In the last 48 hours the sports world blew up. Teams were boycotting games, players were tweeting their frustration and the fans were watching it all happen live. The NBA, WNBA, MLS, MLB and NHL all postponed their games for the time being. Players walked off the field, rink, court. These players stood in solidarity with the unarmed shooting of Jacob Blake. These players are tired.
Almost twenty-four hours later the owner of the MLS and NWSL team Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals made some statements on his radio show that was extremely disheartening.
Saying that he was upset with the players from RSL that they walked off the field and chose not to play. Later in that same day more stories were revealed about his past and how he has treated players and staff on his teams. He has blamed players and them not playing in games for reasons that should not be on them. He blames others for his mistakes.
This has all lead to an investigation that is going on. Teams and players both in the NWSL and MLS have been speaking out about this matter. These players are more than just a game. They are human.
As fans of these teams there is a level of outrage we have reached. We don’t know all what goes on behind the scenes. We just watch these players and follow them on social media. But seeing them speak up is truly something amazing to see. There are other teams in the league that are also speaking up. Rookies on URFC have spoken up. The thought of losing your career over speaking out against injustices that your own ownership commits is monumentally scary. As a fan I can not image what is going through their minds.
As the investigation brought on by the MLS and NWSL begins and goes on you have to think about what more van be done. How do teams not let this happen again. How does a league respond. The leagues need owners that see these players as humans too. They need to know they are respected by the person who owns the team and doesn’t just see them as a dollar sign. As well as these owners need to know that their actions do have consequences.
They may be athletes but this is more than just a game. This is human life. These players are not afraid anymore to stand up for what is right and take over for what they believe in. They are tired and frankly I don’t blame them
