Antiracism or Bust: The Survival of Sport Business is Dependent on a Cultural Shift

We are in the midst of a movement, unlike anything we have seen in recent history. The world is being ravaged by COVID-19, we are on the cusps of financial ruin, and there has been weeks of protests against anti-Black racism and violence. At the heart of these crises, is sports. The NBA led the way, in dutifully shutting down the league, after the positive test of Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz and subsequently, his teammate, Donovan Mitchell . Soon after, came each and every league shutting down, one after the other, all following the lead of the NBA. Although we are in the midst of the first wave of this virus, the sports world is contemplating reopening. There are certainly important public health considerations against reopening. There are financial considerations in support of reopening. But at the center of the conversation for leagues such as the NWSL, WNBA, and NBA, are the social implications of their sports distracting society from the antiracism movement that is at the forefront of our consciousness.