Uniform patches will honor Douglas victims
MIAMI The Miami Heat are the latest South Florida professional sports team to wear a uniform element in memory of those slain in last week’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 dead.
The Heat plan to add an “MSD” patch on the shoulder area of their jerseys for the balance of the season. The hope is to have the patches ready for Friday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the team’s first game back from the eightday All-Star break.
The shooting occurred in the hours before the Heat’s road loss last Wednesday to the Philadelphia 76ers, with the Heat idle since.
The Heat also plan a moment of silence and tribute before Saturday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies at AmericanAirlines Arena, their first home game since the shooting.
The NHL’s Florida Panthers, the South Florida team that plays in the closest proximity to Parkland, are playing with a patch on the right elbow of their jerseys that reads “MSD” in black lettering and a helmet decal that reads “MSD Strong.”
The Miami Marlins are wearing Stoneman Douglas baseball caps before their Friday spring training opener; Major League Baseball has similar tribute plans for all 30 teams.
Heat guard Dwyane Wade, a member of the South Florida community for 15 years, said learning that so many of the students, and some of the victims, held such strong allegiance to the Heat makes it important for the team to play its part.
“The parents and the kids and the community have been very vocal,” he said. “They’ve pulled together so amazingly and that says, as a franchise, in this state, knowing that the kids that are no longer with us and the kids that are still dealing with this, we’re their favorite team, the majority of ’em, and to be able to bring awareness to what’s going on, to listen even more, and tune in to what they’re saying and what they’re doing, it’s powerful. That’s the kind of organization this is, so I’m happy to be a part of it.”
With three school-age children, Wade remains shaken.
“It’s scary, man. It’s scary,” he said following Wednesday’s practice. “As I continue to say, besides having your kids next to you at home, the safest place for them is to be in school. And to have another incident, another tragic moment in this state we live, in the world we live in, it’s sad. And it’s frightening for parents all around the world.
“So when they say we need to change something, we definitely need to. We need to figure out a way. I know that every school has their security and the things that they want to do. But maybe we need to look into a little bit more, just like we did when it came down to flying, TSA, we changed everything. And even though it was hard, you got to get to the airport earlier, it became a burden at times, it’s safe, it made you feel safe. So we have to figure out a way to change things in our schools to help our kids be safe.”
Wade said he was proud of the students who have spoken out in the wake of the shooting, making their voices heard, and said he appreciates the importance of being part of such a movement.
“Change happens by things the Miami Heat is going to do, bring awareness,” he said. “Change happens by the people who have a voice speaking for the ones that don’t have a voice, the ones they’re trying to mute. That’s how change happens. That’s why athletes speak out on topics, not just for yourself. You’re speaking out for others. You’re speaking out for others that need it. We’re the voices for the unheard.”