How Sports Leagues Regulate Athletes’ Activism

Yet Silver and Michele Roberts, the executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, also issued co-written letters before the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons encouraging players “in the pursuit of social consciousness.” A line from the second letter read: “Fortunately, you are not only the world’s greatest basketball players — you have real power to make a difference in the world, and we want you to know that the players’ association and the league are always available to help you figure out the most meaningful way to make that difference.”

In the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis while in police custody last month, numerous N.B.A. players have been at the forefront of protests nationwide against racial injustice and police brutality. It is not yet known, more than six weeks before N.B.A. games are scheduled to start anew at Walt Disney World near Orlando, if there will be a renewed focus on the rule or calls from the player ranks to amend it — or even how anthems will be handled. The usual practice of bringing in outside anthem singers clashes with the N.B.A.’s intent to maintain a tightly controlled bubble to combat the coronavirus.

“As has been the case of the last several years, we will work in partnership with the players on important issues like this,” Mike Bass, an N.B.A. spokesman, said Tuesday.

Major League Baseball

In 2017, after Bruce Maxwell of the Oakland A’s knelt during the anthem, baseball issued a statement saying: “Major League Baseball has a longstanding tradition of honoring our nation before the start of our games. We also respect that each of our players is an individual with his own background, perspectives and opinions. We believe that our game will continue to bring our fans, their communities and our players together.”

Maxwell was not punished. Other major leaguers did not repeat his protest.

World Soccer

After Megan Rapinoe knelt for the anthem at an American national team game, U.S. Soccer adopted a policy that said, “All persons representing a federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of the national anthems at any event in which the federation is represented.”

But the board of directors met Tuesday and voted to rescind that policy. U.S. Soccer employees had raised the issue with the federation’s leadership last week, and a statement from the women’s team asked that the federation repeal the policy and issue “an apology to our black players and supporters.”

FIFA, which runs world soccer, said last week that expressions of support for protesters by some players in Germany would not be violations of any rule. “For the avoidance of doubt,” Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, said, “in a FIFA competition the recent demonstrations of players in Bundesliga matches would deserve an applause and not a punishment.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/sports/national-anthem-policies.html