As it’s the one year anniversary of the Highland Park, IL Independence Day Parade mass shooting, we now re-publish our stories from one year ago, spotlighting the reactions and commentary from local sports figures.ย
Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks is a two-time All-Star who led the American League in saves last season with 38. As great a baseball player as he is, Hendriks is that much better at being a socially conscious human being. Hendriks, who had a T-shirt with the words “Stars & Stripes & Reproductive Rights” hanging in his locker after Monday night’s game, is much more likely to speak out on serious social issues than your average Major League Baseball player.
Here is what #WhiteSox closer Liam Hendriks had to say about today’s shooting in Highland Park: pic.twitter.com/oNOJqDeNMb
โ Slavko Bekovic (@SBekovic) July 4, 2022
The fourth of July holiday saw yet another mass shooting, a uniquely American epidemic and shame, as sick, demented gunman killed seven and injured 41 in Highland Park, an affluent suburb of Chicago. In the wake of these tragic events, the White Sox spoke with MLB about the prospect of canceling their home game against the Minnesota Twins on the Independence Day holiday. Instead, the postgame fireworks show was canceled and the a moment of silence was held before first pitch. If you’re betting, like you would at casino zonder, on today’s game, you’ll see the White Sox favored -121 on the money line.
They are just slight favorite though, as the money line opened as evens, with both the White Sox and Twins -115 on the money line. The total, or over/under on this game is 8 runs.
Getting back to Hendriks, a 33-year-old Australian national, stated what is clear- changes are needed to our non-existent and barely enforced gun laws.
“Unfortunately, in this day and age, itโs becoming all too commonplace,” he told reporters.
“I think the access to the weaponry that is being kind of used in these things is…Something needs to change. Something needs to be done.
“Too many people are dying and itโs no excuse to say, ‘Iโm on this side or that side,'” he continued.
“At some point, things need to get done or else itโs getting to the point where civilization as you know it may be ending just to the fact thereโs two drastically different sides. Something needs to change. Something needs to happen, and it needs to happen quick.”
Hendricks wasn’t the only pro athlete to speak out on Monday.
LA Galaxy soccer player Sacha Kljestan refused to talk about the match his team played against Montreal on Monday, but instead addressed the shooting in Illinois. pic.twitter.com/rtyiDlVoBZ
โ Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 5, 2022
Watch this video above, of a MLS star making it very clear that he wasn’t going to talk about the game that was just played. After all there are just way too many more important things going on right now.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank.ย Heโs also theย author of โTransatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,โ andย โNo, I Canโt Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.โ
Heโs written for numerous publications, including theย New York Daily News,ย Sports Illustratedย and theย Chicago Tribune.ย He regularly appears onย NTD Newsย andย WGN News Now.ย Follow the websiteย onย Twitterย andย Instagram.
