Former NFL player-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick will join the board of the blogging platform Medium and partner with the company to create content focused on race and civil rights, CEO Ev Williams announced Thursday.
Why it matters: Kaepernick sparked years of controversy when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racism and oppression in 2016. NFL Commissioner Roger Gooddell recently said the league should have better listened to players who protested.
American sprinter Christian Coleman, the world's 100 meter champion and a favorite to win gold next summer in Tokyo, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for anti-doping violations.
Worth noting: Coleman has never failed a single drug test in his career; rather, these violations pertain to "whereabouts failures," which means he either missed a test or neglected to file the proper paperwork with the AIU.
Florida has become the de facto hub for sports leagues hoping to resume play this summer, but the state has experienced a dangerous spike in coronavirus cases since it began reopening last month.
The state of play: The NBA and MLS plan to resume their seasons at Walt Disney World near Orlando, with rigorous testing and countless safety measures in place. Meanwhile, the WNBA plans to play at IMG Academy near Tampa Bay.
Police are investigating after the statue of tennis great Arthur Ashe in Richmond, Virginia, was vandalized with the words "white lives matter" in spray-paint, per WTVR.
The big picture: The statue of the only black man to win the Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open is located on the state capital's Memorial Avenue, which has become a flash-point for Black Lives Protests in the city as it features monuments to Confederate-era leaders. On Tuesday, the city's police chief resigned following criticism of officers' use of chemical irritants and rubber bullets during peaceful protests in the city, ABC News notes.
At the opening whistle of the English Premier League's first game since the coronavirus forced teams to take a 100-day hiatus, referees and players from Aston Villa and Sheffield United took a knee for 10 seconds to express support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The big picture: The police killing of George Floyd in the U.S. has sparked an international movement as protesters demand their governments address systemic racism and confront their history as former colonizers.
The Kansas City Royals have already made a big splash in the undrafted free agent market, signing six players since the window opened on Sunday, including two of the top 20 undrafted seniors and four of the top five players signed in the first 24 hours.
Why it matters: They were able to accomplish this in part by treating their existing players well during the pandemic, news of which reached these prospective draftees over a month ago.
The English Premier League resumes play today following a 100-day absence, with Aston Villa and Sheffield United squaring off behind closed doors at Villa Park.
The state of play: "Sheffield at Villa is emblematic of so many of the Premier League's 92 remaining matches," writes FiveThirtyEight's Terrence Doyle.
In a document sent to players on Tuesday, the NBA provided a detailed look at what life will be like when play resumes inside the league's "bubble" at Walt Disney World in Florida next month.
Why it matters: Players will be tested for COVID-19 "regularly." When someone tests positive, they will be placed in isolation, where they will remain for at least 14 days. Once they test negative twice in a span of more than 24 hours, they can leave isolation.
