The Ringer - Sports and Politics Collide in Trump's America2017-10-09T17:43:50-04:00http://www.theringer.com/rss/stream/161449472017-10-09T17:43:50-04:002017-10-09T17:43:50-04:00Jemele Hill Suspended by ESPN Following Tweets Responding to Jerry Jones
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<figcaption>Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Advertising Week New York</figcaption>
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<p>‘The Six’ cohost suggested that unhappy fans could boycott the Cowboys’ advertisers and now will be sidelined for two weeks</p> <p id="5FdECk">Jemele Hill, cohost of ESPN’s <em>The Six</em>, has been suspended for two weeks for “a second violation of [ESPN’s] social media guidelines,” according to the network.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ESPN's Statement on Jemele Hill: <a href="https://t.co/JkVoBVz7lv">pic.twitter.com/JkVoBVz7lv</a></p>— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNPR/status/917469637033512960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2017</a>
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<p id="wmIu7c">Hill <a href="https://twitter.com/Ourand_SBJ/status/917470328997253122">reportedly</a> violated the guidelines Sunday night when she <a href="https://twitter.com/jemelehill/status/917219440487432192">suggested that the best way for people to disagree with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was through Dallas’s advertisers</a>. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ESPN says it suspended Hill because 1) she suggested boycotting ESPN sponsors; and 2) she had been warned about these types of tweets.</p>— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ourand_SBJ/status/917474356011372549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2017</a>
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<p id="nGbQsn">Earlier in the day, Jones said that the Cowboys would sit out a game if there is “<a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/8/16445964/jerry-jones-disrespecting-the-flag-comments-dallas-cowboys">anything that is disrespectful to the flag</a>.” Jones has previously stated his desire for players to stand during the national anthem, and though the team—including Jones—interlocked arms and knelt before the anthem prior to their Week 3 <em>Monday Night Football</em> matchup against the Cardinals, no Cowboy has knelt during the playing of the song. Jones’s comments represented the most strident opposition to the trend of players protesting during the national anthem by an NFL owner so far.</p>
<p id="Xze4gk">Hill quoted <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficiallyRandy/status/917219154339483650">a tweet that listed some of the Cowboys’ advertisers</a>—including AT&T, Bank of America, MillerCoors, and PepsiCo—and added that “change happens when advertisers are impacted.”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This play always work. Change happens when advertisers are impacted. If you feel strongly about JJ's statement, boycott his advertisers. <a href="https://t.co/LFXJ9YQe74">https://t.co/LFXJ9YQe74</a></p>— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/jemelehill/status/917219440487432192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2017</a>
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<p id="DucuDt">She later clarified that she was “<a href="https://twitter.com/jemelehill/status/917421938879889408">not advocating an NFL boycott</a>.” As noted above by <em>Sports Business Journal</em> reporter John Ourand, some Cowboys sponsors are also advertisers on ESPN platforms. ESPN <a href="https://twitter.com/JimMiller/status/917480993405198337">would not say whether Hill’s suspension will be with pay</a>. </p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="u8deM0"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Deep Six: Jemele Hill and the Fight for the Future of ESPN","url":"https://www.theringer.com/2017/9/13/16299136/jemele-hill-espn-michael-smith-sportscenter-the-six"},{"title":"‘The Press Box’—The Fight for the Future of ESPN","url":"https://www.theringer.com/2017/9/14/16308490/the-press-box-the-fight-for-the-future-of-espn"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="TJlJdz">The suspension comes less than a month after Hill called President Donald Trump a “<a href="https://twitter.com/jemelehill/status/907391978194849793">white supremacist</a>” on Twitter. Hill <a href="https://twitter.com/jemelehill/status/908173152370520064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2017%2F09%2F13%2Fsports%2Fjemele-hill-espn-white-house.html">apologized for how those comments</a> affected the network and her colleagues but stood by them, and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called them “<a href="https://www.theringer.com/2017/9/15/16316770/jemele-hill-donald-trump-sarah-huckabee-sanders-twitter-espn">a fireable offense</a>.”</p>
