United States Men's National Team fullback Reggie Cannon said his safety was compromised as a result of being outspoken on racial tensions in the United States.

Cannon, speaking to The Guardian, added that his perception of the U.S. has changed since joining Portuguese side Boavista in September 2020.

Cannon left FC Dallas on a reported €3 million transfer to Boavista in September. Since then the U.S. has endured a turbulent election campaign, followed by an insurrection at the Capitol and the second impeachment trial of a U.S. President in Donald Trump.

He said the abuse included: "Threatening to kill your family, threatening to show up at your house, threatening to do vulgar things to you, that I can't say. It is, unfortunately, part of the society that America is today, especially when Trump was in charge. Now we have moved past that.

Cannon is hopeful that policy in the U.S. will soon shift. "I don't think one man can fix the damage done," he said of President Joe Biden, who has been in office since Jan. 20. "I am talking about racial tension in this country (USA), which is a huge issue which people refuse to admit.

He said his views of America since arriving in Europe have changed "one hundred million percent.

"Looking at the insurrection, Texas freezing over right now... explaining to my teammates what is going on in the country is baffling to me. Explaining the America I have lived in to those who don't live in America, it feels like I am describing medieval times," Cannon said.

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Cannon was frustrated by the reaction of Dallas FC fans to the events following the death of George Floyd in May, and subsequent series of nationwide protests. Fans booed as players took a knee during the national anthem before games.

Dallas FC then asked Cannon to apologise. "It's such a polarizing issue when you get down to it, but we knew we had to do something that would spark conversation and that was the perfect opportunity to do so," the 22-year-old said. "People were against violent protest, they were against peaceful protest, but they weren't against any of that, they were against us speaking, us talking to point out the injustices that my people are facing and have been facing for the longest time."

Cannon said he felt the situation with Dallas was handled terribly and that there were repercussions. "But my career wasn't affected by that and I am able to get to the next level in good time," he added.

Texas, where Cannon spent four years while in the books of FC Dallas, last month endured a brutal winter storm in February that caused more than 70 deaths and left people without power, heat and water amid a pandemic.

Cannon's grandfather, Warren M. Washington, is a renowned scientist specialising in climate change and was awarded the National Medal of Science by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

"Even now, where people still reject climate change in America, I look at the work my grandfather has done to scientifically prove a lot of that exists and it's a threat that is coming -- it's really incredible to see the groundbreaking work he has done, especially as an African American in his time," he said.

"He has broken a lot of boundaries and he has given a lot of motivation to my career, and that's why people can't push me down, because he had to go through it all to get to the level he is; to shake Obama's hand; to win that medal; to prove scientists wrong that an African American can do that."

The drama at Barcelona continued on Monday with the arrest of the club's former president, Josep Maria Bartomeu. Following police raids at five locations across the city to seize evidence and documentation, including at Camp Nou, Bartomeu was one of four men detained, facing allegations of misuse of funds and corruption. Bartomeu's adviser, Jaume Masferrer, Barca CEO Oscar Grau and the club's head of legal services, Roman Gomez Ponti, were also arrested as part of an investigation that was opened last year into the "Barcagate" social media scandal.

It's the latest twist in a saga that began in early 2020 when it was revealed Barca had paid a company, I3 Ventures, to smear current and former players, including Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi, as well as club presidential candidates such as Joan Laporta and Victor Font. However, it's the murky financial details -- which are not yet completely clear -- involving the payments to I3 Ventures, rather than the negative propaganda, that led to the raids across the Catalan city this week.

With a Copa del Rey semifinal second leg to come against Sevilla on Wednesday and a new president set to be elected on Sunday, Barca will hope the arrests prove the closing chapter to what has been a truly chaotic 14 months both on and off the pitch.

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During that time, Barcelona have been through three managers, gone trophy-less for the first time since 2007-08, been humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, battled with Messi over his future and forced striker Luis Suarez out of the club through the back door. (He's now thriving as the top scorer for Atletico Madrid, who are leading La Liga.)

The prospect of a second trophy-less season in a row is on the cards, too, if they can't overturn a 2-0 deficit against Sevilla in the cup at Camp Nou this week. In La Liga, they're five points behind leaders Atletico and have played a game more. Following their worst start to a league campaign in 30 years, at their pace of 2.15 points per game they're on track for around 80 points, which would represent their lowest tally since that trophy-less campaign under Frank Rijkaard in 2007-08.

The disappointing performances on the pitch are a consequence of mismanagement off of it. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the club's financial crisis, and gross debt has risen to nearly €1.2 billion, with net debt standing at €488 million. There have been rows between the players and the board over wage reductions. The board have fought among themselves, too. Directors have quit. The president, Bartomeu, stepped down in October, although his resignation was unrelated to Barcagate. Barca, rudderless for the last four months, will finally elect his successor this weekend.

"I knew Barcagate would be the beginning of the end from the very first minute," Emili Rousaud, who resigned as vice president last April due to discrepancies with Bartomeu, said on Monday.

