ATLANTA – Major League Baseball has announced that the all-star game and MLB draft is being pulled out of Atlanta.
“Over the past week, we’ve been engaging in thoughtful conversations with clubs, former and current players, players’ associations and other players to hear their views. I have decided that the best way to showcase our values in the form of a game is to replace this year’s Star L-Star Game and MLB draft, “said MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. said in a statement.
The All-Star game was to be played at Truist Park in April, but now the MLB commissioner said they would choose another venue.
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The move comes a week after the government’s Brian Kempe signed into law a new election bill that makes ballot drop BX the official part of the Georgia election and replaces absent ballot signing matches with voter IDs.
Critics, however, claim that the new law is more about voter repression than election integrity, especially since the law prevents people from voting, providing as much as 150 feet of voting food and water.
[READ: President Biden ‘strongly supports’ moving MLB All-Star game out of Atlanta]
“Major League Baseball supports fundamental voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions on ballot boxes. In 2020, the MLB became the first professional sports league to join a non-partisan civic alliance to help shape the future, with each participating in the shape of the United States. We have proudly used our platform to encourage Bezab fans and communities across the country to fulfill their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. The statement further states that our game is the undisputed basis for true access to voting.
“The Atlanta Braves are deeply disappointed with Major League Baseball’s decision to move to the 2021 All-Star Game,” the Braves said in a statement on Friday. “This was not our decision, nor was it our recommendation. The brave organization will continue to emphasize the importance of equal voting opportunities and we hope that our city can use this event as a platform to enhance the debate. Our city has always been known as a unit in divided times and we are important to our community. We will miss the opportunity to consider such issues.
“Unfortunately, businesses, employees and fans in Georgia are the victims of this decision. We will continue to support community heritage projects that have been planned and are in process. “
[READ: EXPLAINER: What does Georgia’s new GOP election law do?]
The MLB Players Alliance said in a statement in support of the decision:
“We want to hear our voice out loud and clearly against the recent Georgia law, which not only disproportionately dispels the black community, but also paves the way for other states to pass similarly harmful laws based on widespread lies and dissent.
“While we will support those in need throughout the city by relocating them to this city, we will also support our commitment to the Georgians we have already planned to serve. We will now use our voices, our platforms and our partnerships to bring about real, tangible change for the black community to stand up for the right to vote for every American.
“We will not be silenced. We will not back down in the fight for ethnic equity. We will never stop breaking the barriers of the ballot box. ”
Governance. From the moment Brian Kempe signed SB 202, he and the new law have been bandaged.
In an exclusive interview with Channel 2’s Jovita Moore On Friday night, Kempe said the MLB was “inclined to a culture of cancellation and a bunch of liberal lies.”
“I believe that for the spectators at your home, you too can be prepared because now they are coming for your baseball game, they will come after your business, they will come after your way of life. But I’ll tell you, I’m not backing down, “Kempe said.
The governor said the new law really expands the options for state elections.
“If this bill had not been passed, you would not have had a drop box right now. They had never been in law before. It was only done because of the state of emergency in the state of public health due to the emergency power of the State Election Board. So if this bill hadn’t passed, we wouldn’t even be able to … drop bye. We’ve addressed it safely and by adding the counties they had during 2020, ”Kempe said. “In this bill, we have decided by mandating more equipment in the allotted space. And if people have to wait an hour, it forces the county election office to do something about this for the next election so that people need to do it until they get out there enough. I mean it’s ridiculous for people to be in line for six hours. “
Cobb County Commission Chair Lisa Kamide said the decision is a hard hit on many levels.
[READ: Tyler Perry urges DOJ to look into Georgia’s new election law]
“I can say that it was fruitful where we discussed the decision that would be made. Definitely, I have appealed to them to stay here in Cobb County, ”Kamid said.
The decision is also a big blow to the economy, especially for rest restaurants rent and hotels already by the epidemic. Many local business owners expected the Midsummer Classic to help build for the past 12 months.
“We have a large number of men and women working for this event to happen and we were willing to invest in it because we saw the county return. And again, these would mean that you have to spend for these processes.
“It’s so bad that the epidemic is hurting these restaurants and businesses, but now it’s the All-Star Game and last year’s Final Four, so it’s just two big hits,” said Lana, a bizarre fan.
Earlier this week, chief executives Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola Came out against the bill. The law also criticized President Biden.
In an interview with ESPN’s Sage Steel, Byden said he would provide “strong support” to move the MLB All-Star game out of Atlanta.
“I think today’s professional athletes behave incredibly responsibly,” Biden said. “I do well to support them. People look at them. He is a leader. See also what happened with the NBA. “
Other major sporting events that have moved:
The relocation of high-profile sports venues from cities to the U.S. in response to social problems. Has a long history in
The NFL originally awarded the Super Bowl to the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona in 1993, but decided to move it to Pasadena, California in March 1991 after the state failed to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day an official holiday. Arizona became the last state to adopt MLK Holiday when voters approved it in November 1992.
