Saints honor Jacob Blake on helmets for Thursday's practice
The New Orleans Saints chose to practice Thursday but still managed to show support for Jacob Blake. The players had his name on their helmets as a sign of solidarity as teams in nearly every sport have expressed their support of the nationwide protests of police brutality and systemic racism.
"If you stand for nothing then you'll fall for anything," Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins wrote on Instagram with a photo of the helmet.
Earlier this week, the Detroit Lions became the first team to cancel practice in response to the shooting and subsequent protests, with Lions safety Duron Harmon explaining that the team has "a platform that we are able to use not just to raise awareness but to create change."
Following their decision, several other NFL teams have also chosen to cancel practices, including the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Football Team.
These types of protests have not been exclusive to football, as all three NBA playoff games were canceled Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play as a form of protest. The WNBA has also paused its season, while the MLB and MLS both canceled games.
Blake, who is Black, was shot seven times in front of his family by Kenosha police officers over the weekend. Police were responding to a domestic disturbance call when the shooting took place. Someone was able to film the shooting and posted it online, where it quickly went viral and gained national attention, sparking protests across the nation.
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