Athlete power: ‘Shut up and play’ is tossed from the game

It becomes clear with every get-out-the-vote campaign, every shutdown of a major sport and every list of actions by athletes demanding change: The days of “shut up and play” are winding down. This summer of police shootings of Black people, combined with a coronavirus pandemic, have emboldened athletes to use their platform. Big differences between now and even a year ago are that there’s less indecisiveness on how hard to press the issues. Athletes in all sports are spearheadi