In 1976, two protesters rushed the field to burn an American flag in the middle of a baseball game. MLB star Rick Monday rushed the demonstrators to rescue the Stars and Stripes before it could be destroyed.
Watch the incredible footage below.
Last season, ‘Black Lives Matter’ was a major part of Major League Baseball’s opening weekend, with the New York Post reporting the slogan will be “stenciled” on the pitcher’s mound for all opening day games.
“With the Yankees and Nationals opening the season in Washington, there will be a Black Lives Matter/MLB stencil on the pitcher’s mound during opening weekend games throughout the league,” reports the New York Post.
The move is mean to “express support for the fight against systemic racism and injustice,” the Nationals said in a statement.
“Obviously, that’s a manifestation of where our country currently is,’’ Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said on a Zoom call. “Our country is in many ways the greatest country in the world. In some ways, it’s broken in certain aspects where we’re not all together and not all as one. Because of that, you’re seeing demonstrations like kneeling at the anthem as part of that process. Part of our community is hurting when it shouldn’t be. It’s been ignored for such a long period of time. The great part of America is there are different ways to express yourself and different platforms to utilize how you express yourself. In some cases, it’s kneeling during the anthem. … I support the ability to protest in the way they see fit, as long as it’s in a legal and healthy way. I think there’s nothing more American than being able to express your beliefs and do it in a safe way.”
Read the full report at the New York Post.
ANOTHER NEW LOW: NBA Finals Game 3 ‘Least Watched in Recorded Ratings History’
The NBA continued to hemorrhage fans over the weekend when their final championship series was viewed by less than 5 million Americans each night; the lowest recorded since the association started keeping track back in 1994.
The TV Ratings For The NBA Finals Hit Another Record Low. The Numbers Are Atrocious https://t.co/6tV8kJYdF6
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 6, 2020
The TV ratings for game three of the NBA Finals hit another record low Sunday night. The game averaged fewer than 4.4 million viewers.
The numbers are pathetic. This is what happens when you make sports political. People quit watching.
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) October 5, 2020
Well, there’s always the Chinese market
Game 1 of NBA Finals sees lowest viewership in recorded ratings history https://t.co/HAi3wKLICf
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) October 2, 2020
Dead. Good.https://t.co/KHTLa2yjn2
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) October 2, 2020
“The number is down 45 percent from last year’s Game 1 between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, which had 13.51 million viewers. This is the fourth straight year Game 1 viewership has gone down compared to the previous season,” reports Yahoo Sports.
Read the full report here.
BACKING BEIJING? NBA Coach Complains of ‘US Human Rights Abuses’ When Asked About China
Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, shocked sports fans across the USA this week; complaining of ‘US Human Rights Abuses’ when asked to comment on pro-Democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
“No. Nor has our record of human rights abuses come up either,” said Kerr when asked about China’s policy towards Hong Kong. “People in China didn’t ask me about, you know, people owning AR-15s and mowing each other down in a mall.”
Steve Kerr on if he's ever been asked about human rights during his previous trips to China:
"No. Nor has (America's) record of human rights abuses come up either… People in China didn't ask me about, you know, people owning AR-15s and mowing each other down in a mall." pic.twitter.com/56mNC7LmID
— Sam Hustis (@SamHustis) October 11, 2019
Protesters had their pro-Hong Kong signs confiscated during an exhibition basketball game between the Washington Wizards and Guangzhou Loong Lions Wednesday; raising new concerns regarding the NBA and their association with the Chinese communist regime.
“Just had our ‘Free Hong Kong’ sign confiscated at Capitol One Arena at the Wizards game against the Guangzhou Loong Lions,” posted one demonstrator on social media.
https://twitter.com/JonSchweppe/status/1182070459355009027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1182070459355009027&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fbrettt-3136%2F2019%2F10%2F09%2Factivists-have-their-free-hong-kong-sign-confiscated-during-national-anthem-at-wizards-game%2F
The news comes hours after ESPN circulated an internal memo warning all reporters to avoid discussing the ongoing protests sweeping Hong Kong.
“Chuck Salituro, the senior news director of ESPN, sent a memo to shows mandating that any discussion of the Daryl Morey story avoid any political discussions about China and Hong Kong, and instead focus on the related basketball issues. The memo, obtained by Deadspin, explicitly discouraged any political discussion about China and Hong Kong. Multiple ESPN sources confirmed to Deadspin that network higher-ups were keeping a close eye on how the topic was discussed on ESPN’s airwaves,” reports Deadspin.