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New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) recently released a campaign and advertising spot unifying major North American sports leagues to take a #TimeoutAgainstHate. The campaign features sports icons, rising stars and coaches alongside the MLB, MLS, NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, NWSL and NASCAR and their commissioners in a national call for fans to take action against hate.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, law enforcement agencies across the country reported 11,862 hate crime incidents involving 13,829 offenses in 2023. And data from the FBI’s annual crime report also shows a stark increase in U.S. hate crimes. In 2023, the top bias motivations for hate crimes included race/ethnicity (53.5%), religion (22.5%), sexual orientation (18.4%), gender identity (4.1%), disability (1.6%) and gender (0.9%).
#TimeoutAgainstHate spotlights a wide range of sport personalities and teams calling a “timeout,” turning the common sports gesture into an advocacy initiative. effort. The campaign is reportedly the first of its kind to bring together major sports leagues, commissioners and star athletes to champion the fight against hate. The ad premiered during last week Thursday’s San Francisco 49ers vs the Seattle Seahawks NFL game, and features the likes of Doc Rivers, Billie Jean King, Zach Hyman and Tierna Davidson. In addition, #TimeoutAgainstHate is reaching Americans across the country through social media and billboards, encouraging the public to join the social media campaign.
“In sports, we call a ‘timeout’ when things are heading in the wrong direction and right now, in our country, hate is winning and we need to change the momentum,” said FCAS Founder, Kraft. “By uniting under a common cause, we amplify our message and demonstrate that the power of sports extends beyond stadiums, arenas and fields and into our communities. This initiative is a call to action for everyone to join us in creating a world where hate is met with a unified stand for empathy, understanding and respect.”
Earlier this year, Kraft organized a meeting of sports commissioners to discuss the rise in antisemitism and hate across the country, and how sports could be used to combat it. This inspired the campaign and expanded its focus. “We wanted to make sure it included anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ, anti-Muslim,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Because hate is corrosive to our society and the underpinning of our democracy.”
The league commissioners are committing $50 million to spread the message.
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