In his article, “The Importance of Athlete Activists,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar successfully argues how the days of silencing the opinions of professional athletes need to end. Abdul-Jabbar uses many strong metaphors as well as rhetorical devices such as logos and ethos to persuade his audience. His use of sports metaphors appeals to a majority of his audience while also incorporating some humor. Music metaphors also add a distinct twist to his rhetoric, and do a good job at comparing a choir to a democracy. He incorporates historical sports boycotts, making his knowledge on the subject known while appealing to a wide range of readers. Abdul-Jabbar has experienced many racial issues that athletes as well as lived through a boycott on the 1968 …show more content…
Logos is evident when he brings to attention a historical boycott on an Olympic games in the line, “In retaliation, the Soviet Union led 13 other countries in boycotting the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.” The word retaliation creates imagery of war, soldiers, and a battlefield. The word boycott is also strong, as it creates an image of protest for punishment. Overall, the calling of the historical event adds depth to Abdul-Jabbar’s argument, and the words he used to present the event add to its strength. Pathos and ethos are present in the statement, “Ali’s sacrifice inspired me to boycott the 1968 Olympic basketball team to call attention to the rampant racial injustice of the time, which resulted in people calling me “un-American.”” Abdul-Jabbar’s language is very powerful in this sentence. Sacrifice carries a lot of weight, because many athletes make numerous sacrifices in order to have a successful career. Rampant racial injustice is also great diction. Rampant is synonymous with uncontrollable and unrestrainable, like a wildfire. The name “un-American” is a crude, hurtful insult. Sports in America is considered a huge part of our culture, as it is one of our nation’s oldest pastimes. Those who devote their lives to a career as a professional athlete is part of that pastime, and to be called “un-American” in that position is hurtful. As a reader, gathering this information on Abdul-Jabbar would make one sympathize with him, thus creating pathos. To follow in the footsteps of someone as influential and well-known as Muhammad Ali must mean you would be in a similar position as him, and must be also somewhat influential and well-known, thus creating ethos. Overall, this anecdote successfully creates pathos and ethos for the reader. However, a certain group of people may find it upsetting. Muhammad Ali’s refusal to be drafted for the Korean War was very