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Giants' Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard Won't Rule Out Skipping Game in Protest
August 27, 2020
New York Giants star Saquon Barkley didn't rule out the possibility that his team could strike and sit out a game this season.
"I can't really just go and speak on behalf of the whole league, but, for us, that is something that we're going to talk about within our [social justice] groups, within our team," Barkley told reporters. "What's talked about in players meetings stays in players meetings."
Receiver Sterling Shepard said: "That's something that we're going to talk about as a team. I'm not going to comment on that until we do so."
The NBA's Milwaukee Bucks chose not to play their scheduled postseason game Wednesday as a protest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin, and all three NBA playoff games yesterday were postponed. The WNBA also postponed all games Wednesday as players sat out in protest. Three MLB games were also postponed Wednesday night.
"Commend them for standing up, using their platform, using their voice," Barkley said of the protesting players.
Though several NFL teams decided not to practice Wednesday or Thursday, the Giants decided to take the field after a discussion with the team's leadership council.
The players will still consider the possibility of sitting out for a game to further the protest against racial injustice.
New York opens its season Sept. 14 with a Monday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.