RIO DE JANEIRO -- Spain got its first victory of the Olympics, and almost nobody saw the beginning of it.The mens basketball silver medalists in the last two Olympics held off Nigeria 96-87 Thursday night in a game that started in a nearly entirely empty arena while police exploded a suspicious backpack.The public address announcer welcomed fans, players were introduced and national anthems were played, a standard pregame scene except for people in the seats.We thought, I guess nobody came to watch the game, Pau Gasol said.They had come, but couldnt get in.Security officials prevented fans from entering while police exploded the backpack left near a public restroom. The explosion reverberated inside and outside of Carioca Arena 1.Gasol was startled by the boom as he was walking onto the floor near the Spain bench.We heard an explosion but we didnt know exactly what it was or how big it was, Gasol said. We thought it was fireworks or, I dont know. The arena was pretty much dead empty at the beginning.Spain had started the Olympics with narrow losses to Croatia and Brazil and needed a victory with unbeatens Lithuania and Argentina still on their schedule in the preliminary stage.But with their fans unable to get in to provide an energy boost, coach Sergio Scariolo was worried his team might start slowly. Instead, -- with the squeaking of the players sneakers echoing in the eerie silence of the empty gym -- Span jumped to an 11-2 lead and was ahead 25-11 after one quarter.I was delighted from our first quarter, Scariolo said, how we started the game, how serious we were at the beginning, how intense we were defensively, how we moved the ball together. I think it was a great first quarter, but its true, I was concerned. I was worried about that.The Spanish players noticed the empty crowd while warming up, but werent aware what caused it. Inspectors had determined the game could start as scheduled and allowed media and volunteers -- who werent informed of the situation -- to remain in the building while the ticket holders were kept outside.Nigeria coach William Voigt had been briefed, but said it wasnt the reason for his teams slow start.I decided not to really say anything to anyone else, he said. I didnt want it to be a distraction, but I knew and certainly when whatever was detonated went off I think it was something everybody noticed.Fans were allowed in later in the first quarter and the Nigerians rallied to take a one-point lead into the fourth. But Gasol finished with 24 points to help Spain pull away.He had a potential tying shot blocked by Croatias Dario Saric to end the opener and then missed two crucial free throws in the closing seconds of the loss to Brazil. Frustration seemed to be setting in during this game, as Gasol picked up a technical foul in the second half for screaming at a referee after not getting a foul call.Now with two games left against the teams ahead of them, the Spanish can still put themselves in good position heading to the quarterfinals. Spain was 1-2 at this point of last summers EuroBasket tournament and rallied to win it, so the team still believes in its chances.Basically we normally went from bottom to top throughout the competitions, Scariolo said. We always did that. Always. Hopefully we will do the same thing here.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney Kwon Alexander Super Bowl Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. DeForest Buckner Super Bowl Jersey . 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On Monday, Jones publicly addressed Colin Kaepernicks protest of the national anthem, citing how baseballs lack of African-American representation makes it difficult for black players to be vocal without consequence. Given baseballs rich history in social reform, whether through the trailblazing efforts of Jackie Robinson or the intentional impact of Roberto Clemente, baseball has always had a voice that society had to acknowledge. But today, issues are clouded by new realities.So why say something now?Why now? For me it just happened, Jones said. I think we as athletes always want to make an impact. In our communities and between the lines of course. But what comes with this job is leadership and responsibility that you didnt know you had. Little kids, future ballers and adults envy what we do. Thats why stadiums are packed.I was asked a question about Kaep and I just ran with it. Its about respect besides the story title. I just think its important we all continue to educate ourselves. The dialogue is all I believe Kaep wanted to create. A dialogue to help stop some of the things that happen in this country. The worse thing is to turn a blind cheek to things. I wasnt raised like that and my momma and most certainly my grandma taught me to stand up for what you believe in. In our sport and life you cant be afraid of the truth. Especially if its brought to attention in such nonviolent matter.For the past few weeks, Ive been posing questions to former and current major leaguers about the challenges of publicly speaking out against social injustice. Torii