n>The heroic superstars idolized by American sports fans are protesting racial injustice by canceling critical basketball matches and baseball games. Eight postponements attributable to athletes’ boycotts following the shooting of Jacob Blake were announced by the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Will these cancellations actually promote improved race relations? Very dubious. But the age of sports stars’ political neutrality is gone. Athletes are now recruited by partisans on controversial issues. The Washington Post reported that there is an “emerging new reality in big-time sports in which athletes are increasingly emboldened to express themselves on racial injustice and other social issues.” Read Full Article »