I can’t pretend to understand the complexities of the Israel-Gaza crisis going on, as I have not walked in the shoes of those on both sides of this growing humanitarian crisis. What I can do is to listen and learn and try and figure out the little things we can all do to better co-exist, while having extreme empathy and compassion for those suffering becuase of terrorist and inhumane acts.
One thing I can also do is to help see how others engage and embrace and try and use the massive platform of sports to provide a forum of leadership and caring to keep reminding those engaged of the value of human life and relationships. With that in mind, as an observer of such things below is a sumamry of those who have been on the massive stage of sport in the US to see how a week’s worth of engagement has played out. It is also interesting to see the listening and learning of leagues in these times of crisis, and the messaging that is nuanced as things develop. This weekend should bring more, as leagues and teams around the globe use their pregame time to deliver and act on messaging that can be helpful reminders to all. The NFL started their weekend with messaging delivered by the Kansas City Chiefs, which will contimue to grow as the weekend unfolds.
What will also be interesting to look at away from the professional ranks is how messaging is, or is not, handled by high schools and colleges playing on big stages this week. Colleges in particular have taken hits this week about this sensitive and very fluid issue, so looking at who speaks and how…and who does not…will be another case study.
There was wide coverage of the Brooklyn Nets exhibition game against Macaabi Raanana on Thursday which also drew larger attention than most presason NBA games, but here is a good summary the folks at Jewish Sports Report put together.
Teams and athletes — Jewish and not — from around the United States and the world quickly began sharing messages of support for Israel. In more recent days, global stars like LeBron James and Floyd Mayweather have also spoken out. On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies held a moment of silence during their National League Division Series game against the Atlanta Braves.
On Tuesday, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer became the first Israeli player to start an MLB postseason game when he took the mound against the Texas Rangers. Kremer, who holds dual citizenship and whose parents and extended family are Israeli, said the country would be “in the back of my head” as he pitched.
That same night in the other American League Division Series, Houston Astros star Alex Bregman drew a Star of David on his hat for the Astros’ matchup against the Minnesota Twins. Bregman homered in the game, which Houston won.
Finally, as the devastating details continued to emerge from the violence in Israel and Gaza, we learned that a number of current and former Israeli athletes were among the more than 1,300 victims. We remember swimmer Eden Nimri, former soccer star Lior Asulin, lacrosse player Mor Cohen and Mai Naim, the granddaughter of one of Israel’s most successful soccer coaches.
Great examples of how the industry continues to resonate well beyond the field.