<p id="2eK2IX">Hill’s suspension represents the latest chapter in the entanglement of sports and politics that has defined this NFL season. As <em>The Ringer</em>’s Bryan Curtis noted last month in his profile of Hill, ESPN has been “<a href="https://www.theringer.com/2017/9/13/16299136/jemele-hill-espn-michael-smith-sportscenter-the-six">pulled … into a political vortex</a>” that often sees someone like Hill—who is vocal about her political opinions on social media, even if those same thoughts aren’t always reflected on <em>SC6</em>, the show she cohosts with Michael Smith—as the focal point of the left/right media debate. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="tMZumq">It’s worth noting the timing of Hill’s suspension. Hill hadn’t stopped tweeting about Trump, protests, or politics since she was reprimanded by ESPN in September, and it was apparently her suggestion to boycott some sponsors that also advertise on ESPN, not Hill’s normal political commentary, which drove the company to take action.</p>
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https://www.theringer.com/2017/10/9/16449942/jemele-hill-suspended-two-weeks-espn-jerry-jonesRiley McAtee2017-10-08T23:29:21-04:002017-10-08T23:29:21-04:00Jerry Jones Says “We Will Not Play” If a Cowboys Player Is “Disrespecting the Flag”
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<p>The comments are the most publicly hostile remarks from an NFL owner toward recent player protests</p> <aside id="YnfuLY"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About NFL Week 5","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/6/16434402/everything-you-need-to-know-about-nfl-week-5"}]}'></div></aside><p id="mY7Dbm">Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Sunday that: “If there is anything that is disrespectful to the flag, then we will not play,” becoming the first NFL team owner to appear to publicly warn players against protesting before games.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jerry Jones: "If there is anything disrespecting the flag, then we will not play. Period. We're going to respect the flag and I'm going to create the perception of it."</p>— Brandon George (@DMN_George) <a href="https://twitter.com/DMN_George/status/917182168677396480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jerry Jones: "We cannot in anyway give the implication that we tolerate disrespecting the flag. We know that there is a serious debate in this country about those issues, but there is no question in my mind, that the [NFL] and the Dallas Cowboys are going to stand up for the flag</p>— Brandon George (@DMN_George) <a href="https://twitter.com/DMN_George/status/917186102640996353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2017</a>
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<p id="CmYNR1">Jones did not define what exactly “respect the flag” means to him, but did insist that his team would “<a href="https://twitter.com/DMN_George/status/917187440108101633">stand for the flag</a>,” a phrase he has seemed to use in response to players kneeling or sitting during the national anthem. Before the season, Jones said that he felt players should stand during the anthem.</p>
<p id="aifbDi">“I just feel so strongly that the act of recognizing the flag is a salute to our country and all of the people that have sacrificed so that we can have the liberties we have,” <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/jerry-jones-feels-so-strongly-that-players-should-stand-for-the-national-anthem/">Jones said</a> in August after protesting during the national anthem returned to prominence in the preseason as quarterback Colin Kaepernick remained unsigned (which he is still). “I feel very strongly that everyone should save that moment for the recognition of the flag in a positive way, so I like the way the Cowboys do it."</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="dvl6vH"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{"stories":[{"title":"Sports and Politics Collide in Trump's America","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/1/16380906/the-increasing-intersections-between-athletics-and-social-justice"}]}"></div></aside></div>
<p id="Qf2B98">Jones <a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/09/24/nfls-dallas-cowboys-jerry-jones-weighs-in-on-anthem-protests.html">reiterated his stance</a> on the flag after President <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/22/16353554/donald-trump-nfl-protests-youre-fired-colin-kaepernick">Donald Trump’s comments at a Senate campaign event</a> on September 22, which launched <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/23/16355992/nfl-players-owners-respond-donald-trump-comments">one of the largest political demonstrations in American sports history</a> two days later. Ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the Cardinals on <em>Monday Night Football</em>, the Cowboys locked arms and knelt before the anthem but stood during the song. Jones and his children joined the players in locking arms. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones locked arms and took a knee in unity prior to the national anthem <a href="https://t.co/7kK3qVMDSo">pic.twitter.com/7kK3qVMDSo</a></p>— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/912473528351559680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2017</a>
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<p id="Z1XNNn">Trump called Jones four times before that Week 3 game, <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/914485755694796800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fadministration%2F353362-trump-called-cowboys-jerry-jones-four-times-asking-him-not-to-kneel">according to Ian Rapoport</a>, asking Jones to have the Cowboys stand for the national anthem. </p>