Monday's events were perhaps the natural culmination of what has been a tumultuous year in Barca's history. They have leaped from one self-inflicted mess to another, the pandemic exposing cracks that had been covered up for years, although they first began to appear when manager Ernesto Valverde was sacked.

Here's how the saga unfolded, culminating in the arrests and police raids this week.

January 2020

A documentary charting Barca's destruction since 2020 would be pure box office, starting with the dismissal of Valverde after the Spanish Supercopa defeat to Atletico in Saudi Arabia. Hindsight suggests Valverde, who guided Barca to back-to-back La Liga titles and left them top of the league, was perhaps the only one holding things together.

Inside story: How Barca fired Valverde, signed Setien

The scramble to replace him was played out through media leaks from the club and quickly became a shambles, as a series of candidates rejected the offer. Club legend Xavi Hernandez said "no." Ronald Koeman, who would later take the job, said "not now." Backup option Quique Setien eventually came in, but within the month Barca had lost to Valencia in the league and been knocked out of the cup by Athletic Bilbao.

February

Valverde's exit also provided the backdrop to a row between Messi and former sporting director Eric Abidal. Abidal said some of the players had not been working hard enough and were, in part, to blame for the coach being fired. Messi didn't like that and bit back at his former teammate on Instagram.

"Name names if you've got something to say and take responsibility for your own actions [sacking Valverde]," he snapped.

A week later, Spanish radio station Cadena Ser first revealed the details of the case that has become known as "Barcagate." At first, it seemed a simple case of Bartomeu and his board contracting a third-party company to smear people not aligned with him on social media.

"It's shocking that, with the club's money, the board of directors have targeted their own members, first-team players, Catalan social entities and media," Font said at the time.

Bartomeu quickly denied any involvement with the social media accounts implicated and rescinded the club's contract with I3 Ventures, the company that had the contract to monitor social networks for the club. The club also threatened to take legal action against Cadena Ser, a threat they haven't yet formally pursued.

March

After a Clasico defeat to Real Madrid, the coronavirus pandemic shut down football and the board and the players faced off over pay cuts. Once again, these wage negotiations were played out in the media, with the board leaking that the players weren't prepared to adjust their salaries. Barca's players, meanwhile, through a statement said they were "surprised some people at the club want to put us under so much pressure" when they were always happy to play a role in helping the club cut costs.

The whole first-team squad eventually agreed to a 70% wage cut while football was halted and also pledged to make an additional contribution so that none of the non-sporting staff's earnings would be reduced for as long as Spain remained in a state of emergency.

April

By this stage, the club's executive board were fighting among themselves as well as with the players. Bartomeu asked four directors to resign following disagreements over issues related to Barcagate. In the end, six resigned and one of them -- Rousaud -- alleged "someone's had their hand in the till" as it became clear for the first time the scandal could be more than just a few subtle smear campaigns.

On April 21, a group of eight club members, under the name "Dignitat Blaugrana," reported Bartomeu and his board to the police for misuse of funds and corruption as part of the Barcagate affair.

June

Football returned, providing a distraction from the club's off-pitch issues, although that respite was fleeting as Setien's team began to mirror the turmoil in the boardroom. Dropped points, division between the players and the coaching staff and Real Madrid's impeccable form saw the league title slip away. Barcelona finished second, five points behind their rivals.

August

Barcelona's nadir was the historic and humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern in the Champions League quarterfinal. The competition was reformatted to a single-game elimination in a "bubble" setting, but Barcelona couldn't keep up with the Bundesliga giants, falling behind 1-0 after 4 minutes and then 4-1 after 31 minutes.

Setien was sacked after that game -- his fate had already been sealed when Madrid won the league in July, sources told ESPN -- but even that was mishandled. He said in December that he still hasn't been paid what he's owed by the club and will take them to court.

Koeman replaced him, Barca's third coach in eight months, but his appointment was overshadowed by Messi, the club's record scorer and one of the game's all-time greats, trying to force a move out of the club after 20 years of loyal, storied service. Messi sent the club a "burofax" -- a service in Spain for sending documents where it is necessary to prove that the document was delivered and also the contents of that document -- informing them of his intention to leave for free, per a clause in his contract. Bartomeu and the club fought against the clause and Messi eventually backed down, saying he was not willing to take the "club of my life" to court.

- Messi and Barcelona: How they fell apart, and what's next
- Lowe: Messi, bad blood and a "burofax"

Messi, 34 in June, announced he would stay for the final year of his contract -- he could still leave for nothing in June, when his deal expires -- in an interview with Goal, calling Bartomeu a liar and accusing the board of "juggling and plugging gaps" for years.

September

While Barca wanted Messi to stay, they tried to force others out. Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla) and Arturo Vidal (Inter Milan) left for little return. Suarez left for a direct rival, Atletico. "You didn't deserve for them to kick you out like they did," Messi wrote on Instagram when Suarez's move was confirmed. "But the truth is that at this point, nothing surprises me."

The ECB has been accused of "failing to adopt their own policies" on inclusion and diversity after they made a high-profile coaching appointment without advertising the role.

