ESPN’s Buster Olney offers novel ideas for getting anti-racism messages to kids
Buster Olney has been a visible presence on ESPN’s baseball coverage for nearly two decades, but he took a detour from reporting on sports in a recent Facebook post.
As the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer spurred protests around the nation, Olney offered a few thoughts on ensuring Floyd’s name and anti-racism messages don’t fade away. Olney specifically hopes these anti-racism words can resonate with kids.
One way to do that, Olney writes, involves sports teams and leagues.
“Since the death of George Floyd, the painful and truthful refrain is that the national attentiveness to racism is sporadic,” Olney wrote. “A shooting, a death, a murder sparks moments of outrage and isolated protests, but then the conversation drifts away, until the next tragedy, when it flares, and then flickers again.
“The major sports leagues, teams and players have the power and the influence to lead the enduring conversation that is needed to affect a lasting change, particularly because of how they connect so well, directly and indirectly, with the youngest generations. We’ve already seen that potential borne out in the last week. The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown drives 15 hours from Boston to Atlanta to join a protest. The Pacers’ Malcolm Brogdon speaks out. LeBron James tweets (rapper) Killer Mike’s passionate speech and draws 135,000 likes. Pete Alonso posts a message on Instagram, and so does Justin Turner; ‘We will use our voice to speak out against racism and stand with you all.’
“This can be institutionalized and organized, for all leagues, teams and players. We’ve seen it in the anti-bullying campaigns. We’ve seen the power of Stand Up To Cancer moments, with the most important games of the season paused, to pay tribute, to reaffirm, to refocus. The same thing can happen in sports in the fight against racism, against the violence aimed at blacks.”
As the father of a 20-year-old and 15-year-old, Olney sees a way to reach kids with anti-racism messages through, as he told The Star, “the daily drumbeat” of video games.
One of these ideas included Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Any parent of a teenager knows all about the omnipresence of video games in their homes — Madden, 2K, MLB The Show, etc. The major sports leagues have the power to ask their licensing partners to include messages about equality as part in-game advertising,” Olney wrote. “Just as you see a Snickers advertisement in the pause of a (Madden) game, maybe (you) can see messages from Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson about racism, and about how you treat others. Halftime of a 2K game might be a good spot for 15 seconds from Steph Curry, and maybe the 7th inning stretch is a natural place for Mike Trout’s voice about standing up to prejudice.
“Each of the sport’s unions can push to make this messaging happen. The words ‘Remember George Floyd’ could be on the game covers.“
Olney concluded his Facebook post with a few more ideas for sports teams and broadcasters.
“The words ‘Remember George Floyd’ could be placed on uniforms, for one day, for every day, because those words can and should bear meaning beyond this moment,” Olney wrote. “Each league could have an annual George Floyd Day, with his family members invited to participate. Similarly, spots about racism can be mandated in every broadcast. Pre-produced elements. Words built into the crawl. In-game reports or features. Maybe one or two of the many teases for the next show, the next game can be traded for anti-hate missives.
“At the stadiums or ballpark, there can be regular PSAs with the home stars speaking out. There can be signage, built into sponsorship deals. There are so many ways to go with this, so many ways to help and turn the conversation into the steady drumbeat it needs to become.”
Here is the Facebook post:
