Sterling Brown and George Hill of the Milwaukee Bucks read a statement to the media about the team’s August 26 walkout over the shooting of Jacob Blake. Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images Of all the moments of the 2019–20 NBA season — the one with Rudy Gobert touching all the mics and the pandemic and the bubble and another Lakers championship — the most lasting one, the most important one, came when the Milwaukee Bucks, in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, elected unanimously not to play their playoff game against the Orlando Magic in order to call for justice for Blake and for the officers to “be held accountable.” It led to the postponement of two days worth of NBA playoff games, as well as games in Major League Baseball, the WNBA, and the MLS. It was something that had always been whispered about but not actually seen in sports in generations: Players recognizing the power of their voices — and simply refusing to play . It wasn’t just a gesture. The walkout affected actual change: The NBA quickly came to an agreement with players to expand voting-rights efforts and eventually led to 23 of the league’s 30 arenas being used as polling places and early-voting stations — moves that many believe directly led to increased turnout in cities like Philadelphia, Detroit, and Atlanta that helped decide November’s presidential election. That doesn’t happen without the boycott. That doesn’t happen without the biggest social activism movement in the history of American professional sports. And it could be the start of something even larger, and lasting. For decades, sports has been a place for many to hide from politics, or from the outside world entirely. Because of that, and the tendency of leagues and networks to sprint away from anything that may make any corporate sponsors and white billionaire owners nervous, the world of sports has been notoriously hesitant to wade into the world of politics. The age ...
2014 nfc championship
Shaquille O’Neal ready to rumble in tag match for All Elite Wrestling
Hack-a-Shaq is coming to All Elite Wrestling. Shaquille O’Neal may again absorb some intentional hits in his tag team match this week. The 7-foot-1 basketball Hall of Famer gets his chance to dish out retribution — maybe a slam, a side headlock or a clothesline — when he steps into the ring for his first match with AEW. “Oh, I’m winning,” O’Neal said. “Guaranteed.” O’Neal says he’s a lifelong wrestling fan and ripped off a list of favorite wrestlers from Tony Atlas and Junkyard Dog to Andre the Giant and Brock Lesnar. Big guys. Tough guys. Like Shaq. O’Neal is set to perform in his first competitive match when he teams in All Elite Wrestling with Jade Cargill in a mixed tag to take on Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday’s episode of “Dynamite.” The seeds for a feud were set up last November when Cargill appeared on “Dynamite” and trash-talked Rhodes that O’Neal was the real giant-killer of pro wrestling. O’Neal responded on “Inside the NBA” and told Rhodes to name the place. “I’m the type, I can never back down from a challenge,” O’Neal told The Associated Press. “I’m not a professional wrestler, but I’ve been in a match before. I’ve got a lot of moves in my arsenal. When you step inside somebody’s world, you have to stick to what you’re masterful at. I’m not acrobatic. I’m not going to be jumping off the ropes. I’m coming with the power game. When I get hands on him, I’m going to display this power.” O’Neal visited the wrestling-training facility Nightmare Factory in the Norcross, Georgia, but has otherwise limited professional wrestling training. “I’m the type that if I have a look and see you do it, I got it,” O’Neal said. O’Neal was crushed as a teenager when Hulk Hogan slammed and defeated Andre the Giant in the main event of WrestleMania III. Once he became an NBA star, Shaq Diesel — a nickname made for pro wrestling — eventually had a word with the Hulkster. “I told him, ‘you broke ...
