Imagine footballers turning their shared scrutiny towards the power their existing club owners wield – such as the Trump supporters at Manchester United, Arsenal and Crystal Palace
And fade to black. There is a beautiful simplicity to the current protests in American sport. These reached a new pitch this week as teams in the NBA, WNBA, MLB and MLS, along with tennis players at the Western & Southern Open, refused to compete in protest at racially-driven social injustice – a breaking wave that has now taken in another act of violence, after the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Standing down, stepping away, creating an empty space. There is a genuine resonance to these sporting boycotts. Anyone who doubts their power need only take a look at the reaction.
Related: Hope is a dying ember for black people in the US. Athletes have rekindled it
We live in febrile times where clear, simple messages can have an unexpectedly profound effect