The ECB announced on Monday that Richard Dawson, currently the head coach at Gloucestershire, would be the new Elite Performance Pathway Coach alongside three other specialist coaching positions.

But while the vacancies for a spin bowling, seam bowling and batting coach (subsequently filled by Jeetan Patel, Jon Lewis and Marcus Trescothick respectively) were all advertised, the pathway role was not.

This would appear to go against the ECB's own announcement, in July 2020, that they were "recommending the adoption of the Rooney Rule for all coaching roles across the game". Named in recognition of Dan Rooney, a former chair of the NFL's diversity committee, the Rule demands that a non-white candidate be interviewed for every senior coaching role.

It was introduced in the US to tackle the issue of exclusion and had been publically adopted by the ECB in the aftermath of the growing appreciation of the game's struggle to achieve appropriate levels of diversity across playing, coaching and administrative positions.

But with the pathway role filled without a specific interview process, there was no opportunity to interview candidates of any ethnicity before the appointment. And that, some claim, amounts to a failure by the ECB to implement their own inclusivity and diversity agenda.

"It is quite unbelievable that the ECB are failing to adopt their own policies," Ismail Dawood, the former umpire who is currently pursuing a discrimination claim against the board, told ESPNcricinfo. "Richard Dawson is an excellent coach. With his holistic approach, he has done a fantastic job in developing a successful team of cricketers and men. I'm sure he will be a great success with the Young Lions team.

"The ECB, on the other hand, seem to be a law unto themselves, implementing knee-jerk policies but not following them through eight months later. Cronyism and institutional racism, both historical and active, have been highlighted over the past 12 months, with many in the game speaking out."

While accepting that the specific role was not advertised, the ECB insist the recruitment process was thorough and fair. A spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo that the vacancy only came about after Lewis, the previous pathway coach, was given the role of elite seam bowling coach. With many other candidates having been interviewed - and around 30 percent of the candidates short-listed for interview having been non-white - the ECB felt they had explored the talent pool available to them and were well placed to make the appointment.

They also point out that the interview panels were diverse both in terms of gender and ethnicity (the process was headed by the ECB Performance Director, Mo Bobat, who is a British Asian from a state-school background), and that one of the coaches appointed was non-white.

While the ECB would not confirm that Dawson was interviewed for the spin bowling position, it seems safe to assume he was and that he made a strong impression. Having narrowly missed out to Patel for the spin job, it seems the ECB felt he was the perfect man to replace Lewis.

Criticism of the ECB on the issue is not limited to issues around diversity and inclusion. Toby Radford, batting coach of West Indies when they defeated England in 2019, also makes the point that, by not advertising the specific role, the ECB limited the field of candidates. In particular, he argues that interviewing for specialised roles and then appointing a more general coach makes little sense.

"I am disappointed that the ECB has appointed an important national coaching role without advertising or interviewing specifically for it," Radford told ESPNcricinfo.

"I am sure that many high quality international coaches with substantial experience and knowledge would have jumped at the chance to go for this job if they had known that it existed."

Other coaches with views similar to Radford or Dawood shared their views with ESPNcricinfo but were reluctant to do so on the record in case it jeopardised future employment opportunities. One of them, a former first-class player with a Level 4 coaching qualification, dismissed the ECB's statements on inclusion and diversity as "nothing but fluff and politically correct statements".

"These actions seem reminiscent of the similar systematic failings by the ECB in adopting any of the recommendations of the 1998 race review they commissioned," Dawood added, referring to a previous review into inclusion issues which he claims was not actioned.

Meanwhile the ECB have confirmed that Jonathan Trott, who has been the batting consultant with the England Test team in India during the Test series, will stay on to fill in for Trescothick who was due to join the tour ahead of the limited-overs games. Trescothick has recently suffered a family bereavement.

The Covid-19 outbreak in Karachi within the biosecure bubble during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has prompted the PCB to look at contingencies. The league management is believed to be considering the option of playing the remainder of the tournament in Karachi instead of moving for the final leg to Lahore as scheduled, from March 10. The discussions are only in very preliminary stages - "food for thought" as one official said - but the Lahore Qalandars have already objected to the idea, insisting that fans in Lahore cannot be deprived of the matches and moving from one bubble to another won't increase the risk.

The PSL was meant to be played at four venues this year but due to the ongoing pandemic, the PCB decided to hold all 34 matches in Karachi and Lahore. The first leg of 20 matches is being played at the National Stadium in Karachi until March 7 and the following 10 league games and four playoff matches are scheduled for Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. Chartered flights were meant to be used for travel between the two cities.

However, three overseas players - Fawad Ahmed, Tom Banton (who revealed his positive test publicly on Wednesday) and another Islamabad United player - and one support staff member with the Karachi Kings (Kamran Khan) testing positive for Covid-19 have led to concerns. The PCB spoke with all six franchises on Tuesday to remind them of the standard protocols required to maintain the biosecure bubbles.

