Following in suit of the NBA, some MLB teams, the Lions, the Washington Football Team, and the Colts, the New York Jets have canceled today’s practice. As teams continue to formulate their responses to the Jacob Blake shooting that occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Jets have been the latest to cancel practice as a way of protesting for greater change.
Yesterday, current Owner Christopher Johnson addressed the team in wake of the shooting as Connor Hughes of The Athletic wrote:
“Christopher Johnson spoke to Jets about the Blake shooting — this after he gave every member of team his cell number to talk about social injustice whenever they need someone. ‘You just don’t see that’, coach Frank Bush says. ‘It is rare. It’s a rare situation.’â€
Johnson has shown he won’t take a nonresponsive stance towards the current state of our country which is something that no doubt carried over to the decision to cancel practice.
Another factor in that decision was the player’s outcry. Yesterday in speaking to the media, new safety Bradley McDougald and slot wide receiver Jamison Crowder both were incredibly passionate about the need for change within our country and our communities. Their heads are evidently and understandably focused on a much bigger societal issue and football should no doubt come second to that right now.
So, with a little over two weeks until the Jets take the field, they’ve joined the rest of the pro sports world in taking a stance against social injustice. Where this heads in terms of professional sports returning and the impact it makes remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, just like everything else going on in 2020, this is one for the history books.