MLS joins NBA and MLB in Jacob Blake protest postponements
Various US sports (MLB, MLS and NBA) teams decided not to participate in matches scheduled for Wednesday as a means of protest against the Jacob Blake shooting.
Wednesday was going to be a packed day with plenty of action for sports fans to enjoy with a series of baseball, soccer and key basketball play-off games scheduled. However, following the shooting of Jacob Blake on 23 August protests have sparked anger in the country demanding justice. Earlier on Wednesday the NBA was the first league to suspend its playoff games, later the MLS players decided to join the protests by suspending 5 games of matchday 4 of the 2020 season.
The MLS released a statement
“Major League Soccer has made the decision to postpone the remaining five matches -- Miami-Atlanta, Dallas-Colorado, Real Salt Lake-LAFC, San Jose-Portland, LA Galaxy-Seattle -- scheduled for this evening (Wednesday), each match will be rescheduled,” read the statement.
As the MLS released the statement, the Los Angeles Football Club player Mark-Anthony Kaye replied to the league by saying: “We as players made the decision. Fix this, please give the right narrative.” The LAFC midfielder corrected the MLS because it was the players who made the decision of not playing and the league supported that decision.
MLB postponed their games as well
As the NBA players decided not to play their respective playoffs games, Major League Baseball joined the protest by deciding not to stage their Wednesday matches. The MLB released a statement by saying the following:
“Given the pain in the communities of Wisconsin and beyond following the shooting of Jacob Blake, we respect the decisions of a number of players not to play tonight. MLB remains united for change in our society and we will be allies in the fight to end racism and injustice.”