Why it matters: The NHL drew criticism for not joining the NBA, WNBA, MLS and some MLB teams in suspending competitions or practices on Wednesday, before the player-led Hockey Diversity Alliance asked the NHL to push pause on games Thursday.
Sports arenas in cities like Atlanta, Charlotte and Detroit will be converted into polling places this November to reduce wait times while enabling social distancing. It's an effort being led by More Than A Vote, a nonpartisan voting rights group formed by NBA and WNBA players like LeBron James, in the wake of George Floyd's murder.
Axios Re:Cap digs in with Renee Montgomery, a point guard for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and co-founder of More Than A Vote. We discuss the election, last night's player strike, and why she opted out of this season to focus on social justice issues.
President Trump said during a press conference on Thursday that the NBA has "become more like a political organization," after teams boycotted their respective games to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
The big picture: The president praised Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers for accepting help from the National Guard this week after the shooting sparked demonstrations and unrest in Kenosha. Trump refused to say whether he saw the video of the police officers shooting Blake seven times at close range in his back.
The Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Washington Football Team called off their respective practices on Thursday in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, according to AP.
The big picture: Already, the Detroit Lions didn't show for practice on Tuesday, protesting the shooting and serving as an example for their peers in the NFL, AP writes. The action follows a wave of other cancelations in the sports world, kicked off by the Milwaukee Bucks refusal to take the floor for Game 5 on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
NBA players will resume the playoffs, perhaps as soon as Friday, after boycotting Wednesday night's games in a stand for racial justice spurred by the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, ESPN reports.
Why it matters: The Milwaukee Bucks' historic decision to sit out their game set off a chain of events across professional sports, with games postponed across the WNBA, MLB and MLS.
Marc Short, the chief of staff to Vice President Pence, told CNN on Thursday that he believes the NBA boycott is "absurd and silly," adding "if they want to protest, I don't think we care."
The backdrop: The NBA postponed its scheduled playoff games on Wednesday after players, led by the Milwaukee Bucks, refused to take the floor to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. That incident has again sparked protests nationwide for racial justice.
Jared Kushner told CNBC on Thursday that NBA players are "very fortunate that they have the financial position where they're able to take a night off from work without having to have the consequences."
The most historic day in sports activism history began in an empty gym.
What happened: The Milwaukee Bucks chose not to take the floor for Game 5 against the Magic, which led to all three NBA games being postponed — and most of the sports world following suit.
The Milwaukee Bucks' boycott of their playoff game over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, prompted the NBA to postpone all games scheduled for Wednesday night and triggered a wave action in other sports.
The big picture: Quick to follow suit were the Women's National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer matches. In baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers called off their game against the Cincinnati Reds, the Seattle Mariners voted against playing the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants game was also postponed.
Why it matters: Obama's statement came as games were postponed in the NBA, WNBA, MLB and MLS as other teams followed the Bucks' lead and protested the shooting of Blake, 29, who has been left paralyzed from the waist down.
A slew of Major League Soccer matches were postponed as players protest police brutality following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, in Kenosha.
Why it matters: Teams across various sports leagues are postponing games and leveraging their influence. The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to shelve their game prompted the NBA to do the same for all games scheduled for Wednesday night.
All three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday night were postponed after players said they were boycotting over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The WNBA has also postponed three games.
Why it matters: The Milwaukee Bucks, who led Wednesday's protests, are the first NBA team to boycott a game in the wake of nationwide unrest over racism and police brutality. Many NBA players decided to participate in the league's coronavirus "bubble" experiment in order to use their platform to bring awareness to social justice issues.
