Athletes protest police shooting of Jacob Blake

4 years ago 295

1 min ago

Nike comes out in support of player boycotts

From CNN's Cristina Alesci

Members of the Milwaukee Bucks stand during a statement to the media on August 26 at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

Nike, the official maker of the uniforms for the NBA and WNBA, told CNN in a statement Thursday it supports Wednesday night’s player boycotts in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Some context: Soon after the Milwaukee Bucks decided to not play, the NBA announced it would postpone Game 5 of three different playoff series. Within hours, three WNBA, five Major League Soccer and three Major League Baseball games were called off as athletes acted in solidarity with the Bucks' players.

“Nike stands in support of NBA and WNBA players and athletes across the sports community in their response to the senseless shooting of Jacob Blake. We remain committed to addressing the issue of systemic racism experienced by the Black community,” said the company in a statement.

Nike was one of many companies that voiced support for the Black Lives Matter protests earlier this summer. In May, it reversed its iconic "Just Do It" slogan in an online video, saying, "For once, Don't Do It."

"Don't pretend there's not a problem in America," the message read. "Don't turn your back on racism. Don't accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don't make any more excuses. Don't think this doesn't affect you. Don't sit back and be silent."

14 min ago

Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff calls NBA protest "absurd and silly"

From CNN's Betsy Klein

Marc Short, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, speaks to members of the media outside the White House in Washington, D.C., on November 19, 2019. Zach Gibson/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Marc Short, the chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, told CNN that protests from major sports leagues by athletes calling for social justice are “absurd and silly.”

Asked if Pence supports the NBA’s boycott, Short said this:

“I don’t know you’re going to see the administration weigh in on that one way or the other. In my mind, it’s absurd and silly.”

He went on criticize the NBA for its ties to China, but said he didn’t think the administration shouldn’t speak out on a boycott “one way or the other.”

“If they wanna protest, I don’t think we care,” Short said.

President Trump has not commented on the latest wave of protests by sports stars, but has previously criticized players who spoke publicly against racism or police brutality.

Earlier this month, he said it was "not acceptable" for athletes to take a knee before games, a comment condemned by many professional players.

17 min ago

The PGA Tour says it supports "player-led, peaceful, powerful" protests by athletes

The PGA Logo is seen during the PGA Championship on May 15, 2019 at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York. Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

The PGA Tour put out a statement showing solidarity with the professional athletes from other leagues who protesting in the wake of the police killing of Jacob Blake.

The tour said in a statement it "supports them – and any of our own members – standing up for issues they believe in."

Here's the PGA Tour's full statement:

“The MLB, MLS, NBA, WNBA and WTA protests are player-led, peaceful, powerful ways to use their respective platforms to bring about the urgent need for change in our country. There have been a number of efforts in the past to send a message that the current climate is unacceptable, and these teams, leagues and players now taking this step will help draw further attention to the issues that really matter. The PGA TOUR supports them – and any of our own members – standing up for issues they believe in.
The PGA TOUR made a pledge over the summer to be part of the solution, and we have been actively working to make deeper and more specific commitments to racial equity and inclusion in the communities where we play, as well as supporting national organizations within this movement that we had not previously engaged with. However, we understand that now is not the appropriate time to highlight our programs and policies, but rather to express our outrage at the injustice that remains prevalent in our country.
Sports have always had the power to inspire and unify, and we remain hopeful that together, we will achieve change.”

22 min ago

Here are some of the games that have been postponed so far

The court sits empty after a postponed NBA basketball first round playoff game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Orlando Magic on August 26 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Ashley Landis/Pool/AP

Multiple sports leagues have postponed games after players decided not to play following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Here's a look at what games have been postponed so far:

NBA: The league put games on hold deep into its playoff schedule after Milwaukee Bucks players decided not to take part in their Wednesday matchup.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Orlando Magic: The Bucks led the series 3-1, but game five was suspended after the team's players walked out. Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: The Rockets-Thunder game was later postponed, with the series tied 2-2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers: The NBA also put the brakes on Wednesday night's other game.

WNBA: The three games set for Wednesday in the WNBA were also called off.

Washington Mystics vs. Atlanta Dream Los Angeles Sparks vs. Minnesota Lynx Connecticut Sun vs. Phoenix Mercury

MLB: The protests reached the world of baseball too, with several players deciding not to take part in games on Wednesday. The MLB said it supported their decision in a statement on Wednesday night. The postponements included Milwaukee's other major sports team, the Brewers, who were due to play the Reds.

