“American sports fans are famous for knowing the stats on their teams, their players and their leagues – from hometown high schools all the way up to the pros.
“If only the same energy and focus could be devoted to compiling and reporting injuries and deaths due to law enforcement, from the local to national level.
“Today, boundaries are blurring between sports, politics and policing. At the crux is the enduring problem of excessive use of force by the police, disproportionately directed at persons of color.
“The current controversy, of course, started in August 2016, when 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick, in an act of protest, chose not to stand for the national anthem. Motivated by protests against unjust and unpunished police killings of black persons, Kaepernick stated: ‘I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.'”