On October 27th our country once again faced the aftermath of a mass shooting. The Pittsburgh Penguins, along with a few other Philly teams showed great signs of support for the 11 victims and their families. A short 11 days later on November 7th Thousand Oaks, Calif. faced the same devastation. Mass shootings in the United States have been a constant threat and problem within our nation, sparking controversy and protest. Following the Thousand Oaks shooting many California sports teams spoke out, showing their support for victims and fight for change.
The L.A. Kings first began taking measures by going beyond the standard “moment of silence” at their Thursday night game against the Minnesota Wild. Both the Kings and the Wild held signs during their dedicated moment of silence that stated #ENOUGH to represent the fight for gun control. Kings President, Luc Robitaille explained the movement stating, “We want to help amplify the message that enough is enough… we cannot accept these incidents as a new reality.” Last year at a Las Vegas mass shooting, the team suffered the loss of Christiana Duarte, a former Kings employee. The L.A. Kings in partnership with the NHL inspired continued movement throughout the state of California regarding the tragedy in Thousand Oaks.1
Saturday, November 10th the L.A. Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks also wore the hashtag, #ENOUGH on the front of a black t-shirt, with the names of the 12 shooting victims on the back. The Clippers wanted the names of the victims to be spoken, noticed and remembered.2 The following Sunday evening, the Lakers and Atlanta Hawks also showcased similar t-shirts before their game.
The movement continued from the NHL and NBA, reaching the NFL where Andrew Whitworth, a Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman decided to donate his paycheck to all of the victims and families of the Thousand Oaks shooting after his Sunday game against the Seahawks.3
In response to this movement, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr commended the NBA and other L.A. teams who took a stand, stating, “It was a great show of unity in the NBA, and a statement that we have to address this issue as a country… our government has to address it. We can’t just keep spewing out the same garbage about, ‘Well, it’s the second amendment. This is the price of freedom.’ Give me a break.”4
Athletes and sports teams all across the country have been great supporters in response to tragedy. By using their platforms for justice and political protest, many athletes in the NBA, NHL and NFL have showcased great CSR movements for their teams, while also speaking out against issues that may have been previously brushed aside. When banding together after the Thousand Oaks shooting, these teams also showed their love for their fans, city and their country by protesting that they have had #ENOUGH of mass shootings and the lack of gun control within our nation.