Super Bowl and political football: Kaepernick vs. Trump & Goodell
Mark Geragos, attorney for Colin Kaepernick, who’s suing the NFL for colluding to prevent him from quarterbacking in the NFL, says the conflict is the result of the owners appeasing Donald Trump. The President urged NFL owners to take decisive action against anyone who “disrespects the flag . . . Get the son of a bitch off the field.” Most of the demonstrators -– pretty much all of them – have been African-Americans who adopted Kaepernick’s gesture of kneeling as the national anthem is played prior to football games – an act that millions of military veterans consider to be disrespectful of their service. “The collusion was actually the NFL kowtowing to the President,” Geragos said on Thursday’s Today Show. “I think the evidence will show that when we do the hearing.”
Dear Colin: Just wondering if you could have procured representation from a more savory attorney than Geragos, former counsel for Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson and Susan McDougal.
Maroon 5 is a band on the run – taking heat for not joining social justice movement
If there’s one distraction the NFL doesn’t need – besides congressional intrusion into its officiating practices – it’s Colin Kaepernick, the most polarizing athlete in North America. The former Super Bowl quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers is blamed for the sport’s 2017 decline of 10% in TV ratings. And even though he’s now rarely seen or heard outside a courtroom and has no more chance of playing in the NFL than most of us, he’s affecting Sunday’s Super Bowl entertainment. Maroon 5, the halftime entertainment, did not show for the press conference to hype their show. Sources close to the band said the withdrawal was a response to a change.org petition from 50,000 progressives urging Maroon 5 to give up the Super Bowl stage entirely. In this game of political football, the petitioners want a powerful statement of support for Kaepernick’s protest of, among other things, police gunning down too many unarmed dark-skinned teenagers. Keyboardist Jesse Carmichael acknowledged to the Associated Press that “this is definitely a controversial year,” but that would not detour him from “the biggest stage you could ever play.” Kaepernick’s attorney, Mark Geragos, accused the band of “crossing an intellectual picket line.” Some music stars urged the Maroons to back out. Including Rihanna, who was the NFL’s first choice for the halftime spectacle. She declined, saying she supported Kaepernick’s protest. Never mind that his kneeling during the national anthem offended an overwhelming majority of the pro football base.
Between the Lines: The NFL is trying to demonstrate that racism has no role in the unemployment of Kaepernick. The same day the NFL canceled their press conference, it announced a donation of $500,000 with Maroon 5 to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America, which provides support to children of all races. Two weeks ago, the league donated $500K, matched by the rapper Travis Scott, to Dream Corps, a non-profit that champions social justice.
Madden game predicts upset by Rams
One of the more accurate prognosticators of Super Bowls is Madden, the video game produced by EA Sports. The simulation game has correctly predicted the winner of 10 of the past 15 Super Bowls. In this year’s edition, the Los Angeles Rams beat the New England Patriots 30-27. Chubby C.J. Anderson rushed for 64 yards, and Aaron Donald sacked Tom Brady four times.