<p id="0r5kHx">No Cowboys players have knelt or sat in protest during the national anthem this season, though Damontre Moore and David Irving have raised their fists.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cowboys DL Damontre Moore and David Irving acknowledged raising their fists at the end of the national anthem before the game. Moore said he's done it all year. Moore said it wasn't disrespecting the flag and he has a lot of family members with military background.</p>— Brandon George (@DMN_George) <a href="https://twitter.com/DMN_George/status/917182856027410433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2017</a>
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<p id="SvanbR">This Sunday marked another high-profile day for political protests around the league. Earlier in the day, Vice President Mike Pence <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/8/16444274/vice-president-mike-pence-colts-49ers-anthem-protest">left the Colts game</a> following the 49ers protests, tweeting, “I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.” Shortly after Pence’s exit, Trump tweeted that he’d asked Pence to leave if a protest occurred.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I asked <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> Pence to leave stadium if any players kneeled, disrespecting our country. I am proud of him and <a href="https://twitter.com/SecondLady?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecondLady</a> Karen.</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/917091286607433728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a>
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<p class="c-end-para" id="JhcoJd">The Cowboys are on a bye next week, then travel to San Francisco the following week to take on the 49ers. Kaepernick played for the 49ers when he first knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality in 2016.</p>
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https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/8/16445964/jerry-jones-disrespecting-the-flag-comments-dallas-cowboysDanny Heifetz2017-10-08T14:37:45-04:002017-10-08T14:37:45-04:00Vice President Mike Pence Turned 49ers-Colts Into a Political Stunt
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<p>The VP left the game early after protests during the national anthem, then quickly took to social media to push the administration’s position</p> <p id="xfgrq5">Vice President Mike Pence returned to his home state of Indiana on Sunday to see his beloved Colts play the 49ers. That’s a bit strange considering Pence’s president has spent the past few weeks <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/24/16357466/donald-trump-nfl-fan-boycott-tweets">telling everybody who will listen that NFL fans should avoid watching or attending NFL games</a>. But hey, the Veep loves his Colts!</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Looking forward to cheering for our <a href="https://twitter.com/Colts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Colts</a> & honoring the great career of #18 Peyton Manning at <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasOilStadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LucasOilStadium</a> today. Go Colts! <a href="https://t.co/C3aCYUNpqG">pic.twitter.com/C3aCYUNpqG</a></p>— Vice President Pence (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/917048886975500289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a>
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<p id="BiIRK1"><a href="https://twitter.com/ClintSmithIII/status/917114469112844288">That picture turned out to be from three years earlier</a>. But Pence did show up at Sunday’s game—and he decided to call it a day rather quickly:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I left today's Colts game because <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.</p>— Vice President Pence (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/917074120084516865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a>
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<p id="61yyVk">He had made the trip to see Colts legend Peyton Manning’s number be retired at halftime, but Pence never made it to halftime. He left after <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/10/08/49ers-have-23-kneel-during-anthem/">23 San Francisco players kneeled during the national anthem</a> to protest racial inequality in the United States. (No Colts kneeled.) President Trump <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/917091286607433728">tweeted that he’d asked the vice president to leave if any players kneeled</a>. </p>