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati RedsSan Diego padres vs. Seattle MarinersSan Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

MLS: Soccer was also postponed in the US on Wednesday, with several MLS players showing their solidarity with the Bucks online. The league's Orlando-Nashville game kicked off on time at 7:30 p.m. ET, but all the games scheduled to start later were suspended:

Inter Miami CF vs. Atlanta United FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids Real Salt Lake vs. LAFC San Jose Earthquakes vs. Portland Timbers LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders

Most leagues have more games scheduled for Thursday night, which are still set to take place.

42 min ago

Obama tweets support for protesting players

Former President Barack Obama tweeted his support last night for the professional athletes boycotting games in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

"It’s going to take all our institutions to stand up for our values," he tweeted.

Here's his full message:

1 hr 3 min ago

Lakers and Clippers voted to boycott rest of NBA season, according to reports

From CNN's Ben Morse and Jill Martin

Following the postponement of its opening series against the Portland Trail Blazers, players from the Los Angeles Lakers — as well as its city counterparts the Los Angeles Clippers — voted to boycott the rest of the 2019-20 NBA season, according to Shams Charania, of The Athletic and Stadium.

According to Elle Duncan of ESPN, NBA players boycotting a game has happened only once before. Almost 60 years ago, Hall of Famer Bill Russell and some of his Boston Celtic teammates sat out a game in 1961 in protest of racial injustice.

In a players' meeting on Wednesday night, the LA teams were the only two NBA teams who voted to boycott the NBA season. Charania, who cited unnamed sources in his reporting, said all other NBA teams voted to continue playing.

The vote that was taken doesn't appear to be binding. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who cited unnamed sources, it was more of a poll than a final vote, and that resuming the playoffs remains up in the air.

Read more here.

1 hr 13 min ago

LeBron James and other NBA stars call for change

James in action for the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

LA Lakers star and basketball legend LeBron James joined dozens of his fellow athletes in pledging solidarity with the players' strikes and demanding an end to systemic racism.

James demanded change on Twitter on Wednesday evening, as the Bucks' walkout led to a flood of similar strikes and the postponement of the NBA playoffs.

"It's very troubling," he added in a video tweeted out by the Lakers. "We play a beautiful game which brings so many great families together ... but at the same time, never losing track of what's really going on in our world."

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green added on Thursday: "Making headlines is great. The attention has been grabbed. Now the next steps are more important now than ever."

Denver Nuggets player Jamal Murray and Utah Jazz player Donovan Mitchell both echoed James' tweet.

Retired Bucks star Pau Gasol expressed support for his team, writing: "Proud of my brothers" and sharing a quote from the late civil rights leader and US Congressman John Lewis.

And Phoenix Suns player Mikal Bridges added: "I swear its not that hard to understand that WE as human beings just want to be treated equal ... and if u don’t understand that then im sorry for your ignorance."

1 hr 36 min ago

Athletes are protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake. Here's what you need to know.

Professional sports games were canceled Wednesday after athletes across the country announced they wouldn't play in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Here's what we know so far about the shooting:

What happened: Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black father, was shot and critically injured by an officer with the Kenosha Police Department Sunday afternoon.About the officers involved: Kenosha police officer Rusten Sheskey, who has been with the department for seven years, fired seven times into Blake's back Sunday evening, according to a news release from the state's justice department. The department said two officers have been placed on administrative leave. The other officers involved in the shooting will be identified soon, according to the state's attorney general.Four nights of protests: Demonstrations remained peaceful last night as protesters kept a presence in the city's downtown area. CNN affiliate WISN video shows police and US Marshalls stopping and checking vehicles after a curfew was enacted.A deadly shooting at the protests: More is being learned about the suspect in a fatal shooting during a night of unrest Tuesday, in which two people were killed and a third was seriously injured, according to Kenosha police. Antioch, Illinois, police identified the suspect Wednesday as 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse. He was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree intentional homicide, Antioch police said in a news release. He remains in custody of the Lake County Judicial System awaiting extradition to Wisconsin, authorities said.

1 hr 45 min ago

The Milwaukee Bucks said they wouldn't play. Then, other athletes followed.

Protests have spread across the US sports scene, with several games canceled and entire leagues on hold as sporting stars take a stand against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin on Sunday.

The NBA, WNBA, Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball have all scrapped games after the Milwaukee Bucks' initial decision not to play on Wednesday.

And a host of superstars across American sports have made calls for change, as competition takes a backseat. “WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT,” LeBron James wrote.

Read Entire Article