While the infusion of socio-political activism in sports has become more normalized, this summer has seen a spike in those efforts. Following the George Floyd death and all of the protests that followed the professional sports leagues joined in the fray. MLB saw players uniformly kneeling for the anthem, with Black Lives Matter insignia painted on the fields. The NBA has followed suit, with courts adorned as well as players being permitted to change out their name on the jerseys for league-sanctioned activist phrases. The NFL has promised much of the same.
Meanwhile the NHL has been mostly free of these kinds of gestures. While the reopening of the season saw a few token pregame recognitions to the causes there has been otherwise very few political gestures made. That appears to be changing now.
Following another police shooting in Wisconsin this led to a quick reaction in the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks announced they were suspending play until further notice due to the ensuing social upheaval. Other players in the league voiced support, and then the league announced that gameplay in general would be halted. That is when the NHL became involved. It was announced yesterday that in a sign of solidarity with the NBA, the hockey playoff would be halted for two nights.
The logic here is lacking. Start with the fact many of these players are undertaking their activist causes in a message of rebuke to President Trump and his policies. So as a result they shut down their games, giving more fans the freedom to watch President Trump accept the GOP nomination at the convention last night.
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11.25.2024