{"id":64157,"date":"2018-04-26T07:57:17","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T07:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=64157"},"modified":"2018-04-26T07:57:17","modified_gmt":"2018-04-26T07:57:17","slug":"browns-players-owner-jimmy-haslam-new-steps-eyed-fight-social-injustice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/browns-players-owner-jimmy-haslam-new-steps-eyed-fight-social-injustice.html","title":{"rendered":"For Browns players and owner Jimmy Haslam, new steps eyed on fight against social injustice"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Browns players and owner Jimmy Haslam, new steps eyed on fight against social injustice<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The exonerated man stood at the front of the auditorium and addressed his eclectic audience, punctuating many of his words with the slap of his fist against the palm of his other hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve gotta save these kids,\u201d Ru-el Sailor urged, shifting his gaze from one side of the room, toward the dozen or so Cleveland Browns football players, to the other, where roughly another dozen guests \u2013 lawmakers, law enforcement members, community activists and Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown \u2013 sat. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stood along the wall, listening intently.<\/span><\/p>\n

Usually this room at the Browns headquarters holds team meetings. But instead of game footage, the two giant projector screens showed the map of Cuyahoga County, with high-crime areas marked in red.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Browns players are just more than a week into their offseason conditioning program. On Thursday night, Cleveland \u2014 owner of the first pick in the NFL draft \u2014 will select a new franchise cornerstone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nBut on this afternoon, a bigger issue consumed members of the organization as the Browns hosted \u201cImpacting The Land,\u201d their first annual social justice summit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Various guests had addressed the players on how they could use their platforms to help affect change. But the message from Sailor, the Cleveland man freed just 30 days ago after being imprisoned 15 years for a killing he didn\u2019t commit, carried the greatest impact.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wearing a Browns-issued hoodie, Sailor said, \u201cIt has to start with our youth. Then, the guys in prison need your help. They don\u2019t feel like anyone cares. But the kids. We\u2019ve got to save them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Browns players took notes as Sailor, who now works in his community to reach at-risk youth, listed ways they could help.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCommunication,\u201d he said. \u201cTalk to them. Give them your number. Don\u2019t slide into their (social media direct messages). Call them. Talk to them about their grades. Buy them some football equipment. Take the positive influence to them. They see it on social media, but it\u2019s so far away from them. They see guys running around with guns. They need to see the positive examples that you players can give them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The message hit its mark.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt inspired me a lot, man,\u201d linebacker Christian Kirksey told USA TODAY Sports after the summit. \u201cIf someone can sit 15 years in prison, he could have anger built up toward others, but he\u2019s like, ‘I\u2019m going to use my experience and knowledge to help somebody else,’ and it makes me think, \u2018You know what … I\u2019m on such a high platform and have a lot of people\u2019s attention, so why not do it for right?’ \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dating back to last preseason, when several Browns player staged one of the first group protests during the national anthem against police brutality, the organization has paid special attention to the fight against social injustice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kirksey and teammates have gone beyond protesting, and Haslam took note, understanding the group wants more than a green light to demonstrate. He has offered time and resources in support. Haslam also now sits on the committee that advises the Players Coalition.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, when Cleveland Browns director of player engagement Ron Brewer presented Haslam with the idea of the social justice summit, the owner heartily agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow did we get here? Let\u2019s be honest,\u201d Haslam said at the start of Wednesday\u2019s gathering. \u201cIt\u2019s the elephant in the room: anthem protests. We wouldn\u2019t be here if it wasn\u2019t for controversy. \u2026 Now, it\u2019s about a series of conversations, and our goal is to have a good discussion today, and quickly after, find one or two concrete things that we can do in our community that are measurable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe elephant in the room,\u201d was exactly how Patriots owner Robert Kraft described \u201cthe kneeling\u201d during a meeting among NFL officials, owners and players last fall as they tried to figure out how to handle several off-field issues, including President Trump\u2019s criticisms of NFL players who chose to protest during the anthem. According to a report by The New York Times, Kraft also said, \u201cThe problem we have is, we have a president who will use that as fodder to do his mission that I don\u2019t feel is in the best interests of America. It\u2019s divisive and it\u2019s horrible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the same meeting, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie cautioned those in attendance against being \u201cbaited by Trump or whomever else. We have to find a way to not be divided and not get baited.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

By the end of the meeting, the owners, players and league issued a joint statement expressing their goal of remaining united and working together to make a positive impact in the area of social justice.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the Browns, Wednesday\u2019s summit represented a continuation of the pact Haslam and his fellow owners made with players at that meeting. In recent months, Haslam has worked with Cleveland lawmakers on bills concerning criminal justice reform.<\/span><\/p>\n

And as Wednesday\u2019s summit concluded, Haslam asked Kirksey to gather his teammates to identify which specific causes they would like him to support in the coming year.<\/span><\/p>\n

His response represents a stark contrast to counterparts like Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, who has spoken disparagingly about players who choose to use their platforms to take political stands. And through their efforts, the Browns players \u2013 like many of their NFL brethren on other teams \u2013 are proving that the protests were much more than an attention-seeking fad.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that last year was definitely just an eye-opener and something to get people\u2019s attention, \u2018Hey, the Cleveland Browns are not just a football team,\u201d Kirksey said. \u201cWe\u2019re an organization that our owners are out there trying to improve the community and get that message across and get our message across. \u2026 I\u2019ve never been a part of a meeting like this where everybody is trying to affect change in the community \u2013 the police, legislators, athletes all just trying to have one goal \u2013 and you can just tell this is a major jump from last year, and I\u2019m excited to see where it\u2019s going to go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps no one on hand Wednesday was prouder of the latest efforts than Jim Brown, who made social activism one of his passions during his playing career in the 1960s and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was always a great reception of scoring TDs, but you have social issues that are killing our people, and when we have the power of our resources and influence and don\u2019t use it, it\u2019s a crime,\u201d Brown told USA TODAY Sports when asked about his decision to fight for justice, and the continuation he sees today. \u201cWe were able to get ahead of the game and make some major changes. Today, it\u2019s great to see these young people stepping up, and just from the cross-section of the people here today, you can see the power and the impact that it can have in our community and I\u2019m just so happy that I was here today to be a part of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/nfl\/browns\/2018\/04\/25\/cleveland-browns-jimmy-haslam-protests-national-anthem\/552303002\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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