(KMOX) - The Missouri State football team took a stand, following the lead of many professional sports teams around the country working to call attention to recent racial injustices involving police officers shooting or killing Black men. The Bears did not take the field for practice on Thursday, in a decision made by the players.
Head coach Bobby Petrino tweeted last night, "I respect my players' decision to not practice today. Our staff and players are united as we continue to fight for racial equality."
Petrino has been outspoken in recent months on racial injustices in America. He held a lengthy team meeting following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the ensuing protests across the country.
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The University of Missouri's football team also did not practice on Thursday, but that's because it was a scheduled off day. They're expected to return to practice on Friday.
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz did have some strong comments about recent racial injustices on Wednesday.
"We've got to keep bringing attention because there is a real problem in the United State of America," Drinkwitz says. "Abraham Lincoln said, 'We're striving to become a more perfect union.' But we're not there yet, we're not there yet. The atrocities still occur on video tape in the last three months."
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