Washington Redskins running back Adrian Peterson said he will kneel during the national anthem this season to protest racial injustice, and he doesn't plan to be the only player to do so.
Peterson made his feelings known to the Houston Chronicle in the aftermath of the comments made by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who said that players were "disrespecting the flag" by kneeling during the anthem. Brees later apologized for his comments.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested racial injustice in the United States by kneeling during the anthem in the 2016 season. Kaepernick has yet to sign with an NFL team since opting out of his contract with the 49ers in 2017.
"Years ago, seeing Kaepernick taking a knee, now we're all ready to take a knee together going into this season without a doubt," Peterson said.
When asked by the Houston Chronicle if he will take a knee, Peterson replied: "Without a doubt, without a doubt."
The NFL adopted a policy in 2018 that required players to stand for the national anthem, but allowed them to stay in the locker room during it if they chose. The league has since pulled the policy back after an agreement with the NFL Players Association.
Peterson, who played 10 seasons (2007-16) with the Minnesota Vikings, contends that more players will be taking a knee this season following national protests over the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.
"We've got to put the effort in as a group collectively. Are they going to try to punish us all? If not, playing football is going to help us save lives and change things, then that's what it needs to be," Peterson told the newspaper.
Peterson, 35, is currently fifth on the all-time rushing list with 14,216 yards.
Peterson was a team captain and led Washington in attempts (211), rushing yards (898) and rushing touchdowns (5) last season.
Peterson has played in 164 career games. He currently ranks No. 8 in rushing attempts (3,036), No. 4 in rushing touchdowns (111) and No. 8 in yards per game (86.7) in NFL history.
Next up on the rushing list would be Barry Sanders, who is 1,053 yards ahead of Peterson and fourth on the all-time rushing list.
Peterson is 12 rushing touchdowns behind Marcus Allen for third all-time.
-reuters-
SAN FRANCISCO -- Nike has taken a stand against racism with a "Don't do it" campaign, a twist on its famous catch phrase, as protests against police brutality spread across the United States.
"For once, Don't Do It... Don't pretend there's not a problem in America," the US sports apparel giant said in a video posted to Twitter late Friday.
The message came as protesters across the United States took to the streets against the treatment of George Floyd, an African American who died in the hands of police in Minneapolis earlier this week.
In a rare sign of solidarity, competitor Adidas retweeted the video, with a message stating: "Together is how we move forward. Together is how we make change."
Floyd's death on Monday was captured in a horrifying cellphone video now seen around the world, in which a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes until well after he went motionless, while three other officers stood by.
"Don't turn your back on racism. Don't accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don't make any more excuses. Don't think this doesn't affect you," Nike said in the video, in which white words appear across a black background.
The campaign hardly marks the first time Nike, whose "Just Do It" slogan is known worldwide, has waded into US social justice issues.
In September 2018, Nike made waves when it released an advertising campaign featuring US football player and activist Colin Kaepernick, criticized for kneeling during the US national anthem at games in protest at racism.
Agence France-Presse
CHARLOTTE -- LeBron James applauded former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick for resolving a standoff with the league over collusion claims in a settlement announced on Friday.
"It's important to stick up for what you believe in. I stand with Kaep. I kneel with Kaep," James said. "I feel what he was talking about, nobody wanted to listen to. Nobody ever wanted to really actually understand where he was coming from."
"Anybody that would sacrifice their livelihood for the better of all of us, I could respect that. He's done that. You got a guy that basically lost his job because he wanted to stand for something that was more than just him," said James.
"I'm happy to see the news come out yesterday that he won his suit. I hope it's a hell of a lot of money that could set not only him up, set his family up, set his grandkids up for the rest of their lives," he added.
"And I hope the word of what he did will live on throughout American history, but also world history, because it's important for all of us, not only African Americans but for everybody that wants to stand up for something that's more important than them."
James was swarmed by hundreds of media Saturday morning at All-Star Media Day at Bojangles Coliseum, south of downtown Charlotte, where he touched on topics ranging from social justice to his favorite pregame tunes.
