The project to restart the sports in the US is hitting another roadblock after several months of inactivity. However, the reason is not a pandemic or safety concern but the racial divide in the country. The racial issues in the US are under limelight this year. The recent ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests are not over yet, still another incident of police brutality is surfacing. The news comes from Wisconsin, where police officers shot an African-American man at his back. Jacob Blake, 29, was a culprit of a domestic violence dispute. Blake was showing resistance as officer Rusten Sheskey was attempting to arrest him. After being tasered, Blake moved towards his SUV, where police officers shot him seven times at his back.
Sports teams featuring in the major sporting events are now protesting by deciding to skip their fixtures. The wildcat strikes throughout the country attempt to force the authorities to take strict action against the officers. There is a massive wave of distrust against law enforcers crashing the system right now, and sports figures are spearheading it. Here are the teams and players from various sports events who pulled back in support of Jacob Blake.
NBA Teams Protesting for Jacob Blake
The first team to breach the NBA law against strikes is Milwaukee Bucks. In a first of its kind case of players breaking their contract, the NBA team did not leave their locker room before their game. The playoff game is now in the purgatory with three more games following their suit. Bucks vs. Orlando Magic is now a mold for major sports teams around the country to join the protest. Other teams of Game 5 of the playoffs joining the Bucks are Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers. It is worth noting that 80% of NBA players are African-American. Milwaukee Bucks’ official statement’s board emphasizes the contribution of men of color toward the game and country.
Women NBA Teams Supporting Milwaukee Bucks
Six WNBA teams are also joining the NBA teams in their protest against the recent shooting. A teams’ representative player, wearing t-shirts spelling Blake’s name, came forward with locked arms and kneeling in the court. All the teams were represented by Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream, who mentioned their stance of solidarity with NBA teams.
MLB Postpones Three Games After Bucks Take Their Stand
The MLB officials are issuing a public statement from the league to suspend the games. So, the games are now officially delayed. The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds made the first decision to stop playing. Seatle Mariners joined the Brewers by suspending the game against the San Diego Padres. Finally, the Los Angeles Dodgers will also postpone the game against the San Francisco Giants.
Five MLS Games to Stay Suspended to Protest Against the Racism
MLS is suspending its five fixtures on Wednesday to show solidarity with NBA and MLB teams. However, the subsequent fixtures will resume as usual without any delay because there is no official statement.
Tennis Star Withdraws from Showdown Events to Support Jacob Blake
World Rank-10 in Women Tennis, Naomi Osaka, will not participate in Western & Southern Open semifinals. She strongly condemns police brutality on racial grounds.