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The Phoenix Suns took to the court wearing altered team jerseys reading "Los Suns."  The team told reporters they were voicing their opposition to the Arizona immigration bill, but should athletes be entering the political arena?

Local Fox affiliate KSAZ talked to fans at the game and could only find supporters of the team's statement.  

SPINDLE: "Some even showed up because of the team's political stance."
"We came to the game just to get one of these.  One of the last ones too, they're all sold out!"
SPINDLE: "Political stance or not, here at the purple palace tonight we have only found fans that support this team.  Some Spurs' fans decided the political dialogue, even in the sporting world, would work in the Suns' favor."

Two of the states' Republican candidates to the U.S. Senate took turns defending the bill.  Candidate J.D. Hayworth speaks out against Suns' owner Robert Sarver on ESPN.

"...Robert Sarver's decision and his outspokenness against the law I think has left some folks in Phoenix saying, 'Well gee, maybe we ought to march down to the arena tonight, demand to be allowed to come in without tickets, get the best seats, demand free food, demand free drinks, demand free access to the players after the game,' you see the absurdity of it.  Obviously Mr. Sarver is counting on ticket-paying patrons to come in and observe the law and rules and regulations." 

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and the Reverend Al Sharpton say sports teams have a history of making political statements.

OLBERMANN: "...pressure on and from the National Football League was the last straw in many respects in erasing Arizona's resistance to Martin Luther King Day 20 odd years ago.  Could basketball, football, or the baseball all-star game next year actually be a key in this?"
SHARPTON: "We think sports can play a critical role here, particularly when many of the players across the board themselves would be and could be profiled..."

Bloggers at RedState.com say this is simply not the venue for political debate.

"But wait…remember last year when Rush Limbaugh wanted to buy the NFL’s Rams. The outcry was deafening... This is whole teams and leagues taking political stances. Stay away. Let us get back to the games so we can escape for a few hours. Sometimes, the thing we want to escape from is the politics."

So what do you think?  Should athletes use their spotlight to draw attention to the issues or just butt out of politics altogether?

Writer: Ben Stewart

Producer: Newsy Staff