As well as the positive cases, there were breaches of the bubble reported earlier that involved Peshawar Zalmi's Wahab Riaz and Daren Sammy meeting their franchise owner, who was not part of the bubble. There are believed to be other breaches as well, though the PCB insists that the "bubble isn't weak and there is no loophole".

The PCB is committed to making sure the league is completed successfully and safely with the final scheduled for March 22, but it is now mulling the best way of doing that. The board internally agreed that the schedule will not be tinkered with as long as a team has up to five affected players, since all teams have 18-member squads. But they are also working on a back-up plan ahead of the next round of PCR tests set for Thursday, which is considered the most crucial one after the recent outbreak.

All the franchise players and officials in the bubbles were initially being tested on a weekly basis but on Monday the PCB decided to carry out the PCR tests once every four days.

"It (keeping the entire event in Karachi) will give a wrong message by not continuing with the original plan," a Qalandars spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. "There was a lapse in the management either at a hotel or elsewhere but the risk involved is the same everywhere. It's about the management not about the venue so if the cases are positive in Karachi then you can't deprive the Lahore crowd of cricket they have been waiting for. It's in fact an opportunity for the PCB to show their ability to carry out their operation without panicking.

"Lahore has been a great host in the past and had successfully completed the South Africa series without any glitch. So we don't support any such plan which eventually gives out a message that we cannot control the situation. We are still going to travel through buses like every day here (in Karachi) as usual for the games and the only difference will be the one time traveling from Karachi to Lahore - that is on the chartered plane - which is fully sanitised. So it's beyond understanding how this is going to mitigate the risk and how you will be Covid-protected."

All players and officials - as well as families traveling with some of them - are part of a biosecure bubble in one hotel in Karachi. Each franchise nominated its own list of officials apart from the players to be part of the bubble, and everyone had to go through a three-day isolation period and return two negative tests before entering that bubble.

Two other franchises in the league questioned how exactly playing all the games in Karachi is going to reduce the risk as the teams are to move from one bubble to another, although one of them is open to a change of venue "if required".

The Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal supported the idea of staying back in Karachi. "I think we should keep the boys in the bubble and not make them travel. Flights, airports, new hotel, new procedures…I believe the players also don't feel comfortable leaving the bio-bubble. It is very important for Pakistan cricket and one wrong move could jeopardise the whole PSL and lead to loss of revenue. So I believe we should stay put."

Zimbabwe's captain Sean Williams hailed his side's ten-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first Test in Abu Dhabi as a coming-of-age performance from a young group of players, and particularly important for his fledgling captaincy. Three Tests into his captaincy, Williams has lost once, and averages 80.50 with two hundreds and a fifty, and is enjoying the additional responsibility.

"To win a Test match in two days with a young side is an extremely big feat for us as a team," Williams said. "And for me it's huge. As I have got older and taken on more responsibility as captain and a senior player, I started to understand more about my own game and leadership skills, and how important my performance is through tough times. As a leader, you can't show weakness, You need to be strong. That's a big thing for me. I've had it tough, I've had it rough and I've just kept on pushing. I feel like I didn't come this far, to just go this far."

Williams was handed over the captaincy early last year, and his first assignment was a home series against Sri Lanka. After Zimbabwe were beaten by ten wickets in the first Test in Harare, he scored 107 and 53* in the second fixture that helped them post 406 in the second Test and set Sri Lanka 361 to win though eventually the match was drawn. In Abu Dhabi, Williams' 105 rescued Zimbabwe from 38 for 4, helping post a match-winning 250 in their first innings on a tricky pitch.

He described it as a "carpet on one side and a dustbowl on the other", and acknowledged it was a good toss to lose because he would have batted first as well, like Asghar Afghan did. There was plenty in the surface and through the air for Zimbabwe's seamers, as Blessing Muzarabani and Victor Nyauchi made a successful new-ball pair that Williams hopes will continue to operate together in future. "When you have Blessing on one end and Victor on the other end, it's not going to be easy," he said.

He singled out Nyauchi, who had made his debut in Williams' first Test as captain after finishing second in Zimbabwe's first-class competition in two out of the last three seasons, as being particularly deserving of the opportunity for a long run at the international stage. "He is something special for us," Williams said. "He came from a difficult place in that he performed for three or four seasons without getting a look into the national side. He is a work horse. He has got good skill and his skills are developing."

Nyauchi finished the Test with six wickets - and Zimbabwe's seamers with 16 between them - justifying the team selection to go without a specialist spinner. Afghanistan went the other way, with only one frontline pace bowler and three spinners. And though turn was evident from the first day, apart from Amir Hamza, they did not have a significant enough say in the Test. Had there been more overs for each side to face and more days in the match, that might have changed. Also, Williams noted that the pitch seemed to be getting slower, especially against the older ball, which meant batting would have become more difficult.

Even in the two days that were played, patience was key to run-scoring and it was in short supply across both sides. Afghanistan's line-up played at many balls they could have left - especially in the first innings - and were loose in defence. And Williams thinks it is the mental - and not the technical - aspects of the game they need more practice in.