Mikaela Shiffrin doesn’t want to have to choose between ‘morality versus being able to do your job’ at the 2022 Winter Olympics
(CNN) The Winter Olympics in Beijing are under growing calls for a boycott because of China's policy on the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the western region of Xinjiang, policy that the US government has deemed "genocide." Beijing has vehemently denied such accusations and lashed out at what it calls the politicization of sports. Now one of America's most prominent Olympians -- skier Mikaela Shiffrin -- says she should not have to choose between her morals and her job. "What's a real bummer is that there's not only accusations but, like, legitimate proof in a lot of these places we've been going the last several Olympics," Shiffrin told CNN's Christina Macfarlane. At 25, Mikaela Shiffrin is already one of the most decorated skiers in history. "One of the important things about the Olympics is that it is supposed to be a global event, not just in your sort of mainstream sporting countries, but it's supposed to be global. Read More "I do understand the importance of trying to stay true to that pledge, essentially. But it is tough, to be honest." Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, videos and features Later in the interview, Shiffrin, who won gold medals at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics, went on to say: "The Olympics is big, and it's something that you shoot for, and you don't want to miss it. "And you certainly don't want to be put in the position of having to choose between human rights like morality versus being able to do your job, which on the other hand can bring light to some issues or can actually bring hope to the world at a very difficult time." The International Olympic Committee and Beijing 2022 did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment. ...
NFL owner, who is also a pilot, jets in to help secure J.J. Watt deal
(CNN) Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell didn't leave anything to chance when it came to signing J.J. Watt -- the American businessman personally flew his jet to scoop up and transport the three-time defensive player of the year to his new team. After weeks of speculation, it was the Cardinals who won the hotly contested race to sign Watt on a two-year deal reportedly worth $31 million, with Bidwell adding that personal touch to take the five-time Pro-Bowler to his new home in Scottsdale, Arizona. "I'm very excited. My wife and I are very excited to be here," Watt told the team's official Twitter account after landing. "Mr. Bidwill, [general manager] Steve [Keim], everybody here has been unbelievable so far and I'm just excited to get started. I'm very excited to get started, get to work, get to know the people of Arizona and to go to work, to try and help them win a championship." "The one thing that I can promise you is I'm going to work my ass off every single day to make you proud." Read More READ: Sarah Thomas: Kicked out of the men's basketball league, she set her sights on the Super Bowl pretty convenient when the owner is also a pilot... @AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/adSnqfqtNN — JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 1, 2021 From fans to internet sleuths Since announcing he would be leaving the Houston Texans earlier this year, there's been plenty of interest in the 31-year-old's signature. That frenzied speculation has also transformed fans into internet sleuths as they tried to connect the dots between Watt's cryptic tweets and potential suitors. Watt simply tweeted : "Free agency is wild." Even on the day of his eventual signing there were plenty of twists for fans eager to find out Watt's final destination. After one reporter suggested that the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Buffalo Bills were the finalists after reportedly finding his Peloton profile which included those teams in his ...
Olympic gold medalist Yohan Blake has no interest in getting COVID vaccine before Tokyo
close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for March 1 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Yohan Blake, a Jamaican Olympic sprinter who won gold medals in 2012 in London and in 2015 in Rio de Janeiro in the 4x100 relay, said over the weekend he’d rather miss this year's Tokyo Games than take the coronavirus vaccine. Blake may still be able to participate as the International Olympic Committee isn’t requiring athletes to get the vaccine but rather encouraging them to do so. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM "My mind still stays strong, I don’t want any vaccine, I’d rather miss the Olympics than take the vaccine, I am not taking it," Blake told Jamaica’s The Gleaner . "I don’t really want to get into it now, but I have my reasons," he added. Jamaica is reportedly set to get its first shipment of the vaccine this week. The island nation has reported more than 23,000 cases of coronavirus and 425 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The country has seen an increase in daily cases over the last few months. PRO BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS' BIKINI FUROR SPARKS REVERSAL AHEAD OF QATAR TOURNAMENT Blake also put out a video on Saturday. "Follow your mind, don't follow the crowd. At the same time, be respectful to each and every one. Don't let no one take away your choice," he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The 31-year-old is likely to be a part of Jamaica’s sprint team once again. In 2019, he participated but didn’t medal in events at the World Championships in Qatar. Ryan Gaydos is the sports editor for FoxNews.com. Follow him on social media @Gaydos_ ...
