Inter Miami Game Against Atlanta United Called Off To Bring Attention To Racial Injustice
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – The game between Inter Miami CF and Atlanta United has been called off as they join other professional sports teams in bringing attention to racial injustice.
Inter Miami defender A.J. DeLaGarza said they decided not to play in protest and in support of a request from the Black Players Coalition.
"We respect them and we have to respect why we wear these shirts," he said. "And that's to make a change and to have our voices heard."
The news came out just hours after all three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday were postponed.
The reverberations quickly moved into Major League Baseball and the WNBA as well.
The Milwaukee Brewers' home game with the Cincinnati Reds was called off, by player decision, and other MLB teams were considering similar moves.
WNBA players are not playing their three regular-season games scheduled for Wednesday in Bradenton.
The dramatic series of moves began when the Bucks — the NBA's team from Wisconsin, a state rocked in recent days by the shooting by police of Jacob Blake, a Black man — didn't take the floor for their playoff game against the Magic.
The teams were set to begin Game 5 of their series shortly after 4 p.m., with the Bucks needing a win to advance to the second round.
Players had been discussing boycotting games in the bubble after the shooting of Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Players and coaches in the bubble were invited to a meeting Wednesday to discuss how — or if — to go forward with the season.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)