"It's pressure. When you've got that many debutants (Afghanistan had three while Zimbabwe one) and you lose quick wickets, it's pressure," Williams said. "Afghanistan are a very strong white-ball team, and we saw a lot of nick offs (nine out of 20). There are certain disciplines in Test cricket that you can get away with not having in ODI cricket because the slip cordon is not there. So It's a mental battle. It's almost like a war going in your mind when you're out there. Once you can learn to go and control that, you will be ready for Test cricket."

Zimbabwe's only newcomer, Wesley Madhevere, had a maiden Test to forget and was dismissed for a first-ball duck. But Williams heaped praise on him as well as Tarisai Musakanda, who was returning to the side for the first time since 2017, for their efforts in the field and behind the scenes. Musakanda took a good catch at gully to dismiss Ibrahim Zadran in the first innings and Madhevere took a diving grab at deep square leg to get rid of Hasmatullah Shahidi.

"They bring a lot to this team," Williams said. "Tari has got speed, talent and he is an excellent fielder. So is Wesley. The catch he took set the tone for the rest of the innings. They are young. They are full of beans in the change room. They bring support, energy and enjoyment. They bring a lot."

Crucially, they also point to depth in the Zimbabwean set-up, which is much needed in the absence of several senior players like Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine and Kyle Jarvis who are sitting out of the tour with illness, and Tendai Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha and PJ Moor, who are absent through injury, thus forcing Zimbabwe to find new heroes. Williams hopes that process is now well underway.

"For the future this win is huge," he said, while also cautioning his men not to get too carried with what is just a single win. "It's important that we stay humble. There is still another Test to go."

The PCB has offered doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to all participants of PSL 2021. The decision comes as a boost after the recent cases in the PSL which saw three overseas players and a support staff member test positive, which has even made the PCB think about hosting the entire tournament in Karachi. Originally, Karachi and Lahore were scheduled to host this season of the PSL. The decision to offer the vaccine was made in line with the PCB's duty of care policy and to "ensure all participants of the league remain safe and healthy during the event."

The PCB is the first cricket board to offer vaccine to its players.

"The vaccine doses will be administered on Thursday and will be offered to all those inside the bio-secure bubble," a PCB release said. "However, it will solely be the players and officials' decision if they want to get the vaccine shots."

The release further said the PCB has been in discussions with the federal and provincial government officials, "highlighting the national cricket teams' international engagements and commitments as well as the significance, reputation, integrity and credibility" of the PSL.

"The PCB takes health, safety and well-being of its players and officials very seriously," board chief executive Wasim Khan said. "In line with our duty of care policy, we have acquired a small allocation of SARS-Coronavirus Vaccine, which will be offered to all those inside the bio-secure environment created for the HBL Pakistan Super League 6.

"The players and officials will be under no obligation to have the vaccine. The vaccinations will be administered on Thursday morning by qualified health workers, strictly in line with government protocols.

"While we live in these challenging times, the vaccine has been sourced to provide an added level of protection and comfort for players and all personnel inside the bubble. We will continue to operate responsibly in our duty to those involved in the tournament."

Legspinner Fawad Ahmed was the first player to test positive for Covid-19 in the ongoing PSL, followed by Tom Banton and another Islamabad United player, and a support staff member of the Karachi Kings, Kamran Khan. This has forced the PCB to look at back-up plans if more positive cases come up, as the board has decided to carry out PCR tests once in four days instead of the original plan of weekly tests. The next round of tests is set for Thursday, which is considered the most crucial one after the recent outbreak.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

United States Men's National Team fullback Reggie Cannon said his safety was compromised as a result of being outspoken on racial tensions in the United States.

Cannon, speaking to The Guardian, added that his perception of the U.S. has changed since joining Portuguese side Boavista in September 2020.

Cannon left FC Dallas on a reported €3 million transfer to Boavista in September. Since then the U.S. has endured a turbulent election campaign, followed by an insurrection at the Capitol and the second impeachment trial of a U.S. President in Donald Trump.

He said the abuse included: "Threatening to kill your family, threatening to show up at your house, threatening to do vulgar things to you, that I can't say. It is, unfortunately, part of the society that America is today, especially when Trump was in charge. Now we have moved past that.

Cannon is hopeful that policy in the U.S. will soon shift. "I don't think one man can fix the damage done," he said of President Joe Biden, who has been in office since Jan. 20. "I am talking about racial tension in this country (USA), which is a huge issue which people refuse to admit.

He said his views of America since arriving in Europe have changed "one hundred million percent.

"Looking at the insurrection, Texas freezing over right now... explaining to my teammates what is going on in the country is baffling to me. Explaining the America I have lived in to those who don't live in America, it feels like I am describing medieval times," Cannon said.

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Cannon was frustrated by the reaction of Dallas FC fans to the events following the death of George Floyd in May, and subsequent series of nationwide protests. Fans booed as players took a knee during the national anthem before games.

