When did sports become partisan?

In our hyper politicized society, there seems to be no respite from partisan politics anymore; it has invaded every faucet of daily life from the car you drive to the coffee you drink. The news is bluntly liberal and sometimes conservative. Education has been subsumed by political correctness. It’s difficult to just enjoy music because at any concert you will very likely endure a vitriolic political rant. Sports seemed to be the last sanctuary, but now even athletic competition is succumbing to pointed partisanship.

Politics has always been standard fare for Americans, but it was relegated to...