Atlanta United’s Jeff Larentowicz described the last-minute decision not to play Inter Miami in an MLS game Wednesday as a way to show that professional athletes are unified in wanting to create positive social change in the United States.
Larentowicz said the decision happened organically, in real time and wasn’t finalized until the warm-ups were complete. The game was supposed to start at 8 p.m. It was sparked by the decision made by players on the Milwaukee Bucks, who earlier in the day declined to participate in their NBA playoff game as a non-violent protest against systemic racism and violence against minorities. The most recent example being the shooting of Jacob Blake seven times by a police officer Sunday, in nearby Kenosha, Wis.
“We felt that before we are athletes we are humans that need to acknowledge each other and support each other,” Larentowicz said. “That moment was bigger than our two locker rooms. Supporting each other was most important.”
After Larentowicz, along with co-captain Brad Guzan and Inter Miami captain Luis Robles decided that the teams wouldn’t play, players on the remaining eight MLS teams that had games scheduled for Wednesday also decided they wouldn’t play. They joined, or were joined by, players on other NBA teams, in the WNBA and some MLB teams. Larentowicz said that Atlanta United does plan to play Saturday’s game against Orlando at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I don’t think anyone thought not playing the game was going to solve anything,” he said. “But it bolsters unity and shows support that we can figure out ways to work together to effect change. We can build this into tackling bigger issues and use this support we’ve shown for each other to try to make things better.”
Larentowicz stressed that the decision wasn’t pre-planned. He learned of the NBA protests shortly before a team meeting scheduled for 5:45 p.m. while at a hotel near the stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Once the team arrived at Lockhart Stadium, he said players from around the league already were texting each other. He and Guzan met with Robles to see where Inter Miami’s players stood.
As the teams continued to prepare to play, because he wasn’t named in the starting 11, Larentowicz said he had more time to see what was happening, which included monitoring the night’s first game between Orlando and Nashville to see if it kicked off. It did start and was completed.
Larentowicz said he made Atlanta United interim manager Stephen Glass aware that the teams may not play. After speaking with Robles, it was then decided that after warm-ups the teams wouldn’t play. Larentowicz said he didn’t feel that the postponement of their game was a catalyst for the postponement of the remaining games.
MLS later issued a statement in which it tried to say that the league made the decision to postpone games. Larentowicz said it was a decision made by the players.
The protest wasn’t just a reaction, according to Larentowicz. He hopes that it continues actions toward positive change. He pointed out Atlanta United’s “United We Vote” campaign, which kicked off Aug. 11, as an example of something that is important to the team’s players because it’s part of participating in a democracy.
“I haven’t been as directly affected as many people on these issues,” said Larentowicz, who grew up in Chester, Pa., and graduated from Brown University. “I do my best to understand how they are feeling.
“We are reaching a point where this is enough and collective acknowledgement that things are going wrong and a collective acknowledgement that we can make things better.”
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Atlanta United coming games
Saturday vs. Orlando, 3:30 p.m. (Univision)
Sept. 2 vs. Miami, 7 p.m. (FS1)
Sept. 5 at Orlando, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Sept. 12 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. (Fox Sports South)
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