Dallas FC then asked Cannon to apologise. "It's such a polarizing issue when you get down to it, but we knew we had to do something that would spark conversation and that was the perfect opportunity to do so," the 22-year-old said. "People were against violent protest, they were against peaceful protest, but they weren't against any of that, they were against us speaking, us talking to point out the injustices that my people are facing and have been facing for the longest time."

Cannon said he felt the situation with Dallas was handled terribly and that there were repercussions. "But my career wasn't affected by that and I am able to get to the next level in good time," he added.

Texas, where Cannon spent four years while in the books of FC Dallas, last month endured a brutal winter storm in February that caused more than 70 deaths and left people without power, heat and water amid a pandemic.

Cannon's grandfather, Warren M. Washington, is a renowned scientist specialising in climate change and was awarded the National Medal of Science by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

"Even now, where people still reject climate change in America, I look at the work my grandfather has done to scientifically prove a lot of that exists and it's a threat that is coming -- it's really incredible to see the groundbreaking work he has done, especially as an African American in his time," he said.

"He has broken a lot of boundaries and he has given a lot of motivation to my career, and that's why people can't push me down, because he had to go through it all to get to the level he is; to shake Obama's hand; to win that medal; to prove scientists wrong that an African American can do that."

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Football Team has discontinued its cheerleader program after more than 50 years, replacing it with a coed dance squad as part of its rebranding effort.

The team had announced last month that the cheerleader program was paused while it decided what direction the rebranding would take. Petra Pope, hired by the team as a senior adviser focused on creating game-day entertainment, said the goal is to create a "more modern franchise."

"With that comes inclusivity, diversity and in my mind, as an entertainer, athleticism," Pope told ESPN by phone. "My desire is to create a team that is all of that -- inclusive, diverse, coed, athletic -- to set the gold standard in the NFL. We're looking for that super athlete that can dance, perform tricks and stunts and manipulate whatever props that will create a really great show."

The former cheerleaders are eligible to try out for the dance squad. Pope said they'll likely hire 36 dancers or more.

"Change can be extremely difficult," Pope said. "I appreciate the passion that the ladies have and can relate to that passion because I've been a mentor for thousands of dancers over my career. As we progress to a reimagined era, the choreography will be much more athletic. We welcome the dancers of the past to audition, and if they have that skill set, they're welcome to join us."

In a statement, team president Jason Wright said the team wanted to create halftime programs similar to those in the NBA. Pope spent 33 years in the NBA, starting with the Los Angeles Lakers as the manager of the Laker Girls. She also started the Knicks City Dancers. She has also worked for the New Jersey Nets and has served as a consultant since 2016.

"As we set out to modernize the Washington Football gameday, it's important that we develop a top-notch entertainment program that keeps our fanbase excited and connected to the game and the team," Wright said.

Washington started using cheerleaders in 1962 and they eventually became known as the First Ladies of Football. They represented the franchise at events locally and around the world, especially military bases. Pope said she's not yet sure whether the dance squad would travel.

With the team going through the process of changing its name -- it will be known as the Washington Football Team through the 2021 season -- it paused the program, as well as the marching band. The band had been around since the organization moved to Washington in 1937.

But the program also was embroiled in controversy. The Washington Post detailed allegations involving two swimsuit calendar photo shoots, in 2008 and '10. There were two videos made from outtakes during those years in which some body parts were exposed. Certain props were used to shield those body parts, but at times those props were insufficient.

Pope said there are no plans for the dance team to do any calendars.

The team reached a settlement with their former cheerleaders sometime before the end of 2020, according to multiple sources. One source said last month that the rebrand was not tied to the controversy surrounding the program. The source also said the band likely would return in some form, but nothing has been announced yet.

The NFL, led by attorney Beth Wilkinson, continues to investigate the organization following multiple reports of sexual harassment allegations. Attorneys for those who made the allegations have pressed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to make the findings public.

Those behind this weekend's All-Star Game in Atlanta view the event as something bigger than just basketball.

To that end, as part of this year's festivities, the NBA will provide more than $3 million in support to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and Direct Relief's Fund for Health Equity.

The goal is to bring a spotlight to HBCUs, one that will be on display in every event Sunday in Atlanta -- the slam dunk and 3-point contests, the skills challenge and the All-Star Game itself.

Players on Team LeBron James or Team Kevin Durant will compete for either TMCF or UNCF as their beneficiaries, with each organization receiving an initial $500,000 contribution and a total of $1.75 million spread between the two. At the end of each of the first three quarters, an additional $150,000 will be awarded to the leading team's selected organization. And a remaining $300,000 will be awarded to the organization of the team that first reaches the Final Target Score in the untimed fourth quarter.

The money will provide scholarship funding for HBCU students.

"I'm trying to bring awareness to a lot of the HBCUs out there," said Phoenix Suns All-Star and National Basketball Players Association president Chris Paul. "I have a class at North Carolina A&T. My brother and my AAU team have been doing calls with different coaches at HBCUs. It's the education of it. In doing this, I've been able to learn a lot. ... I'm just trying to bring awareness to not only myself but other people about these HBCUs that I think a lot of time get overlooked. I just want to tell our players great job -- great job doing what you're doing and we're going to continue to make change with action."