<p id="3LlQU3">Pence easily could have foreseen the protest—<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/video-30-49ers-players-kneel-national-anthem-article-1.3534817?utm_content=bufferf1cfe&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=NYDailyNewsTw">the Niners did this last week</a>, and safety Eric Reid has been doing it for more than a year. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.html">He recently wrote an op-ed in <em>The New York Times</em> explaining why</a>. Perhaps Pence knew that some 49ers planned to kneel, and saw the opportunity to attend a game and leave as a chance to further the Trump administration’s position on the anthem protests. The media pool accompanying Pence was <a href="https://twitter.com/VaughnHillyard/status/917085075128356864">reportedly informed before the game that he might leave early</a>, so it’s fair to wonder whether this was a planned exit rather than spur-of-the-moment outrage.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="Nt9Edm">Either way, it took <a href="https://twitter.com/GreggDoyelStar/status/917076133979611136">a lot of effort</a> and probably a lot of money to <a href="https://twitter.com/VaughnHillyard/status/917081486041468929">fly Pence from Nevada to Indiana en route to California</a>, then secure a 70,000-seat NFL stadium for a sitting vice president. In the end, all that effort and money paid for a quick departure to prove a point. </p>
<p id="PXQRx0"><em>This piece was updated after publication with additional information.</em></p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/8/16444274/vice-president-mike-pence-colts-49ers-anthem-protestRodger Sherman2017-10-01T17:22:22-04:002017-10-01T17:22:22-04:00The 49ers Used Their Protest to Call Out “Oppression and Social Injustices”
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<img alt="NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EOZbOeLI4J7xnunsvHtSOC_pVtE=/182x0:3019x2128/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56936941/usa_today_10321248.0.jpg" />
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<p>In their first game since Trump’s comments, a large portion of the team knelt during the national anthem</p> <aside id="uIkDbo"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About NFL Week 4","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/29/16385612/everything-you-need-to-know-about-nfl-week-4"}]}'></div></aside><p id="7R6uoI">The San Francisco 49ers played on <em>Thursday Night Football</em> in Week 3, and so as widespread demonstrations during the national anthem occurred around the NFL that Sunday following President Donald Trump’s comments on the protests, the team associated with Colin Kaepernick, who began the demonstration last year, wasn’t available to make its own. </p>
<p id="GQmH1m">This week, the 49ers traveled to Arizona to play the Cardinals, and a large contingent of the team knelt before and during the national anthem. It was the most widespread team demonstration of the week through the afternoon games. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The San Francisco 49ers on the sideline during the anthem today. <a href="https://t.co/WKZuboQm1m">pic.twitter.com/WKZuboQm1m</a></p>— The Ringer (@ringer) <a href="https://twitter.com/ringer/status/914583351746531328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a>
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<p id="xyNWXI">As the 49ers remained kneeling across from the Cardinals, who stood for the anthem, <a href="https://twitter.com/ThompsonScribe/status/914581353206751232">boos rained down</a> from the Arizona crowd. Soon after, the 49ers released <a href="https://twitter.com/nwagoner/status/914581680102326274">a statement</a> from “the players, the coaches, ownership, and staff.” </p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="FOI0Jr"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Marshawn Lynch Dons \"Everybody vs. Trump\" Shirt Before Raiders-Broncos","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/1/16393354/marshawn-lynch-everybody-vs-trump-shirt-raiders-broncos"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="BalUCe">“For more than a year, members of our team have protested the oppression and social injustices still present in our society,” the statement read. “While some may have not taken a knee or raised a fist, we have all shared the desire to influence positive change. Today our team chose to publicly display our unity in a new way, and in turn, urge others to do the same.” </p>
<p id="RDWa2R">Specifically identifying “oppression” and “social injustices” as reasons for why players knelt is a stark contrast to most NFL teams’ statements on the matter, which deviated from the reason behind Kaepernick’s original protest by using the demonstrations to call for general unity. As <em>The Ringer</em>’s Michael Baumann <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/26/16365282/protest-debate-colin-kaepernick-alejandro-villanueva-police-brutality">wrote last week</a>, when Kaepernick decided to protest, his goal, similar to the 49ers statement on the matter, was specific: to protest racial injustices. On Saturday, the 49ers’ Eric Reid—among the first teammates to join Kaepernick in protest last year—called for a very specific type of unity. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Unity is great. I’m all for it. Let’s be UNITED in ending systematic oppression of black and brown ppl.</p>— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) <a href="https://twitter.com/E_Reid35/status/913874877970391040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2017</a>
