The Mounting Tension Inside Sports Protests

www.ozy.com Sponsored by Wednesday, August 05, 2020 Black Lives Matter has been an unavoidable part of the return of sports, from jerseys to national anthem protests to players leveraging the media glare to speak out. But it’s not like the entire sports universe suddenly became woke as soon as George Floyd was killed: The pushback was bound to come. Today we explore how that tension is manifesting, and where it’s going. And speaking of controversy, we reveal our OZY Greats list for basketball, with our all-time starting five — including at least one you probably didn’t expect. Please do let us know what you think by replying to this email. Daniel Malloy, Senior Editor reset america: protest pushback [1. To Kneel or Not to Kneel]( On Friday, the Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac stood out for standing during the national anthem, and for not donning a Black Lives Matter shirt. He said he felt that those actions weren’t consistent with supporting Black lives. “We all make mistakes,” he said, “but I think that the gospel of Jesus Christ is that there's grace for us.” Isaac saw [sales of his jersey soar](, but two days later tore his ACL — meaning he’ll miss the remainder of the NBA “bubble” season. Check out [last week’s OZY profile of Isaac]( for more on his surprising path to becoming an emerging star in the league, albeit one with rough injury luck. [Read more on OZY]( 2. Pac-ing It In Hundreds of athletes across the Pac-12 Conference have banded together to [say they won’t play]( unless certain health and safety demands are met in light of COVID-19, but also for the right to earn money from their likenesses, longer scholarships and concrete steps to[address racial injustice](. Big Ten football players joined [today with similar demands](. The retaliation has already begun, with [Washington State reportedly threatening scholarships]( and cutting players who signed on. 3. Protests on Ice The National Hockey League, restarting its season in Canada, is overwhelmingly white — and more [uneasy with the Black Lives Matter label]( than other major professional sports. In fact, when its players stood for the national anthem, it [drew praise from Donald Trump Jr.]( But after Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba became the first NHL player to kneel, others — of all races — have [started to follow suit](, with the number of kneelers growing by the day. [4. Beware ’Black Supremacy’?]( After playing several seasons in the NFL, Terry Crews left pro sports to get into acting — going from dead broke to the star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and host of America’s Got Talent. Now he’s blowing up the internet by warning about “Black supremacy” and expressing skepticism about the protest movement sweeping America. How will he explain his inflammatory tweets? Tune in to The Carlos Watson Show to find out. [Watch Now]( [leverage the latest digital technologies to optimize the quality and speed of your operations]( [Sponsored by the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, Delivered in Collaboration With GetSmarter]( Digitizing your operations is more than just a productivity advantage; it’s a necessity. Technologies such as automation and data analytics are transforming global industries, and the ways they manage manufacturing and service operations. Explore the impact and value that digitization and digital transformation can have on your business with the [Operations Management: Digital Strategy](online program from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. You’ll gain insight into the latest technologies and learn how to use them to achieve effective operational strategies that directly impact your organization’s bottom-line performance. Discover how you can optimize and potentially automate your processes, inventory and quality management. Find out more about the program [here.]( [Register Now]( the ozy greats list: basketball Whom would you pick out of anyone in history to win a seven-game series? Here are our selections. 1. PG: Magic Johnson Magic won five rings with the Lakers, retired as the all-time leader in assists, played all five positions in the 1980 NBA Finals as a rookie and lived up to his nickname when it came to creativity with the ball. 2. SG: Michael Jordan As if The Last Dance left any doubt, he’s the GOAT, pure and simple. MJ just found a way to win, as the boundless athleticism of his [early “Jumpman” years]( gave way to the crafty turnaround jumpers of his second three-peat. Oh, and he was one of the best defensive stoppers in the league. 3. SF: LeBron James At age 35, he’s still taking over games with his trademark bull-rush to the hoop. The fact that one of LeBron’s career-defining moments is [a blocked shot]( tells you all you need to know about his drive. The fact that he seems like a well-rounded human off the court is perhaps even more stunning. 4. PF: Kevin Durant Yes, really, KD. At his Warriors peak, he was unguardable, and this starting five needs some more shooting prowess to spread the floor. There’s no better stretch four to have on the floor, and Durant still has some years left to build his legacy on the all-time charts. 5. C: Bill Russell Eleven championship rings. Eleven. Russell was the most dominant defensive force the league has ever seen. He averaged a stunning 22.5 rebounds per game (just shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s 22.9 record, and no one else is within a mile), and while blocks weren’t an official stat, contemporaneous [accounts indicate]( he swatted six to eight per game. This all-time five doesn’t need another scorer; let’s shut the other team down. 6. The Next Five G: Oscar Robertson. A walking triple-double, he was Magic before Magic — but a more prolific scorer. G: Steph Curry. What, no Kobe? Nah, if we’re bringing a hot hand off the bench, let’s make him the [best shooter of all time](. F: Larry Bird. The legend from French Lick, Indiana, took home three MVPs and three titles, created countless matchup nightmares and helped define an era of basketball. F: Tim Duncan. Quiet, boring even, but the Big Fundamental was an unstoppable, graceful winner — lifting his San Antonio teams to five titles. C: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The league’s all-time leading scorer, with a don’t-even-bother-trying-to-stop-this skyhook, also had the best-ever NBA player [movie cameo in Airplane!]