Seahawks DE Michael Bennett on Friday addressed the country's recent tragedies, saying athletes need to be "speaking up on things" that include making political statements because they "have a way bigger voice" than the general population. However, Bennett added during his appearance on ESPN Radio 710 Seattle that when athletes do speak out, that "means means you can't do the McDonald's commercial anymore." Bennett: "You can't do Pepsi. That means you start losing money. Once you start saying stuff like that, you truly gotta follow through on that." He added, "Not only doing social events and having things that go on socially with gun violence, police. It's also dealing with everything. When you show a kid that you eat McDonald's before a game, that's a sense of vulnerability for the kid because they tend to believe that. So it's a whole 'nother level that we're stepping up to" ("Brock & Salk," ESPN Radio 710 Seattle, 7/15). Pacers C Myles Turner in his offseason diary wrote Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James' call for social change at the ESPYs "was definitely an inspiring speech to see it come from athletes in the NBA in light of the recent events." Turner: "It was pretty cool to see how far our outreach and platforms can be and the success the NBA has taken to keep the name of the game where it really matters -- that's speaking out to the fans and speaking to people in America. ... I feel it's a responsibility as a professional athlete to have a voice on social issues" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/17).
BASKETBALL VOICES: In Boston, Gary Washburn noted there has "been an increased call for professional athletes to make more statements regarding political and societal issues." But NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was not "exactly enthralled" with WNBA Minnesota Lynx players "making their statement during the pregame by wearing T-shirts over their warm-ups." Washburn: "It seems Silver is encouraging players to make a statement but not as a distraction for the product." Silver said, "My preference would be that players adhere to our uniform rules, both in the NBA and the WNBA. ... I would greatly prefer that the players use the platform they're given -- social media, press conferences, media in locker rooms -- however they want to do it, to make their political points of view be known." Washburn noted the NBA has "taken pride in being the foremost sports league on diversity and being proactive on social issues, and its refusal to commit to North Carolina for the All-Star Game confirms that." Washburn: "Perhaps it's time for its players -- and management -- to be more vocal. And that includes the entire league, not just the African-American players" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/17). Also in Boston, Steve Bulpett noted Silver has expressed "concern with messages as part of player's on-court dress." But Silver has "made it clear that he wants the NBA to be in the forefront of positive social change" (BOSTON HERALD, 7/17).
FEELING A RESPONSIBILITY: In Hartford, John Altavilla wrote under the header, "WNBA Players Feel Obligation To Stand Up And Be Heard On Nation's Racial Matters." Connecticut Sun G Jasmine Thomas said that WNBA players "have been having conversations about how to address social issues in a uniform way." Thomas: "Any time you are in a position when others can listen to you and it might help affect the world, you should do that." Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve "voiced support for her players." Reeve: "I've got four captains that understand what we do is more than sports." Thomas said that other teams in the league are "taking a more deliberate approach to speaking out." Thomas: "We are having behind-the-scenes conversations among player representatives on each team and prominent people in the league. As a league, we are being careful about how to address these issues until we are sure (what to say). We all want to be involved, but we are waiting for the right time" (HARTFORD COURANT, 7/17).
POWERFUL PLATFORM: In Buffalo, Amy Moritz wrote when athletes "use their platform to open discussions and share their experiences, it provides all of us with the opportunity to become educated and empathetic" (BUFFALO NEWS, 7/17). In Pittsburgh, Ron Cook writes what Anthony, Paul, Wade and James are "trying to do is refreshing." Rather than "ignoring our differences or, worse, running from them, they are calling attention to an uneasy situation that demands it." Instead of "contributing to the hate, they are trying to broker peace among us by changing the way we look at each other." Cook: "If Anthony and the others think they can affect change in our troubled world, I'm all for them trying" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/18). The N.Y. Times' William Rhoden said, "Words are very powerful, words are very important. What we’ve been trying to get athletes to see is just don't do anything spectacular, just be a citizen, and I think it's everybody's right to speak out on things.” The N.Y. Daily News' Mike Lupica noted what the four players said at the ESPYs “sounded awesome the other night, but are they going to put actions to these words?” (“The Sports Reporters,” ESPN, 7/17).
ROLE OF THE PLAYERS: In New Jersey, Tara Sullivan wrote today's brand of activism is "viewed more skeptically simply because of keystroke confidence, where opinions can be shared through social media in such immediate fashion, with no real interaction with others." Whether that accessibility "dilutes the impact remains to be seen" (Bergen RECORD, 7/16). Texans OT Duane Brown and 49ers S Eric Reid wrote an op-ed for The MMQB on the recent shootings that have roiled the country under the header, "Race, Policing And The Voice Of The NFL Player" (MMQB.SI.com, 7/15).
