Taking a Stand in Week 1

by | Sep 15, 2016 | Uncategorized |

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick continues to dominate the national spotlight by choosing to kneel during the National Anthem at the start of 49ers games. The trend has caught on as more athletes join Kaepernick in his pre-game protest – Fellow 49ers teammate Eric Reid, Miami Dolphins’ Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, Jelani Jenkins and Kenny Stills, and US Women’s National Team’s Megan Rapinoe. This trend that many expected to die down has only gained momentum as the action gets into full swing … Remind you of a certain presidential nominee? This week’s column for The MMQB weaves Colin Kaepernick, Rodger Goodell and Donald Trump together with the 24-hour news cycle. (Disclaimer: No actual political talk involved.)

Week 1 of NFL football also had a lot of people talking about Cam Newton – all 6’5” of him. The Carolina Panthers quarterback took four helmet-to-helmet hits during his team’s 21-20 loss to the Denver Broncos, prompting many of Newton’s teammates to question whether refs were being lenient on calls due to the “Superman’s” above-average size.

Later in the week, former NFLPA President Dominique Foxworth joined me on The Business of Sports podcast to discuss the inner workings of the NFLPA, their involvement in player issues and his journey to the presidency.

Finally, this past Sunday our nation celebrated the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. I took time to remember that day and its effect on the start of the 2001 NFL season.