Dallas Stars president says team lost season ticket holders over Black Lives Matter support
Dallas Stars president Brad Alberts said the team has lost season-ticket customers over its support of Black Lives Matter and protests against systemic inequalities.
“But we/I stand by our organization’s commitment and support our players 100% to express their views,” Alberts told The Dallas Morning News.
Alberts added that it was was a mix of individual and company accounts, though he did not offer specifics on the corporate accounts. Alberts also said the team has not lost any of its advertising partners.
The Stars had Game 4 of their playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche, which had been scheduled for Friday, postponed. On Thursday, the NHL – at the request of its players – suspended play on Thursday and Friday as professional athletes continue to protest racial injustice after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences," the league said in a statement. "The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion and social justice."
Stars forwards Jason Dickinson and Tyler Seguin kneeled for the national anthem Aug. 3 in support of Black Lives Matter alongside Golden Knights players Ryan Reaves and Robin Lehner. Dickinson spoke at a news conference Thursday with other players after the league suspended play; it included more than 20 Stars who stood behind him, according to The Dallas Morning News.
The Stars had played Colorado on Wednesday night, the same day that the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their game in the first round of their playoff series against the Orlando Magic. That decision led to a domino effect that saw all of the NBA's games postponed, as well as some in MLB, WNBA and MLS.
The Stars won Game 4 of the series against the Avalanche, which was rescheduled for Sunday, but lost Game 5 on Monday night. Dallas leads the series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Wednesday night.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stars president says team lost customers over Black Lives Matter
