Illustration: Tyler Gross
THE POWERLESSNESS OF SPORTS AGAINST THE POWER OF SPORTS
The Cleveland pro sports team alliance for social justice shows its limits and contradictions By Vince Grzegorek THE IRONY, IT SEEMED, WAS lost on most everyone. On Sept. 22, 2020, the Cavs, Browns and Indians celebrated National Voter Registration Day in advance of the November elections with a nonpartisan voter registration drive in the atrium of the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Held in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and local democracy-building nonprofit Cleveland VOTES, the drive was a natural outgrowth of the
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| clevescene.com | June 2-8, 2021
newly created Cleveland professional sports team alliance for equality and social justice. That alliance, formed in August 2020 in response to and during a summer of social justice protests and advocacy that saw players lead game and practice strikes across the leagues, was a commitment to bring the power and voices of the organizations as a whole into the conversation. By its own description, the alliance would “focus on improving
the relationship between law enforcement and its citizens, encouraging nonpartisan voting activities and increasing the opportunities for quality education for everyone” in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. “The social and economic disparity in our community reveals some ugly truths,” Cavs GM Koby Altman said at the time. “We never take for granted our place in the fabric of Cleveland, and hopefully our coming together inspires others
to join us.” “We understand the platform our organization has to make a positive impact on these important issues,” added Browns GM Andrew Berry. And for the Indians, President Chris Antonetti said, “We recognize the profound impact that professional sports have on the greater Cleveland community, and the enormous responsibility that comes with such a platform.” That the Cavs, Indians and Browns figure prominently in the
