The recent shooting of Jacob Blake served as a catalyst for various sports leagues to show solidarity through boycotts and game postponements. Notably, MLS, NBA, WNBA, MLB, and the Western & Southern Open tennis championship all participated in this wave of social activism.
In response to the events following the shooting, MLS decided to postpone five games scheduled for Wednesday night. This decision came as athletes across multiple leagues united in a boycott. The only game that went ahead was Orlando City versus Nashville SC, with City emerging victorious in a 3-1 match. Matches between Atlanta United and Inter Miami, FC Dallas and Colorado, Portland and San Jose, Real Salt Lake and LAFC, as well as LA Galaxy and Seattle, were all called off due to players opting not to participate.
Nedum Onuoha, a defender for Real Salt Lake, who also played for Manchester City and QPR, emphasized the importance of focusing on more significant issues. He mentioned, “People will miss out on the entertainment, but at the end of the day it’s entertainment. There are other things going on which are essentially life and death, which should be a bigger part of any conversation that exists today.”
After Orlando City’s win, player Nani shared that he was not aware of the game boycotts by other players. He stood out as the sole Orlando player to take a knee during the national anthem.
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