The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Practice shortened for talks
Garrett among the team leaders on social injustice discussions
The season opener is a little more than two weeks away, yet football was not foremost on the minds right now.
Eight NFL teams canceled practice Aug. 27 to protest a police officer shooting Jacob Blake seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wis. The Browns decided to practice, but only for an hour instead of the normal two hours.
After practice, the team was to meet to decide on a unified plan to bring awareness to social injustice, defensive end Myles Garrett said before practice.
“We stand in solidarity with everyone who has chosen not to go today, but we elected to shorten our practice,” he said. “Then we’re going indoors and brainstorm on how we can make change happen in our community and how we can move forward locally and as a state and how us as teams in Cleveland, whether it’s the Indians, Cavs or it’s just the Browns, can move this thing forward, move the needle just a little bit and be a start of something great.”
Earlier in the day, the Browns Indians and Cavaliers announced a joint venture “to develop a sustainable and direct strategy to address social injustice facing the city of Cleveland and all Northeast Ohio communities,” the teams announced in a news release.
Browns first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski is squarely behind his players. He is on record saying he supports those who plan to kneel for the national anthem. He was also fine with shortening practice. The Browns open their season Sept. 13 in Baltimore against the Ravens, who last year were 14-2. The Browns were one of the two teams to beat them in the regular season.
“We’ve had a really good day of dialogue, and I think it stems from a really good few months of dialogue,” Stefanski said before practice. “I’m really proud of those guys. I’m proud of the leaders on this football team. They’ve come up with the plan.
“We want to be pillars in this community. We want to stand for what’s right and do everything we can to make sure that this town, this city of Cleveland knows that we have their back.”
Stefanski was asked directly whether he has concerns about getting the team ready for the Ravens while taking on the monumental task of combating social injustice while also making sure his players adhere to COVID-19 protocols.
“I”m in the moment, and what this moment calls for is dialogue and unity,” Stefanski said. “I think we’re getting that in a bunch of ways from this football team. That’s what I really appreciate about the guys we have.”
Garrett said he wants the officer who shot and paralyzed Blake plus the officers who shot Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., in March “held accountable for their actions. We will not stop until a reform and justice is served,” he said.
Garrett did not promote the idea of violent protests or looting. He said some of his teammates are uncomfortable speaking in front of a group. But he is hopeful those players will find the courage to express their ideas. Now in his fourth NFL season, Garrett, the first pick of the 2017 draft, said he was shy as a younger player.
“I’ve gotten better with
age, just getting to talk to them as individuals and on a personal level about how near and dear this is to them,” Garrett said. “For me personally, I brought forth the idea of a petition for criminalizing hate speech because I don’t believe it should be said on forums, whether it’s on social media like Twitter, Instagram or whatever you have, on Snapchat where people take a picture of it and send it out or openly in the streets and march.
“It shouldn’t be like that. It shouldn’t be allowed. It shouldn’t be accepted in today’s day and age. It is wrong in so many ways, and there are so many avoidable events that started with hate speech on social media.”
Garrett said players from the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers could also make a difference by encouraging people to vote in the November elections.