How Have Sports Leagues Protested Gun Violence in the United States?

On May 24, an 18-year-old opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 students and two teachers and injuring seventeen more people. A week later, there was a new shooting after a graduation ceremony on the Xavier University campus. These episodes have once again fueled the discussion about gun violence in the United States and the gun control measures that should be taken in this country.

Among the many voices that have been raised calling for greater gun control, several sports leagues have not been far behind. In the NBA, the NFL, and even the NHL there have been various teams and individuals who have spoken against this kind of violence. Here we gather some of these examples.

Steve Kerr-NBA

Kerr is the coach of the Golden State Warriors, a team that is participating in the NBA Finals this year. He was also one of the first sports figures to speak publicly about the Uvalde shooting. Before game 4 of the semifinals, Kerr had a routine interview with the press, where he said the following:

“In the last 10 days, we've had Black elders killed in Buffalo, Asian churchgoers killed in Southern California. And now we have children murdered at school,” said the coach. "I'm sick. I've had enough. We're going to play the game tonight, but I want every person who hears this to think of their own child or grandchild or mother or father, sister, or brother. How would you feel if this happened to you today? When are we going to do something?” he added.

Actions in Baseball

On the MLB side, several protest actions have also been carried out. The NY Yankees, for example, took advantage of their May 26 game against Tampa Bay to send a message to their Twitter account. Rather than Tweet coverage of the game, this team decided to use the day to share facts about gun violence in America.

Some of these data speak for themselves. For example, that “An average of 4,500 veterans die by gun suicide each year, about 12 veterans every day.”

On the other hand, Gabe Kapler, manager of the San Fransisco Giants, clarified in a blog that "he does not feel good about the current state of his country" and for this reason, he plans not to be part of the anthem in his next games.

Also read: The 7 Most Expensive Transfers From the Bundesliga to the Premier League

Actions in the NFL

The organization of the Houston Texans, an NFL team based in Houston, has not precisely “protested” the gun violence, but it did speak out against it in a statement announcing a $400,000 donation for the victims of the violent tragedy.

"Texans care about Texans, especially in times of triumph and tragedy," Houston Texans president and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. “I am so proud of our players for championing this effort and was inspired to support our neighbors in Uvalde along with them. I also know that we have a great responsibility to lend our voices to important and meaningful conversations that raise awareness of senseless gun violence .”

The team's players and staff will also wear orange jerseys in their game on Friday the 3rd and they asked their fans to do the same.