I see a lot of us on all sides saying crazy things on social media, the name calling (and) vulgar language makes me sad. Nobody is trying to sell pay-per-views to Mauna Kea, so the trash talk won’t help any side.”
Time will tell, but Mauna Kea could mark an embrace of activism by local athletes that makes the days of sitting quietly on the sidelines amid some major local issues a thing of the past.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