The NBA first scheduled its 2017 All-Star Game at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, then moved it in July 2016 due to objections to North Carolina law, which limits anti-discrimination protection for LGBTQ people. The law was partially repealed in 2017, and the 2019 All-Star Game was held in Charlotte.
NCAA officials decided in 2001 to ban the awarding of championship sites that displayed union flags but did not change the programs whose sites were determined by seeding or ranking. It was extended last June to prevent any NCAA Championship event from being played where the flag was present. The governor of Mississippi signed the law in less than two weeks to retire the flag.
Metro legislators reacted to the MLB’s decision:
“As is the result of an election, so are the actions of the elected. Unfortunately, the removal of the @ MMBB All-Star Game from GA is likely to be the first result of many Domino’s until the unnecessary barriers to restricting the rest of the ballot box are removed. ” Atlanta Mayor Kesha Lance Bottoms Tweeted.
Sen. Raphael Warnock Presented in the statement:
“Businesses and organizations have great power in their voices and in their ability to push for change and I respect the decision of the players to speak out against this unjust law. It is not the people of Georgia or the workers of Georgia who made this law, it is the politicians who want to retain power at the expense of the voice of the Georgians. And today’s decision by the MLB is the unfortunate result of the actions of these politicians.
“I hope that businesses, athletes and entertainers can oppose this law not by leaving Georgia but by coming here and fighting the oppression of the electorate, and by joining hands with the community.” In addition, the urgency to pass federal voter protection laws is growing every day, and I will be at the forefront of that fight. ”
San John Osof A statement said:
“Georgia’s Republican Party leadership is out of control and Georgia is hemorrhaging businesses and jobs because of their disastrous new Jim Crow voting law. The governor and the legislature deliberately make it difficult for black voters to vote. They know it. Everyone knows it and this disrespectful and unethical attack on the right to vote has also put our state’s economy in grave danger. “
“Stacey Abrams’ left-leaning has stolen the Georgia -L-Star game. This decision is not only economically detrimental, but it also robs Georgians of the politics of our national pastime in special celebrations. But not in Georgia. We will stand for accessible, safe elections that are free and fair. And we will continue to speak the truth despite extortion and intimidation. ” Georgia House Speaker David Ralston Said in a statement.
Stacey Abrams Released the following statement:
“The Republicans who passed and defended Senate Bill 202 did so knowing the economic risks to our state. People of color have made it difficult to vote on the economic well-being of all Georgians.
Like many Georgians, I’m disappointed that MLB is replacing the L-Star game; Still, I applaud the players, the owners and the league commissioner for speaking out. I urge others in the leadership position to do the same. As I have said, I respect the boycott, although I do not want to see Georgia families traumatized by lost events and jobs. Targeted Georgians will be harmed by voter repression when opportunities go to other states. We have G.O.P. Victims of evil and lies should not be abandoned – we should live together.
Georgia Republicans must abandon the terrible damage they have done to our voting system and the damage they have done to our economy. Our corporate community must come together as full partners in this fight, acknowledging that the provisions of SB202 do not extend voting rights. It restricts those rights, affecting employees and customers alike. And to mitigate the damage being done in Georgia and other states, leaders must publicly endorse the provisions of the Right to Vote in the Four People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
As with other events, whether construction and businesses support Georgia weighs in, I urge people who can come and speak, and I urge those who live here to live and fight, live and vote. We need you. Please go to Stopjimcro2.com To find out how you can join the fight for voting rights in Georgia and across the country.”
Rep. Buddy Carter M.L.B.
“MLB is absolutely pathetic. The organization is completely sticking to the lies of the left and America’s humor has now become a political tool for the liberal mob. Let’s be clear – Georgia will potentially lose millions of dollars as Democrats, including the President of the United States, are spreading lies about Georgia’s Electoral Integrity Act. Georgians have a deep love for the game, but the MLB’s move is an attack on both our state and free and fair elections. Just as the Region people can fight again with the Pocketbook I will fight again in Congress. ”
“We all have a responsibility to live up to our values. This is our civil rights moment, and there are no two sides to this issue. Everyone is entitled to free and fair access to the ballot box. I am proud that their voices were heard in support of the right to vote by the Major League Baseball Players’ Union. ” No. Nikema Williams Said.
“The @MLB We need to stop listening to their corporate communist sponsors and remember the little men who bought their tickets. The same people who now say they have been with professional sports. Keep politics off the field and stop wasting everything! ” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green Said in a tweet.
The Associated Press contributes to this article.
