Teams in different leagues are following the lead of the NBA by boycotting their scheduled games on Wednesday (Aug. 26) following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Brewers baseball team has decided not to take the field, according to the Wall Street Journal. They were scheduled to play Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds at 8:10 pm ET. The Reds have also agreed to not play, which will not count as a forfeit against the Brewers.
Additional MLB boycotts will reportedly take place, reports ESPN. Earlier Wednesday, Brewers pitcher Josh Hader said that a boycott was a possibility. “I think it’s a tremendous stand,” he said. “This is more about sports. I’m sure it’s something we are going to discuss.”
This news comes after the entire NBA boycotted their games for Wednesday. The Milwaukee Bucks were the first basketball team to announce that they were not playing their scheduled game against the Orlando Magic.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, “The Bucks players made this decision in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin, ultimately deciding that they wouldn’t leave the locker room for the start of Game 5 against Orlando.”
The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder then announced that they were boycotting Game 5 of their playoff series.
The NBA ultimately decided to postpone all Wednesday games. “The NBA and the NBPA today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games – MIL-ORL, HOU-OKC and LAL-POR have been postponed,” tweeted the official Twitter page of the NBA. “Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled.”
According to The Athletic, the Bucks were in their locker room trying to reach the attorney general of Wisconsin. The NBA players are meeting tonight in the bubble to discuss the next steps.
Since news of the Brewers joining the boycott broke, other MLB games such as Mariners-Padres, and Giants-Dodgers ones have been canceled in solidarity today, as well. More teams are expected to follow suit.