In addition to the All-Star Game itself, HBCUs will benefit from the skills challenge and slam dunk and 3-point contests.

The three slam dunk participants will represent an HBCU, with the winner earning an additional $100,000 to help with the TMCF COVID-19 HBCU Emergency Fund.

The six skills participants will represent HBCU schools from different states. Students there will get a $35,000 donation through UNCF's Emergency Student Aid program, and the winner of the skills competition will get an additional $40,000 for the school he represents.

During the 3-point contest, money balls will garner a $3,500 donation, shots from a certain area will merit a $5,000 donation, and the sponsor of the event, Mountain Dew, will award $100,000 in scholarships to two students during the event.

Those behind the scenes this weekend believe a successful event will raise awareness on the significance of HBCUs, which outweighs the criticism held by some in the league of holding such festivities during a pandemic.

"More people will be aware of the fact that our students are at risk of not being able to complete, largely because of finances. Our community is the most impacted," said Dr. Michael Lomax, President of United Negro College Fund. "The students at HBCUs, there's 75 percent of them that are low income and that means they and their families are the most at-risk of COVID, but they're also the most at-risk of white supremacy and anti-Black racism.

"Let me just say, I hear the criticism, but this is a game with a purpose. And the purpose is to help Black college students stay persistent to complete. I think that's worth it."

James Harden isn't worried about the details of his divorce with the franchise as he returns to Houston to face the Rockets on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) for the first time since his trade request was finally granted.

"They showed me mad love and respect, and I am just excited to be playing in front of those fans," Harden said.

Harden has apologized for "how it went down" in his final months with the Rockets, when he was pushing for a trade, but Harden said he doesn't regret the actions that led to his desired result. He got what he wanted -- a chance to play for a contender again, specifically the Brooklyn Nets -- and is taking full advantage of the opportunity.

Harden is happy and hooping at an MVP level for the Eastern Conference's hottest team. Meanwhile, times are rough for the Rockets, who are ravaged by injuries and riding a 12-game losing streak entering their former MVP's return.

A review of the monthslong saga preceding Harden's departure from Houston:

"It's very, very frustrating, especially the amount of work that individually I put in. But I'm going to keep chipping away. I'm going to keep going and keep going until I can't go anymore. I feel like we're a piece away. We've just got to keep trying to figure it out, keep trying to grow and put the right pieces around me and Russ to get to where we want to go."

-- Harden, after the Rockets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in a five-game second-round series

The Rockets' drastic roster renovations didn't lead to improved results.

The Houston front office, at the urging of Harden, flipped Chris Paul and a bundle of first-round picks for friend, former teammate and fellow recent MVP Russell Westbrook. In large part to accommodate Westbrook, the Rockets made an unprecedented commitment to small ball, shipping out big Clint Capela in a four-team deal that landed Robert Covington, suddenly turning 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker into the league's shortest starting center by several inches.

For a while, the Rockets' wild experiment worked. Houston won 10 out of 12 games over a monthlong span, a stretch highlighted by a road win over the Lakers, fueling hope that the unconventional Rockets really could contend.

Then the Rockets ran out of gas, losing four of their last five games before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season. They never really got back on track, with Harden and Westbrook reporting late to the bubble in Orlando, Florida, after contracting the coronavirus, then Westbrook straining his quadriceps during the seeding schedule.

Houston narrowly avoided the humiliation of losing to Paul's Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, surviving Game 7 by two points thanks to a late series-saving block by Harden. The Rockets beat the Lakers in their second-round opener but were dominated the rest of the series, getting blown out by 23 points in the elimination game.

The primary subjects of Harden's postgame interview were coach Mike D'Antoni's uncertain status with his contract expiring -- resolved the next morning when D'Antoni announced he'd be moving on from Houston -- and the staying power of the Rockets' unusual style. The final question to Harden was an inquiry about whether he was willing to adapt his game, perhaps playing off the ball more.

"To answer your question, yes, I'm willing to do whatever it takes," Harden said. "Especially to win."

"For the last eight years or so, our goal has been to win a championship because we had James Harden. We've still got James Harden. Our goal is still to win a championship, and if you've got him, you're halfway there. It's incumbent on me and Stephen [Silas] and the whole team to figure out the rest of the whole, but the key piece is there."

-- Rafael Stone, in his first news conference since being promoted to Rockets general manager

Daryl Morey, the general manager whose 2012 trade for Harden reinvigorated the Rockets franchise, announced his resignation in October. Morey cited a desire to spend time with his family -- and he was hired as the Philadelphia 76ers' president of basketball operations 13 days later.

Several sources within the Houston organization firmly believe Morey made a preemptive decision, departing in large part because he anticipated Harden would want out, beginning a rebuilding period for the Rockets. According to sources, Morey had expressed concern inside the bubble about not being able to "keep James happy," because of a lack of picks to use as trade fodder to make offseason roster upgrades.

