A.J. Green supports Los Angeles Clippers silent protest
By Josh Hill
The controversy caused in Los Angeles over the weekend when racist comments by Clippers owner Donald Sterling surfaced has sent waves of emotion across all professional sports. While the problem exists in basketball, players in all leagues are banding together to remind us and themselves that they play for each other.
Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green spoke out about the matter to Cincinnati.com when asked about it this week and noted his support for the Clippers and his understanding of their situation. He also echoed the sentiment that players play for themselves which in of itself is booming a controversial notion in sports.
It’s hard to just brush off the guy who signs your checks, and thankfully it appears that Donald Sterling is an isolated case of racism. But at the end of the day, the players are in unions and they’re a workforce like teachers, firefighters and other worker unions in America and they do technically work for just each other while someone in a high up office signs their checks.
This Donald Sterling situation has fused an uncomfortable atmosphere in all sports as the tension feels like it does when lockouts happen. Not everyone in every sport is upset with their team’s owner as none of the other professional owners seem to be 80-year old racists. But there’s not a forced divide between owners and players that needs to be bridged across not just basketball but all of professional sports thanks to this situation.