10-16-2024
Labeled the first of its kind, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his foundation initiated a campaign against antisemitism. The "#TimeOut Against Hate” campaign uses the “T" timeout gesture to symbolize the fight against intolerance. Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, Major League Soccer, the Women's National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Women's Soccer League, and NASCAR worked together on ads that will play across all of these sports for the rest of the year.
In January, Kraft invited the commissioners from these leagues to a meeting to discuss the issue. Multiple speakers shared information about hate facing many communities. Some of the ads will highlight the message that "Hate is winning." Famous sports figures, including Bille Jean King, Shaquille O'Neal, Candace Parker, and Jim Harbaugh, will appear in the ads that began airing on October 10.
A new report from the Anti-Defamation League shows that there have been more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents since Hamas' terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, 2023. Kraft asserts that 10% of U.S. adult males are "blatantly prejudiced against Jewish people and tend to be outspoken about it." Kraft expressed concern about what will happen in the country after the election. Kraft hopes the league's joint effort will amplify the message that "everyone deserves empathy, understanding, and respect." The NBA and NWSL commissioners stressed the importance of including anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-Muslim sentiment "[b]ecause hate is corrosive to our society and the underpinnings of our democracy." They hope the powerful place sports hold will help change the narrative on hate.