Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: NBA players to wear social justice jerseys; Harden and Westbrook strong tandum for Houston; plus more

Lonzo Ball of the New Orleans Pelicans plans to wear “Equality” or “Black Lives Matter” on his jersey for social justice message when NBA players return for practices and games (sports.yahoo.com file photo)

On Headline Sports with Jessica Kwong:

#1 NBA players will be wearing bubble jerseys with their selected social justice message on it which includes the Utah Jazz’ Rudy Gobert and the Portland Trailblazers CJ McCollum and seven more players.

#2 The messages are expected to replace the last names of the jersey in a movement that has grown stronger each day since the murder of George Floyd that sparked the social justice movement.

#3 James Harden of the Houston Rockets had to be happy when the Rockets acquired Russell Westbrook that helped compliment the team and Harden and Westbrook could launch the team once the playoffs start.

#4 The Brooklyn Nets have two players who have tested positive for Coronvirus Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie. The Nets have four open roster spots as they head to Orlando for the bubble.

#5 The New York Knicks have expressed interest in the Phoenix Suns Devin Booker. The hang up is Booker’s long contract agreement with the Suns at $158 million dollars and four years left thats a long time left on his contract and the Knicks may not want to be on the hook for that amount. They do like Booker’s stats at 22.3 points career and 20 points game average in his second year in the NBA.

Join Jessica every other Thursday for Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Redskins won’t change racist name but will remove founding owner’s racist memory

Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder won’t change the racist name of his team but has removed all memory of former founding owner George Marshall because he didn’t integrate until 1962 (file photo: fanedge.com/Washington_Redskins)

On Headlines podcast with Jessica:

#1 The Washington Redskins won’t change their racist team name but they did remove the name of one their former racist owners George Preston Marshall who was the founding owner of Washington. Marshall didn’t allow a black player on the team until 1962 he was the last owner to integrate in the NFL.

#2 Washington removed Marshall’s statue from outside of RFK Stadium and removed his name out of Washington’s Ring of Fame. His name was also removed outside of Washington’s locker room called the “Redskins History Wall” at the team’s training facility.

#3 Washington said the would retire their second number in team history No.49 Bobby Mitchell who was the first black player to play for Washington.

#4 While all these gestures are in line with what’s politically correct what about changing the team name from Redskins to something else?  Washington has been stalling on a name change team owner Dan Snyder says he has no intention of changing the name and said the name is out of respect and honor for Native Americans. 49% Native Americans polled beg to differ saying it’s derogatory and demand the name be changed.

#5 Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said that the city will not go forward to get behind a new stadium effort for Washington until the team changes it’s name. That said Snyder still refuses to budge as the team is currently playing outside of DC at Fed Ex Field in Landover MD.

Jessica does Headline Sports podcasts every other Thursday  at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: NHL playoff format set with four rounds of Stanley Cup action; NHL Hockey Diversity Alliance gives attention to discrimination in the game

NHL image: The NHL announces the format of the qualifiers, conference finals and the Stanley Cup Finals

On Headline Sports with Jessica:

#1 Jessica with the return of the NHL and NBA these are contacts sports, these are open pore sports how can c0ncerned should the players be in avoiding contacting Covid-19 once the games start?

#2 The NHL and the players have agreed on the format a five game qualifier, round robins, conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final. The qualifier will be a five game format, the first, second and Finals will be seven game formats

#3 The team that wins 19 games will end up being the NHL Stanley Cup Finals Champion having to go through four rounds to get the coveted Stanley Cup.

#4 Currently there are only 28 minority players in the NHL the issue of race was brought into the forefront after the George Floyd killing by Minneapolis Police. The Hockey Diversity Alliance was formed with San Jose Sharks Evander Kane and former Calgary Flames Akim Aliu will be helping developing the Alliance. The Alliance designated purpose is to shine a light on discrimination in hockey which is overwhelming white and Aliu said he had to face racial discrimination for years during his NHL career.

#5 Jessica the next question is when organizations similar to the Diversity Alliance are set up when passions cool from the George Floyd killing will people just forget and the NHL could go back to business as usual?

Jessica does Headline Sports every other Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Stanley Cup Playoffs on the NHL drawing board; Lillard won’t play last four regular games

The Portland Trailblazers Damion Lillard says he wants to sit out the last four NBA regular season games because it would be like an exhibition game since the Blazers are already in the playoffs (USA Today file photo)

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica:

#1 The NHL is back and their aiming to get the Stanley Cup Playoffs started either in June or July with 24 teams participating. There’s always nuances to every new format there will be 12 teams in the East and 12 in the West. Seven NHL teams didn’t make the cut.

#2 NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that health and safety issues is up next after getting an agreement from the players on the playoff format and how the draft will work.

#3 In principal Bettman and the players have agreed that the regular season is done and they will go for the playoffs as soon as everyone is tuned up after some practice sessions. The games will be played in front of empty arenas.

#4 Jessica, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers said that the NBA wants to play four regular season games to make up the difference before starting with the playoffs. The reasoning for that is to fulfill the NBA contract obligation to television. Lillard says he wants no part of that because what is the purpose of playing in a game that’s really an exhibition game and taking the chance of getting hurt before the playoffs.

#5 There have been some voices out there saying the NBA should just scrap the season and playoffs and start all over again in October when pre season basketball followed by the regular season gets going. The owners are anxious to get the television revenue question is will they get the kind of ratings they want with empty arenas and playing at this stage in the season?

Jessica does Headline Sports podcasts every other Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com