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<p id="wyOnD8">“As the majority of us have done throughout our careers, we use our platform as an NFL team, and our right to freedom of expression to speak up for those whose voices is not heard,” the team statement continued. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="ypeUoF">Aside from the roughly 30 players were involved in the demonstration, GM John Lynch and owner Jed York <a href="https://twitter.com/jenniferleechan/status/914582258819899392">joined the team</a> on the sideline. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/1/16393656/san-francisco-49ers-protest-kneel-national-anthemPaolo Uggetti2017-10-01T16:34:00-04:002017-10-01T16:34:00-04:00Marshawn Lynch Dons “Everybody vs. Trump” Shirt Before Raiders-Broncos
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<img alt="Marshawn Lynch wears a “Everybody vs. Trump” shirt" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1qMv-tIJ_hNdCgTtYXuxCTyUYVw=/155x0:1858x1277/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56936467/marshawn.0.png" />
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<p>Though protests across the league have been less numerous so far in Week 4, the Raiders running back delivered an unignorable statement</p> <div class="c-float-left"><aside id="Jiqaa8"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About NFL Week 4","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/29/16385612/everything-you-need-to-know-about-nfl-week-4"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="YtYAdM">A week after NFL players took part in <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/25/16359908/protest-national-anthem-colin-kaepernick-donald-trump-police-brutality">widespread demonstrations</a> during the national anthem, protests in the league through the early slate of Sunday games have largely shifted back to what they were in the weeks before Donald Trump addressed <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/24/16357466/donald-trump-nfl-fan-boycott-tweets">them</a>: a movement encompassing a handful of players active in early games across the league, rather than a unified expression involving the majority of players.</p>
<aside id="OgOOxC"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The 49ers Used Their Protest to Call Out \"Oppression and Social Injustices\"","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/1/16393656/san-francisco-49ers-protest-kneel-national-anthem"}]}'></div></aside><p id="iOOQQI">The demonstrations on Sunday were much more limited than in Week 3, but many teams still took some form of action. The <a href="https://twitter.com/mikewhitesport/status/914483869486895104">Saints</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/BuzzFeedNews/status/914537602828644352">Jaguars</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AKinkhabwala/status/914535627814850563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fblogs%2Fblog-briefing-room%2Fnews%2F353332-ravens-players-kneel-pray-for-unity-and-justice-before-national">Ravens, and Steelers</a> kneeled before the national anthem at their games. Miami players Kenny Stills, Michael Thomas, and Julius Thomas all kneeled during the anthem in London. Titans receiver Rishard Matthews stayed in the locker room for the anthem, and a few of his teammates—Jurrell Casey, Wesley Woodyard, Brian Orakpo, and DaQuan Jones—raised their fists as the anthem concluded. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/01/sports/nfl-trump-anthem.html?mcubz=1&_r=0">Several other players</a> on the Bills, Lions, Rams, and Browns, also took part in protests during the anthem, either by kneeling or raising a fist. Players on the Vikings, Cowboys, Bengals, Texans, Panthers, and Patriots all stood for the anthem, and some linked arms.</p>
<p id="6kKskU">Cam Newton, after a score in the fourth quarter against the Patriots, raised a fist, seemingly in protest. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s Cam Newton raising his fist after scoring that touchdown. <a href="https://t.co/7VKaxb4itX">pic.twitter.com/7VKaxb4itX</a></p>— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaoloUggetti/status/914572059644125184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a>
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<p id="IrDHcb">But the most conversation-starting demonstration of the day so far may have come from Marshawn Lynch, who donned an “Everybody vs. Trump” shirt before the Raiders-Broncos game.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch wearing an "Everybody vs Trump" T-shirt: <a href="https://t.co/7aiCUbjLUD">pic.twitter.com/7aiCUbjLUD</a></p>— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/914565993569116162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a>
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<p id="598lEF">Later, Lynch was the only Raiders player not to stand for the national anthem before the game—something <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/8/13/16139934/oakland-raiders-marshawn-lynch-sits-during-national-anthem">he’s been doing since the preseason</a>. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Every <a href="https://twitter.com/RAIDERS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Raiders</a> player but Marshawn Lynch stood for the National Anthem here in Denver. <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBSSF</a> <a href="https://t.co/boY2p4ajT7">pic.twitter.com/boY2p4ajT7</a></p>— Vern Glenn (@vernglenn) <a href="https://twitter.com/vernglenn/status/914586476314349573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a>
