Los Suns, SB 1070 and Illegal Immigration
The Phoenix Suns caused a big stir last night when they decided to don their “Los Suns” uniforms on Cinco de Mayo during their playoff game with the San Antonio Spurs, and many people are still smarting over it. Though many support the bold move, others are downright angry over the Suns daring to stick their noses into the political firestorm that has consumed SB 1070.
What surprises me most about the uproar over the Suns so-called “political” statement is that people really think that it is political. Silly me, but I think Robert Sarver is a businessman, and a savvy one at that. He’s no politician, and for people to take him as one is naïve. Given the fact that Sarver’s banker mojo has been all about profits over the years, how is it that people can’t see this for what it really is? I think Sarver’s decision to wear the “other” uniforms was 10 percent about conscience and 90 percent about profits. Do we really think that he would have made this decision if he thought it would be a poor business call? Of course not. Do people really think that Sarver only wants to sell Suns jerseys in Arizona? No way.
Make no mistake, Sarver’s decision to go “Los Suns” was an economic move and a brilliant one at that. It doesn’t take a genius to see that he took advantage of an historic opportunity to make his team a global topic of conversation and reap the rewards for it. After last night, even president Obama is now a Suns fan! I’m fairly sure we’ll see him donning the new jersey in his next political address. And, did anyone notice that Al Sharpton was wearing it too during his staged march to the capitol? I’ll bet that people who wouldn’t have ever bought a Suns jersey will buy one now and that those who already have one will now want to get the other. That boils down to huge profits for Suns ownership!
It seems to me that brilliant Mr. Sarver knows that as long as his Suns keep winning games, and especially if they beat the San Antonio Spurs evil empire, that he will win many more fans around the globe and sell much more team merchandise than ever before if he stages his team in the right way. Even though some of the hometown fans are crying foul over this and a few are even vowing to boycott this team, the truth is that their memories are short and they will forgive and forget as soon as the Suns advance in the playoffs. Many, in fact, have already forgiven them after their victory last night.
As for SB 1070, the recent legislation passed here in Arizona at the heart of all this madness, I’m personally perplexed at seeing my brothers and sisters take such indignant positions on the bill based on hearsay information and charged sound bites. I learned something a long time ago in journalism school that stuck with me and applies to the present situation…the media doesn’t really tell us what to think but does tell us what to think about. Today, the media is once again dictating the agenda for us and sounding the alarms that this is something that really ought to bother all of us.
Well, this subject should concern us, and we ought to care about its implications. And yet, why is that that we rush to judgments so quickly without even thinking through the issues? I’m absolutely amazed at how people could fully understand the content of this bill and really appreciate its implications in only days after the bill was signed! How is it that people on either side of this issue feel so informed to speak out so loudly in support of or against this bill without reading or even considering what this bill really says? It seems to me that it would be simple wisdom to withhold judgment until one has read this bill in its entirety and pondered its implications before pronouncing a verdict on it. The rash responses to this legislation on either side are, in my view, foolish.
This, in my opinion, is the error of not only Sarver but all the many people in Arizona and around the world who have levied their opinion of this measure both ignorantly and prematurely. Now, I’m sure that there are some people who have read this bill thoroughly and understand both its strengths and weaknesses as well as its possible repercussions, but I’m willing to bet that most if not all of those people are the same people who have been debating it at the State Capitol for the last four months. The rest of us are new to the game since this bill was brought into the spotlight and signed into law, and we are only now presented the opportunity to digest and debate its contents.
So, in light of this, I really want to encourage my friends and colleagues to be patient and wise in how you respond to this situation, and please make sure you enhance your credibility to speak on this by first reading the bill and then prayerfully considering its positive and negative implications. Be willing and able to consider both sides of this issue before crystallizing your opinion and sharing it publicly. I, for one, have been holding my tongue on this because I need to do this myself before pronouncing my personal position on SB 1070 and its effects on our community.
At the same time, I don’t need to read a bill or understand its effects to know that harassment and abuse of any sort is wrong. Therefore, while I read and ponder this bill, I do and will continue to believe that IF there is any inequity or abuse that arises out of this legislation against the Latino community, then I, and I hope my brothers and sisters, will speak up against it and stand up with those in our community who are being unjustly targeted, regardless of their legal status.
Based upon my study of the Scriptures, I think there is vast biblical evidence that we should show care and compassion toward others whether they are “legal” or not. We are not the ethical police of the world but rather ambassadors of compassion for Christ who clearly loved the tax collector and sinner as much as He loved his disciples. From what I can see in the gospels, Jesus never withheld love from anyone because of their sin, and that model is affirmed by what the rest of Scripture has to say about the law of love, which governs all.
Therefore, we are not “condoning” illegal behavior by loving the immigrant or alien any more than Jesus was when he loved the tax collectors and sinners in his own day. He was accused of dining with sinners simply because He cared for them, and our choice to dine with sinners today is no different. Whether people’s sin is of the illegal kind or not doesn’t change our commitment to carrying on the legacy of compassion that Jesus began 2,000 years ago.
So, whether we support or regret the legislation that has been passed, I sincerely hope that our personal conviction will not prevent us from loving the people around us, whether they have proper documentation or not. My chief concern for Christians in this debate is that wherever we stand on the issue of illegal immigration, no matter how strong our feelings are about its effects, that we would never lose sight of our mission, which is to be ministers of compassion to the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
A couple of interesting notes:
1. Suns season ticket holders were required to renew their season tickets for next year weeks before this announcement was made.
2. The Suns wear the Los Suns jerseys on an annual basis to honor Hispanic Heritage Week (or month?) and when they play on Cinco de Mayo. In other words, they would have been wearing those jerseys for that game even without the political statement.
These two things, coupled together, seem to point towards your own conclusion: there was very little risk and a lot of potential upside in this deal from a business perspective.
You got it, Troy. It all makes sense from a business perspective.
1. Right after this was signed a professor at PLNU was offering class credit for students to go protest with him in downtown San Diego.
2. As an employee of Sarver’s at Torrey Pines Bank in San Diego, I got this email from him on the morning of May 5th:
Some of you may have read about the Suns wearing their “ Los Suns ‘ jerseys tonight on Cinco de Mayo for game two against the Spurs. We have worn these jerseys three times before. This decision by myself and our players was made to support of our Latino community which represents over 30 % of the population here and acknowledge the diversity of the NBA ( 400 players from 35 countries ), our State, and our Country. In addition, I personally have spoke out against the recent Senate Bill in Arizona on immigration. This Bill has caused a National stir. My comments about the Bill are my personal beliefs and are not made on behalf of the Suns or Western Alliance or any of our Banks. It is simply my individual right to express my views. To clarify for you, I am against illegal immigration, but do not support the bill because I believe it does not solve the problem of illegal immigration. In addition, I am not in favor of any law that can encourage people of different race, religion, and ethnicity to be treated differently. In my opinion, this law puts law enforcement between a rock and a hard place, and the result will be that Arizona residents of color will be more likely to be questioned about their citizenship status than I will. In addition, I am concerned how our State is being portrayed in the National and International media and the related affects this will have on tourism and jobs. You are each entitled to your own opinions which I respect. My father taught me to not vote with my wallet and to stand up for what you believe in, and I have. If you get comments from customers either way you can simply say that these are Mr. Sarver’s personal views and not that of our Company.
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Interesting, Nathaniel. Thanks for the inside story, my friend.