TAMPA, Fla. — Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski believe that not only is it time to advance the conversation about social injustice in America — it’s time to come together and heal.
Like so many who have been affected by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and the protests that followed, they wrestled with, “What do we do next? What can we do to help?”
So O’Neal and Gronkowski have turned what they hoped would have been a real-life party into a three-hour virtual fundraiser, with all proceeds going to NAACP Empowerment Programs and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The event, Shaq’s Fun House vs. Gronk Beach virtual party — which pays homage to their annual Super Bowl parties — will take place June 27 at 8 p.m. ET. It will include musical performances from Snoop Dogg, DaBaby, Steve Aoki, Diplo and Carnage. O’Neal will also make an appearance as DJ Diesel. It will be livestreamed free on ShaqvsGronk.com and simulcast across more than 20 other platforms, including LiveXLive, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube and Twitter.
“We want to be sensitive to people. That’s why we wanted [it] to be labeled as ‘Party with a Purpose,'” said O’Neal, a four-time NBA champion and 15-time All-Star. “We just want to bring a little joy. There’s a lot of stuff going on, and we are aware of that, and we hope to do our part. We’re gonna continue to do our part.”
UEFA is loosening Financial Fair Play regulations and giving clubs a break because of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the original rules, teams participating in European competition were forbidden from posting losses of more than €30 million over a three-year period. But UEFA decided Thursday to give clubs an extra year to show they’re within the guidelines.
In a statement, the governing body said the “assessment of financial year 2020 is postponed for one season and will be assessed together with the financial year 2021.”
Revenue is expected to take a big hit over the next few months. Matchday revenue has already fallen dramatically, with games being postponed and eventually played behind closed doors. Players across the European leagues agreed to slash their salaries as a result of the recent work stoppage.
However, the new measures don’t preclude clubs already charged by UEFA from punishment. Marseille are still at risk of a ban from European competition for breaking an agreement to balance their books. Manchester City, meanwhile, have been kicked out of the Champions League for two seasons, pending an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.