Hunter, Chris Archer, Jimmy Rollins, Sean Doolittle, Curtis Granderson, David Ortiz, LaTroy Hawkins and many others provided insight into the internal conflict that comes with sticking their necks out to support a cause, from navigating social media to headlines that dont reflect the players sentiment and the basic idea that a players economic future is at risk when players dont tow the company line.Baseball is daily. There is no week to think between games, there is little time to reflect or rethink ones position. Once you jump in the world of public opinion, everything changes, and players believe this isnt reversible. Speak carefully, they say, or dont speak at all.So what does todays baseball player face in finding footing to address social justice issues? Here is what they had to say.What are the challenges of speaking out?Ensuring that your voice and message is not misconstrued. The power of context is really important, making certain that your words arent twisted and that youre represented how you intended to be represented. Reporters dont necessarily dictate headlines, but they hold the power of telling readers your story -- and unfortunately, more often than not, headlines dont properly showcase the intended message. -- GrandersonOnce you do so, you are no longer that role model of being a great citizen for our children to look up to. Now youre the outsider, now all the good you have done is overshadowed by your exercising your freedom of speech -- RollinsMost guys dont do it because they dont feel the sting of the issue once you get to a certain status in society. The biggest challenge is being able to stand up for values cherished by a widespread of people and stay the course for change. -- HawkinsThe backlash a player might receive on social media and from fans. That can end up being a distraction to yourself or your team -- especially if you engage. Oftentimes it is very difficult to fully explain yourself on a social media outlet such as Twitter, where you only have 140 characters, and people can take your message out of context because there is not a lot of room for nuance. The message can get stripped down so much that it becomes very polarizing, which is never a good place to start any discussion on any issue. Theres also those out there who just want athletes to stick to sports, and have this image of who and what they perceive their role models to think and believe. And if it doesnt line up perfectly with their perceived expectations, they get disappointed or even angry that their arbitrary expectations are not met. -- DoolittleHow have challenges evolved over your career?When I started my career a decade or so ago, digital and social media didnt exist. Now, newspaper articles are available online in an array or formats -- blogs, social media, video clips, etc. -- and provide readers the opportunity to publicly comment. In verbal conversations, most people are selective with their comments, but with digital and social media, they say things they wouldnt normally say out loud -- hidden behind emails or user names. -- GrandersonI have learned over the years to proofread my tweets two, three and four times, just to make sure that nothing can be misconstrued or misinterpreted and lead to any amount of negativity or backlash. Ive certainly stopped engaging with fans as much, which is frustrating, because thats the reason I joined Twitter in the first place. -- DoolittleWhy dont MLB players participate openly in national statements? I Cant Breathe, etc.As far as I Cant Breathe or Black Lives Matter or the Kaepernick anthem demonstration, I feel uncomfortable speaking to that. Id rather listen. Here are the facts though: The league is composed of over 60 percent white men. When so much of the league has a background or comes from a place where there might be more privilege and opportunity, its very difficult to relate to something they have never seen nor experienced. Thats human nature. People are slower to educate themselves and be informed about something if they have never experienced it. They might even downplay the level at which those problems exist. But that certainly doesnt let people off the hook. My only experiences with police are when they stand guard in our bullpen or when they escort us to the airport. No one has ever questioned my legitimacy as a citizen or a homeowner or a pedestrian.dddddddddddd But I cant pretend it doesnt happen just because it has never happened to me. If we are willing to have an open mind and empathize rather than immediately getting defensive, then maybe we can start a far more constructive dialogue that hopefully leads to addressing these problems. -- DoolittleI think African-American baseball players just dont have a strong enough voice to be heard in our community because they are not visible in those areas. -- HunterMost kids are so caught up in their own career they feel they have no time to deal with anything that might bring negative attention. -- HawkinsOftentimes you may be the only black player in your clubhouse. That makes it hard to take that stand when