Harden's happiness, or lack thereof, was Stone's problem after the longtime Rockets front-office executive was promoted to replace Morey. But just getting Harden to communicate with Stone was difficult for him and the Houston front office, a factor that delayed the coaching search that ultimately ended with the hiring of Silas, a longtime NBA assistant who was a finalist when Houston hired D'Antoni four years earlier.

By early November, the Rockets had privately come to terms with the fact that the Harden-Westbrook pairing fizzled, as the friends no longer wanted to play together. That was problematic, given the steep price the Rockets paid in the Westbrook trade the previous summer, but Houston could stomach searching for a Westbrook trade.

As long as the Rockets had Harden, they had hope. They just needed to convince Harden, who annually pushed for offseason urgency in pursuit of a title, of that.

"I have no clarity about the message. What the reasoning is, is on him. He's the one who can explain why or why not he's here. For me to make inferences and think about the possibilities isn't real to me. What's real is he's not here, and he has a reason, but that's on him to tell whoever what his reason is."

-- Silas, on the second day of Rockets training camp

Weeks before camp opened, a high-ranking Rockets source told ESPN that the team was "willing to get uncomfortable," stressing that the front office felt no urgency to trade Harden and Westbrook before the start of the season despite the stars' unhappiness, vowing not to be pressured into dealing them for pennies on the dollar.

Westbrook ultimately got his wish granted days before camp opened, as the Rockets pounced when the Washington Wizards offered a protected first-round pick along with point guard John Wall.

After avoiding the Toyota Center when the rest of the NBA's players were doing individual workouts at team facilities, Harden was missing from the beginning of training camp, instead attending rapper Lil Baby's birthday party in Atlanta, lavishing his friend with extravagant gifts and posting pictures of the maskless affair on Instagram.

From there, Harden went to Las Vegas. The Rockets attributed Harden's absence for the first team workout to the league's health and safety protocols, but Silas acknowledged the next day that it was a holdout.

"As far as timetable, there's no timetable as far as I know. And it is a setback," Silas said. "You want your best player to be here. And there's a short window. It is a setback. I have to be honest and understand this is a setback not having one of the best players in the NBA here."

Harden's late arrival ensured he'd miss essentially all of camp, as he had to test negative for the coronavirus for six consecutive days before being cleared to join team activities. Harden's explanation for the Atlanta and Vegas excursions: "I was just training." Harden had certainly convinced the Rockets' brass that he was serious about his trade request. His priority was executing an exit strategy.

"We're just not good enough. Chemistry, talentwise, just everything. ... I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can. I mean, this situation is crazy. It's something that I don't think can be fixed."

-- Harden, after a Jan. 12 loss to the Lakers, his last game in a Rockets uniform

Harden, well aware that the Rockets' trade talks with the Nets and 76ers had intensified, delivered what amounted to a farewell speech during his virtual news conference following Houston's fourth loss in five games.

He walked out of the Toyota Center as a Rocket for the final time.

Harden was told to stay home instead of coming to practice the next day, as Stone put the finishing touches on a four-team deal that sent Harden to Brooklyn and netted the Rockets four first-round picks, four first-round pick swaps, former All-Star shooting guard Victor Oladipo and a couple of other players for salary filler.

Houston's asking price for Harden had been a young franchise cornerstone and a historic package of picks. The Rockets ended up having to compromise, choosing the Nets' offer headlined by a picks bundle over the 76ers' proposal with Ben Simmons as the centerpiece but significantly fewer draft assets. And that closed the chapter of Harden's tenure in Houston, which featured eight seasons of individual brilliance but always fell short of the NBA Finals.

"I thought I would never leave that franchise. I thought I was going to be in Houston, obviously, for the rest of my career. Things happened. I've got different goals, and I've seen a different vision for myself and my career and my family."

-- Harden, days before his return to Houston

Harden has walked the walk since his arrival in Brooklyn, following through on his vow to fit in with Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, hushing the skeptics who wondered how three of this generation's best scorers could possibly share one ball.

Harden has adapted his game to focus more on facilitating. Harden has always been an elite passer -- having won the NBA's assists title in 2016-17 before claiming the league's scoring crown the next three seasons -- but that part of his game has especially flourished with the Nets. He has averaged 11.3 assists in 22 games with Brooklyn, and he officially became the point guard upon Irving's declaration of backcourt roles during a practice last month.

Harden is still a premier scorer, but he has the luxury of being more selective with his shot with the Nets. He's averaging 25.3 points per game -- which would be Harden's lowest-scoring season since he was the Thunder's sixth man -- but with career-best clips in field goal percentage (.490), 3-point percentage (.419) and effective field goal percentage (.589).

Harden is also pulling down 8.7 rebounds per game for Brooklyn, which would be another career best. He has seven triple-doubles for the Nets, who have won nine of their past 10 games despite Durant's extended absence due to a hamstring strain.

Yes, Harden has done whatever it takes to win. For him, it meant getting out of Houston.