( 7. What Did We Get Wrong? Reply to this email or [tag us on Twitter]( to let us know your all-time hoops picks and why they’re better. start your workday right With the pandemic not slowing down anytime soon and summer plans gone out the window, homebound is where most of us will be for the near future. But that doesn't mean staring at the four empty walls of your home office every day — [hang this poster]( above your desk to start the workday bold and empowered as you take on whatever WFH may throw your way! Get it at [the OZY Store](. [Buy Now]( what you had to say about our baseball greats 1. Our List Many of you took issue with our baseball greats from last week (a refresher: Bonds, Trout, Mays, Babe, Jackie, A-Rod, Brett, Bench, Pedro, Gibson, Clemens, Walter Johnson, Rivera). Many of you wanted to be like Hall of Fame voters and boot the steroid users. Some of the disputes were quite persuasive, not that we’d ever admit fault. Here’s a sample: 2. Chuck H. “You’re kidding, right? Babe Ruth played over 2,400 games, and only 32 at first base. Get real.” Editor’s note: Well, we wanted more outfielder flexibility and figured Babe could hold his own defensively at first, but … fair point. 3. Joe M. “George Brett? For winning batting titles? Third base is a power position and Mike Schmidt had over 500 home runs. Also happened to win about 10 Gold Gloves.” 4. Mike B. “Love him or hate him, ‘Charlie Hustle’ Peter Edward Rose is one of the best players that ever put on a baseball uniform: 4,256 hits, 3,562 games played, 14,053 at-bats, 10 seasons with 200 or more hits, lifetime batting average of .303, three World Series rings, three batting titles, MVP, two Gold Gloves, Rookie of the Year, 17 all-star appearances at five different positions.” 5. Danny K. “You just can’t leave Christy Mathewson out. Put him in and take Roger Clemens out. Neither can you leave out Lou Gehrig. Put him on first base and move the Babe to the outfield where he actually played. Mike Trout isn't in the Babe's league ... nor in Ted Williams’ — who must be put somewhere. Are you forgetting about old-timers? At shortstop, I think you have to go with Honus Wagner (second choice, if you consider only peak value, Nomar Garciaparra), and at second base, Rogers Hornsby. Hornsby did not have the historical significance of Jackie Robinson, but what a fearsome hitter he was! Robinson was a wonderful athlete (stealing home in a World Series!), but in value to his team he wasn't all that far above Eddie Stanky, whom he did not dislodge from second base initially and of whom manager Leo Durocher said, ‘Can’t hit, can’t run, can’t throw, but still the best second baseman in the National League.’” 6. Next Up In our next edition, we’ll tackle the best (American) football players of all time as we assemble our gridiron greats. Who has to be on the list … or off it? We know a good newsletter when we see one. Get the best in fashion, sustainability and more by [signing up]( for emails from our friends at [Cariuma](. And better yet, for each sign-up, [they'll plant a tree]( to repopulate the rainforest. the herky-jerky restart 1. College Football Is a Mess Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves says he’s instituting a statewide mask mandate [because he wants to watch college football this fall]( (hey, man, whatever it takes), but that’s not looking like a great prospect. Connecticut today became the [first bowl subdivision school to cancel its season](. The leagues have rolled out plans for [scaled-back, delayed seasons]( with less travel, as many schools are still planning to have at least some fans in the stands. But as students trickle back and campuses turn into coronavirus hot zones, those plans will be tested in the extreme. The [$4 billion question](: If the NCAA cancels fall sports championships, will the (non-NCAA) College Football Playoff follow suit? 2. Follow the Bouncing Ball The Women’s Tennis Association is restarting this week in Palermo, Italy, with a few hiccups when it comes to [following coronavirus restrictions](. (Pro tip: Don’t chuck your sweatband into the stands.) But the real test will come in New York City later this month, when the U.S. Open is supposed to proceed … though [without Rafael Nadal and women’s No. 1 Ash Barty]( (pictured), as players fret about what kind of “bubble” will be erected for them around Flushing, Queens. (Roger Federer is out too, but with a knee injury.) 3. Life on the Inside Why’s everyone clamoring for a bubble? Because [they work](. While Major League Baseball has seen teamwide outbreaks and a slew of missed games, the NBA has been pulling off some fantastic — and mostly virus-free — basketball in its Orlando bubble. The National Women’s Soccer League wrapped up its bubble season without problems, and Major League Soccer is chugging along as well. But for how long? MLS is aiming to go back to home stadiums before long, while the head of the NBA players’ union floated the prospect of starting next season in the bubble in December. But how will a long-term stay in what amounts to a luxury jail affect players’ mental health? Need a little beat to get through the week? OZY Presents: [Your Hump Day Playlist]( featuring the game-changing artists you love and rising stars you'll soon love. Check out this week's playlist [on OZY's Spotify](. one for the road [Extreme Estonian Swinging]( Kiiking (pronounced KEE-king) is Estonia’s beloved homegrown sport. Participants are securely strapped to a huge apparatus while standing up. Practice usually takes place outside because there are few buildings available with high-enough ceilings. And, you know: COVID. Once strapped in, kiikers swing back and forth in a movement familiar to most of us from our childhood playground exertions. Most of us, though, just dreamed of swinging so hard we went all the way over the top. Kiikers actually do it. [Read more on OZY]( [TV]( | [Podcasts]( | [News]( | [FESTIVALS]( Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](