its 24-1 plus coaches and staff and upper management. Baseballs history of segregation and later inclusion is well documented but of the major three American sports, its the one where were not the majority. We make up less than a tenth of all major league players. -- RollinsCountless athletes support national statements/causes - the armed forces, veterans, health-related causes, etc. Topics such as politics, gun violence, racial issues are all very important but are typically very controversial, which is why most athletes shy away from sharing their views on those topics publicly. -- GrandersonI would tell them to be careful in following the masses because sometimes the M might be silent. -- HunterThere are certain things you have to shy away from because you dont want to offend your co-workers, just like any working environment. Its hard to explain certain things to people who are looking at the world from a different lens than you. Certain things will never resonate with me, certain things wont resonate with my teammates. Its just life. -- ArcherWhat is most unfair about criticism of players who do not speak out?Just because an athlete isnt speaking publicly to the masses doesnt mean its not important to them or that they arent doing anything to help resolve it. I heard something recently about how its a professional athletes responsibility to speak out about police violence. I disagree strongly with that statement. For example, I have teammates from other countries that have pressing issues such as having enough food for their family, clean running water, safe living conditions, etc. Those athletes are focused on those things, but it doesnt mean they dont care about other issues at hand. Athletes cant be all things to all people. -- GrandersonWhat do you say to people who believe having enough money should free you up to speak out?Using your platform doesnt always have a positive impact. The more fame, money and power you have, the more youll be criticized for your position. -- GrandersonThe more money or power you have, the more attention you can bring to something. That doesnt mean you want to stand there and fight for that issue your entire life. You may just want to protest whats happening in that moment and be done with it, but having money doesnt allow you to just do that because you are always an athlete first. -- RollinsThere are tons of people with money that you dont want speaking on your behalf. Having money doesnt make you smarter. -- HawkinsSo what do you think the role of visible athletes is in expressing concern?Most athletes (like myself) address issues that they have a personal connection to -- some big, some small, but all very important. If a major social justice issue occurs in our society, athletes shouldnt always be the go-to for comments, unless they have a personal connection to the issue. What most people forget is that many professional athletes take a stand on social justice issues 365 days a year, but if those actions arent connected to a national and trending news platform, those stories often go untold. -- GrandersonThe expectation that athletes should take on every social issue is not fair. You have to have a passion for that issue that you are speaking out about. -- HunterSometimes a player can speak from first-hand experience, but if not, we have to make sure we use our platforms responsibly, and must know what it is that we are talking about. Theres no sense in muddying the message with an uninformed or poorly thought-out argument that only serves to add to the white noise in the background of the issue itself. -- DoolittleWho is most responsible for making changes?Doctors, lawyers, culinary artists, teachers, officers, every profession has the ability to make a change, or speak for change. Im sure they do. But it isnt highlighted as much. I honestly feel like it should be digested the same as anyone with any other occupation. Not blown out of proportion. We are people, we have a unique skill set, but doesnt everyone? -- ArcherThese issues that are going on are too big for one person. Everyone will need to take part in making changes. Theres an old proverb that says, If you want to go quickly, you go alone. But if you want to go far, we have to go together. -- HunterWhy do players express concern about sponsors and endorsements?Athlete endorsement and sponsorship deals dont usually make major news unless they are very large lucrative deals. That being said, when an athletes sponsor drops them (for whatever reason), its a major news story. Personally, I always ensure that my partnerships align with my community interests. Im really selective on my off-field deals in an effort to ensure that together we can have a real impact. -- GrandersonHow real is it that players just do not know how to address issues?Its very real that players dont know how to address the issues because there isnt an entity there to guide us, and if there is, it isnt made known by many of us. -- RollinsIf a player really wants to address an issue, the player will find a way to address the issue. -- Doolittle ' ' '