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It seems American sports leagues have once again waded into political waters.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism is leading a new effort, launching an anti-hate campaign joined by other pro-sports league commissioners.

“New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his foundation unveiled a star-studded ad titled ‘Time Out Against Hate’ on Thursday in collaboration with Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Women’s Soccer League, and NASCAR,” CNBC reported.

“What’s going on now in the country — I’ve never seen anything like it,” Kraft told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday. “And I’m concerned what will happen after the election.”

The campaign launch followed an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) report that noted more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents have occurred in the U.S. since the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The new campaign ad features sports legends such as four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal, tennis great Billie Jean King, four-time WNBA champion Candace Parker as well as Jim Harbaugh, Doc Rivers, and Joe Torre among others.

“The ‘#Timeout Against Hate’ campaign represents a powerful convergence of sports icons and leaders who are committed to fighting hate in all its forms,” Kraft said. “In sports, we call a ‘timeout’ when things are heading in the wrong direction and right now, in our country, hate is winning, and we need to change the momentum.”

“Bringing together the commissioners of North America’s major sports leagues for this campaign is a historic and crucial step in our fight against all hate,” he said.

(Video Credit: NBC News)

“By uniting under a common cause, we amplify our message and demonstrate that the power of sports extends beyond stadiums, arenas, and fields, and into our communities,” Kraft said in a statement. “This initiative is a call to action for everyone to join us in creating a world where hate is met with a unified stand for empathy, understanding, and respect.”

“I think we have a responsibility as professional sports league leaders in that we have an outsized impact,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman told CNBC. “We know throughout history that sport has the power to change the world.”

But for all the platitudes, it seems fans just want to watch their favorite sports and not be lectured, as social media users chimed in on the latest effort.

Frieda Powers
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