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<p class="c-end-para" id="QnEeMY">The Raiders delivered one of the most notable protests last week, with roughly <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/raiders/article/Report-Raiders-offensive-line-to-stage-12224416.php">half the team sitting on their bench</a>, arms interlocked, as the national anthem played before their game in Washington, D.C. Lynch, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/look-marshawn-lynch-sits-during-national-anthem-before-raiders-preseason-game/">who also sat during the anthem in preseason games</a>, just opened his Week 4 game with one of the most vocal and explicit protests from a player yet. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/10/1/16393354/marshawn-lynch-everybody-vs-trump-shirt-raiders-broncosRiley McAtee2017-09-28T10:30:18-04:002017-09-28T10:30:18-04:00The Future of Football With Kevin Clark and Bryan Curtis
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<img alt="Donald Trump" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/85vP1tcwAdW57esxuQKe6SUeI6Y=/365x0:3636x2453/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56893525/854299258.1506609018.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Olivier Douliery - Pool/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Kevin Clark and Bryan Curtis discuss Donald Trump’s attacks on the NFL and the recent developments that may allow for the diagnosis of CTE in living patients</p> <div id="2ZRCXJ"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/6gY2VARfyrtyIhlHDLmm98" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="APf0gs"><em>The Ringer</em>’s Kevin Clark and Bryan Curtis predict the effects of recent events from the week in football by questioning what the NFL’s united front in response to President Donald Trump’s comments means (1:21), debating how diagnosing CTE in living people would stifle the popularity of football (11:18), and speculating on whether Trump’s attacks on the NFL will continue (30:17).</p>
https://www.theringer.com/2017/9/28/16378888/donald-trump-nfl-cte-living-patientsBryan CurtisKevin Clark2017-09-27T09:30:02-04:002017-09-27T09:30:02-04:00Why the NBA Trumps the NFL on Athlete Activism
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<figcaption>Getty Images/Ringer illustration</figcaption>
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<p>While the NFL grapples with how to respond to the president’s rebukes, the NBA is already leading the way once again</p> <p id="IQh43A">On Monday morning, Washington Wizards point guard John Wall made a trenchant observation about the different ways the NFL and the NBA respond to issues involving race.</p>
<p id="GqZpgn">“Most of our franchise guys, the big-time players in our league, are African Americans,” Wall <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/912350772259631104">said</a>. He then listed off some names—Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and, finally, LeBron James. He pointed out that, in college football, it’s common to see quarterbacks who are black. But “when they get to the NFL, what do they try to do? Change our position. Why? Because franchise guys are quarterbacks. So you have guys like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers. … Until those guys come out and speak, I don’t think the NFL is going to make any adjustments.” </p>
<p id="CsAOVf">Wall was far from the only NBA figure to speak out this week. The loudest voices belonged to the league’s most emblematic figures: Steph Curry, Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, and LeBron James.</p>
<div class="c-float-left"><aside id="Ygfgog"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Only One Side of the NFL Protest Debate Is Worth Listening To","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/26/16365282/protest-debate-colin-kaepernick-alejandro-villanueva-police-brutality"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="upb1Me">LeBron is uniquely positioned to be the NBA’s elder statesman. He is the greatest NBA player since Michael Jordan (who studiously avoided political statements during his storied career). A three-time champion and a four-time MVP, James has succeeded at the highest levels. At 32 years old, he’s been in the public eye for half his life. There’s probably no athlete as skilled at leveraging traditional and social media to send a message. And he’s still the greatest all-around basketball player alive. James had one of the best statistical seasons of his career last year, averaging a near triple-double—26 points and just shy of nine rebounds and nine assists per game. </p>
<p id="c3cvPS">At Cavaliers media day, LeBron was asked about his response to President Donald Trump’s comments referring to any NFL player who kneels for the national anthem as a “son of a bitch.” </p>
