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sports Diaranson 31 Maart 2021

Omar Payne joins growing list of players to leave Florida

(AP) — Florida’s rebuild- the court during a game in
ing project continues December. The cause of his
to grow. Forward Omar collapse and his current con-
Payne entered the trans- dition have not been released
fer portal Tuesday and publicly.
became the fifth player to The Gators will be active in
leave coach Mike White’s the burgeoning transfer por-
program since the end of tal to rebuild their roster, es-
the season. pecially since White signed
just one prospect in the 2021
The 6-foot-10 Payne joined class: guard Kowacie Reeves.
shooting guard Noah Locke, Still, it’s a troubling trend for
backup point guard Ques White, who has yet to gradu-
Glover and reserve forward ate a single player he signed
Osayi Osifo in looking to since replacing NBA-bound
play elsewhere next season. Billy Donovan in 2015.
Star point guard and leading His entire 2016 (Eric Hester,
scorer Tre Mann entered the Dontay Bassett and Gorjok
NBA draft with plans of hir- Gak) and 2017 (Deaundrae
ing an agent, meaning he has Ballard, Mike Okauru, Chase
no intention of returning to Johnson and Isaiah Stokes)
school for his junior season. classes have transferred. Only
Payne, a sophomore from Keyontae Johnson remains
Kissimmee, averaged 3.8 from Florida’s 2018 class,
points and 3.2 rebounds which lost talented point
while playing close to 16 Tournament. But there’s no indication Anthony Duruji and center guard Andrew Nembhard to
minutes a game this sea- The Gators shouldn’t have Florida is done dealing with Jason Jitoboh, meanwhile, Gonzaga last year and now is
son. He was suspended for much trouble replacing any departures. Guards Scottie told White during end-of- without Locke.
Florida’s opening-round win of the four transfers. Locke Lewis and Niels Lane along season exit interviews that Payne is the 12th of 18 sign-
against Virginia Tech in the was a slow-footed, one-di- with forward Samson Ru- they intend to return. ees during White’s last five
NCAA Tournament after mensional shooter. Payne, zhentsev are still weighing It’s unclear what the future years to transfer, leaving the
getting ejected for elbow- Glover and Osifo were back- their options, according to holds for talented swingman Gators with little continuity
ing Tennessee’s John Fulk- ups who rarely made the Ga- the team’s official website. Keyontae Johnson, who has and in a constant state of re-
erson in the quarterfinals of tors better when they were Forward Colin Castleton, not been cleared to practice building.
the Southeastern Conference on the floor. guard Tyree Appleby, forward or play since collapsing on

Raised fists, kneeling during anthem OK at US Olympic trials

(AP) - The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic down in the middle of the track.
Committee will not sanction athletes for The document takes pains to define as much as it
raising their fists or kneeling during the na- can, including making clear that acceptable dem-
tional anthem at Olympic trials, previewing onstrations should involve “advancing racial and
a contentious policy it expects to stick to social justice; or promoting the human dignity of
when many of those same athletes head to individuals or groups that have historically been
Tokyo this summer. underrepresented, minoritized, or marginalized
in their respective societal context.”
The USOPC released a nine-page document It sets out a process by which cases that step out-
Tuesday to offer guidance about the sort of “racial side the rules can be decided. It also makes clear
and social demonstrations” that will and won’t that while the USOPC will not sanction athletes
be allowed by the hundreds who will compete in for many actions, it cannot “prevent ... third par-
coming months for spots on the U.S. team. The ties from making statements or taking actions of
document comes three months after the federa- their own, and that each Participant must make
tion, heeding calls from its athletes, determined it their own personal decision about the risks and
would not enforce longstanding rules that ban benefits that may be involved.”
protests at the Olympics. Those third parties could include the IOC itself.
The International Olympic Committee’s Rule The body that runs the Olympics is in the pro-
50 is an ongoing source of friction across the cess of its own review, led by an athletes’ commis-
globe. Many U.S. athletes have spearheaded the sion, that could lead to tweaks in Rule 50. It is not
call for more freedom in using their platform at expected to go as far as what the USOPC is do-
the Olympics to advance social justice causes. ing. That review is expected to be complete next
But others, both in and outside the U.S., balk at month, and the USOPC could adjust its guidance
widespread rule changes that they fear could lead if needed.
to demonstrations that sully their own Olympic But the USOPC’s original decision — announced
experiences. in December — that it would not punish athletes
The wide-ranging debate traces its most-visible who run afoul of Rule 50 in Tokyo drew a line in
roots to the ouster of U.S. sprinters Tommie the sand that sets the stage for possible conflict.
Smith and John Carlos from the 1968 Games. Under many circumstances in the past, a nation’s
Their raised fists on the medals stand in Mexico Olympic committee has been expected to deliver
City led to the seminal snapshot of social protest sanctions to athletes on its team that run afoul of
in sports history. rules at the Olympics. The USOPC has made
With guidance from its recently formed Council clear it won’t do this in many cases that fall under
on Racial and Social Justice, the USOPC released such as “Black Lives Matter” or words such as Rule 50.
a list of do’s and don’ts as part of its document. “equality” or “justice.” “I have confidence you’ll make the best decision
The list of allowable forms of demonstration in- Not allowed are hate symbols, as defined by the for you, your sport and your fellow competitors,”
cluded holding up a fist, kneeling during the an- Anti-Defamation League, and actions that would Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the USOPC, wrote
them and wearing hats or face masks with phrases impede others from competing, such as laying in a letter to athletes to address the new guidance.