Rangers, Knicks refuse to make statement on George Floyd killing

New York Rangers and New York Knicks owner Jim Dolan has received a lot of criticism recently, along with both organizations, about their lack of a response or statement following George Floyd killing. Fans are wondering where the statement is, and players are starting to get uneasy.

Per Pablo Torre, Dolan has stated internally that neither club will release a statement. Above is an internal email that came from Dolan to MSG employees, which obviously was going to make the rounds once it was sent.

There is no “where you stand” on this one. There is no place for racism in this country. This is not politics. This is straight up human rights and human decency. Dolan has never been a favorite among fans, and this is likely another incident that furthers the divide. For every moment where he pays his employees through a pandemic, there’s multiple non-statements like this.

Sports are the definition of a social matter. We socialize at the games. Some aim to socialize with the players. We come together in support of our teams. It should be a place for all to feel safe, yet incidents like this show us that it is not.

For the Rangers, this is an incredibly poor decision given what happened to K’Andre Miller less than two months ago. The country is on fire, and releasing a statement condemning racism shouldn’t be something to think about. It’s the right thing to do.

Hockey is supposed to be for everyone. The lack of a statement for the Rangers show they are simply going through the motions. It is time for Dolan to start putting his money where his mouth is.