Sports and the BLM Movement

The+Kansas+City+Chiefs+and+Houston+Texans+link+arms+in+a+moment+of+unity+prior+to+their+season-opening+game+on+Sept.+10.

Screenshot NBC Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans link arms in a “moment of unity” prior to their season-opening game on Sept. 10.

Emily Truong, Reporter

Across the sports world, athletes have been taking a stand in the recent Black Lives Matter protests. Nationwide, athletes and coaches are kneeling during the National Anthem, walking out of games, wearing BLM shirts and gear and even refusing to play due to the current racial injustice that has been happening in today’s society. 

One example that has impacted the sports world recently was the Kansas City Chiefs first game back this season against the Houston Texans when both teams had a mid-field moment of solidarity. Fans in the crowd started booing, creating a lot of negative publicity and it made the teamlooked bad

The feedback after the game was mostly just audiences saying how mixing politics and sports should not be a thing. And I disagree with that comment due to the fact that people with platforms should speak out on what they think is right and spread awareness. 

The fans who were booing should be more open-minded and considerate of the decisions of athletes and coaches with their political views. At the end of the day, they are people as well and they should have a right to do and say what they feel is necessary in order to inform and educate people on topics that need to be fixed in today’s society

The NFL took quite some time speaking out on BLM and how they thought about it, but The NBA on the other hand is and has been more proactive, communicating their grievances and actively supporting the movement

Examples on how involved they are were, most of the NBA playerwere wearing a social justice message on the back of their jerseys for the first four days of the NBA season, wearing “I Can’t Breathe” shirts during warm ups, speaking with reporters and news people to talk about the issues and much more. 

In an interview with CNN, Kenny Smith from The Milwaukee Bucks said, “The issue is bigger than Jacob Blake or George Floyd or Beonna Taylor… Until we continue to demand it, until ‘Black Lives Matter’ goes from just an idea or a goal that we’re trying to attain as a society and is actually realized in the streets, we won’t have any peace.” 

At the end of the day I have a lot of respect for athletes with a platform that are speaking out on this movement. It takes guts to talk in front of millions of people on a topic that’s considered controversial but it has to be done.

If we want change, if we want equality then now is the time to do things different for the people who no longer can. We’re the only generation that could make a difference in billions of lives and together we could stop the hatred, the current racial injustice and all of the cruel things that have been happening recently.