<p id="eYDGqN">“The thing that frustrated me and pissed me off a little bit is the fact that he used the sports platform to try to divide us, and sports is so, so amazing,” James <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lebron-james-donald-trump-nba-nfl-comments-sports-platform-divide-us/">said</a>. “What sports can do for everyone, no matter the shape or size or race or ethnicity or religion or whatever. People find teams, people find players, people find colors because of sport, and they just gravitate toward that and they just make them so happy. And it brings people together like none other.”</p>
<p id="U9bn4d">Sports are thought of as a refuge from life’s problems—great and small. That’s broadly correct, but upon closer inspection not precise enough. Sports are life simplified. Issues of race, gender, governance, authority, and patriotism, among many other concerns, are present in sports and have been for a long time. You don’t have to squint that hard to see football as a stand-in for warfare. Boxing and MMA aren’t metaphors at all; they’re just expressions of violence according to a set of rules. It’s probably more accurate to say that sports—and games in general—are a framework for engaging with complex issues in the most simplistic, and therefore safest, possible way, disconnected from any larger cultural context. Like everything else in sports, these issues are presented according to a strict set of rules. And these rules naturally reflect the point of view of the rich white men who fostered them. </p>
<p id="eKZQhk">It’s no surprise, then, that for many, a giant American flag unfurling on a football field while fighter jets scream overhead isn’t seen as an overtly political statement. It’s simply the standard opening to the proceedings, codified over several decades. But not an eternal one. The inclusion of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as part of the ceremonies for the 1918 World Series, toward the end of World War I, “went a long way to making the (song) the national anthem,” <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/07/03/world-series-key-love-affair-with-national-anthem/J4XmvKVNXp69P4EQEU8piK/story.html">according to Major League Baseball historian John Thorn</a>. In 1931, President Hoover signed a bill making the song the United States’ national anthem. Only six years earlier, more than 50,000 Klu Klux Klan members—men and women, many carrying American flags—paraded through Washington, D.C., a potent reminder that symbols can mean different things to different people.</p>
<p id="7CllrR">“The Star-Spangled Banner” became an official part of the professional football experience at the end of World War II. <a href="https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1945/08/23/113128222.html?pageNumber=19">On August 22, 1945</a>, NFL commissioner Elmer Layden and Washington Redskins owner George Marshall visited the White House, where they presented President Truman with a pass, engraved in gold, to attend Redskins games. (By 1961, the Redskins were the only team in the NFL without a black player; <a href="http://www.espn.com/page2/wash/s/2002/0305/1346021.html">Marshall said his team</a> would sign black players “when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites.”) No president had ever attended a professional football game, but Truman said he planned on doing so, schedule allowing. Layden took the opportunity to announce that the league would soon return to its pre-war roster limits (from 28 players back to 33), and that “The Star-Spangled Banner” would henceforth be a permanent part of every game. Today, any divergence from that very straight, white-male standard, or any acknowledgment of the circumstances of its creation, is regarded as a “distraction.”</p>
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<p id="p9t9pw">In the NBA, the constraints of pageantry exist, but they’re easier to surmount. Numerous NFL owners—including Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, Rams owner Stan Kroenke, and Jets owner Woody Johnson—donated significant sums to the Trump inaugural committee. And many NBA owners supported the now-president as well. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s company donated $750,000 to Trump’s inauguration committee; James Dolan gave money and had the Rockettes, who largely <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/arts/dance/rockettes-inauguration-trump.html?mcubz=0&_r=0">opposed the president</a>, perform at his inauguration. Betsy DeVos, whose family owns the Orlando Magic, is President Trump’s secretary of education. Kroenke also owns the Denver Nuggets. Peter Holt, who owns the San Antonio Spurs, donated to Trump’s fundraising committee. But in the NBA, the power to set the game’s agenda is in the hands of the players, not the owners. The league could not function without the participation of its superstars, nearly all of whom are black. </p>
<p id="bRUyZU">The structure of the NBA makes it easier for fans to connect with players. They don’t wear bulky helmets and body-anonymizing pads. NBA players have longer careers, are subject to fewer physical hazards, and enjoy the security of guaranteed contracts. There are only 12 active players on a basketball team and only 10 on the court at one time. And while the NFL is a league of teams, the NBA has always promoted its stars over everything. When the Minneapolis Lakers traveled to New York City for a game in 1949, Madison Square Garden’s marquee read “<a href="http://www.nba.com/encyclopedia/finals/Mikan_v_Knicks.html">George Mikan vs. the Knicks</a>.” Thirteen of the 100 most famous athletes in the world are NBA players, per ESPN, compared with eight (six of whom are quarterbacks) for the NFL. LeBron James (no. 2, behind Cristiano Ronaldo), Kevin Durant (no. 8), and Steph Curry (no. 11) are the only American team sport athletes in the top 20. The highest-ranked NFL player is Tom Brady (natch)—all the way down at 21, behind Japanese tennis pro Kei Nishikori.</p>
<p id="jKIKZk">NFL teams’ ongoing, unofficial ostracization of Colin Kaepernick, who began quietly protesting police brutality and inequality during the Obama administration by kneeling during the national anthem, is the best example of the differences between the two leagues. There is <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/page/Barnwellx170918/nfl-quality-play-worse-2017-colin-kaepernick-make-better">no historical precedent </a>for a player of Kaepernick’s abilities not getting a shot at an NFL roster. As my former colleague Bill Barnwell wrote, “It’s close to impossible to make an argument against Colin Kaepernick starting for a handful of NFL teams right now, let alone being on an NFL roster.” If Kaepernick were an NBA player, he’d be a top-tier backup point guard. A younger Shaun Livingston. If a player with those proven abilities, with a similarly controversial public profile, were available to NBA teams, he’d get signed. The Spurs just tried to sign him and he doesn’t even exist. </p>
<p id="m3COZn">On Sunday morning, Aaron Rodgers posted a picture to Instagram of him <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZbPT6blpQl/?hl=en&taken-by=aaronrodgers12">kneeling with three Packers teammates</a>—a clear suggestion that he supported the protests, which began as statements against police brutality. Some time later, Tom Brady’s (who kept a “Make America Great Again” hat on display in his locker two seasons ago) Instagram account commented on the post with an arm flex emoji. Both quarterbacks locked arms with teammates on the sideline, but neither took a knee during the national anthem.</p>
<p id="FYZGGz">“[Trump] doesn’t understand the power that he has for being the leader of this beautiful country,” James said at media day. “He doesn’t understand how many kids, no matter the race, look up to the president of the United States for guidance, for leadership, for words of encouragement. He doesn’t understand that, and that’s what makes me more sick than anything.” </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="RBLjie">LeBron, along with fellow NBA stars Stephen Curry (an endorser of Under Armour, whose CEO, Kevin Plank, was an outspoken Trump supporter and sat on the president’s advisory council on manufacturing until August), Wall, and Bradley Beal, and coaches Popovich and Kerr, addressed the topic in no uncertain terms. “The people run this country,” James said. “Not one individual. And damn sure not him.”</p>
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https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/9/27/16372580/nba-nfl-trump-activismJason Concepcion2017-09-26T15:02:58-04:002017-09-26T15:02:58-04:00On NFL Player Protests and the Opportunity to Create Meaningful Change
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<img alt="Miami Dolphins v New York Jets" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cXvKbLTHJ8HiGLafVdzOxmKXTic=/0x0:4157x3118/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56864163/853092052.0.jpg" />
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<p>Plus: the Titans are surging and the tanking Bills have the league’s best defense</p> <div id="6f6kgO"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/3et8IC45ZUhrwVAW9XLvMl" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p class="c-end-para" id="p94WNI"><em>The Ringer</em>’s Robert Mays and Kevin Clark recap Week 3 in the NFL, including how this weekend’s player protests created a real opportunity for meaningful change (03:00) and how the game on the field has become impossible to predict. Then the guys discuss why the Titans are who we thought they were (10:00), how the Patriots are the kings of making a play every time they need to (19:15), and how one Cowboys defender affects the game on every single down he plays (26:30). Plus, Danny Kelly joins the show to explain why the tanking Bills have the best defense in the league (32:45). Finally, Robert and Kevin explore the rift between President Donald Trump and the players, and how it isn’t going away anytime soon (45:00).</p>
<p id="SqI6mi"><strong>Subscribe: </strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ringer-nfl-show/id1109282822?mt=2">Apple Podcasts</a> / <a href="https://art19.com/shows/the-ringer-nfl-show">Art19</a> / <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/ringer-nfl-show">Stitcher</a> / <a href="https://www.theringer.com/rss/the-nfl-show/index.xml">RSS</a></p>
https://www.theringer.com/2017/9/26/16369414/nfl-show-player-protests-creating-changeRobert MaysKevin ClarkDanny Kelly