Appearing Sunday in his 15th consecutive All-Star Game, James said he has realized in recent years his role includes being an outspoken advocate and voice for those who feel silenced.
James had his own media clash with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who infamously told James to "shut up and dribble" rather than share his political opinions and viewpoints. James described the overwhelming urge to stand up as a feeling that overtook his body.
"I knew at that moment, I knew that it was bigger than basketball and I had to say something," James said. "It wasn't just about me. It was about all of us. It'd be like telling [the media] to ‘shut up and just write.' You guys not having a platform. Or just shut up and be a doctor, just shut up and be a lawyer, or just shut up and be a teacher, or just shut up and do whatever your occupation is."
:I just think that's unfair to all of us because we are so much more than what our occupation says or what our name tag says."
James' All-Star Game teammate Kevin Durant -- who recently went eight days without a sitdown press conference -- also said he backs Kaepernick and wants all players to be able to voice their opinions without fear of media and fan backlash.
"I think it's good for athletes to stand up for what they believe in," said Durant, the first player chosen by James in the captain's draft for Sunday's game. "A lot of people don't agree with what Kaep is doing, but I do, and I'm going to stand behind him."
In 14 career ASG showings, James has let his play do the talking.
His ASG averages of 24.5 points, 6.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds, including MVP honors last year, are his statement of what it means to be in the NBA's showcase event.
He said he can't even dream up the words to tell fans how he feels about being back, and never will take it for granted.
"For us to be here in Charlotte, I'm very appreciative of this moment. To be recognized as one of the best players in this league, voted me in as an All-Star starter, it means a lot," James said. "It's always an honor. I'm at a loss for words."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick is ready and willing to play for the Washington Redskins if they have interest in signing him, Yahoo Sports reported on Sunday.
Yahoo cited two sources close to Kaepernick saying he is willing to play for any of the league's teams, including Washington.
Asked if Kaepernick would play for the Redskins as soon as Week 15, a source told Yahoo, "He's a professional Super Bowl-caliber quarterback and in the best shape of his life and he would play if given the opportunity on any NFL team."
Some have speculated that Kaepernick would not be interested in playing for the team owned by Dan Snyder, both because of Snyder's opposition to players who have knelt during the national anthem and because of the team's controversial nickname and logo.
Washington head coach Jay Gruden told reporters this week the team had discussed Kaepernick as an option after losing its top two quarterbacks -- Alex Smith and Colt McCoy -- to injury, but concluded it would be too difficult to fit Kaepernick into the offense quickly.
"There's not a lot of time to get a brand-new quarterback and system installed in a couple of days," Gruden said. "He's been talked about, but we'll probably go in a different direction."
ESPN reported Sunday morning that no NFL teams, including Washington, have reached out to Kaepernick. Yahoo confirmed that the Redskins have not contacted Kaepernick.
Washington signed Mark Sanchez on Nov. 19 after Smith went down, then added Josh Johnson -- who hadn't thrown a pass in an NFL game since 2011 -- this week after McCoy was hurt Monday.
Sanchez started Sunday's 40-16 loss to the New York Giants but was benched in the third quarter after going 6-of-14 passing for 38 yards and two interceptions.
Johnson led two scoring drives and was 11-of-16 passing for 195 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while rushing for 45 yards and a score.
Gruden told reporters afterward that the team would get Johnson ready to start next week at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the national anthem in August of 2016 as a form of protest against racial injustice, has an active collusion grievance against the NFL alleging owners conspired to keep him from being signed.
He has been a free agent since early in 2017.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Colin Kaepernick used social media to thank the first two players who knelt during the playing of the United States national anthem on the opening Sunday of the National Football League season.
Miami Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson were the only players reported to kneel before the eight early games kicked off.
"My Brothers @kstills and @ithinkisee12 continue to show their unwavering strength by fighting for the oppressed!" Kaepernick said in a Twitter post accompanied by a picture of the two players kneeling.
"They have not backed down, even when attacked and intimidated. Their courage will move the world forward!
"Love is at the root of our resistance!"
Kaepernick is the most visible face among NFL players who have been using the anthem over the past two years to protest against social injustice and police brutality.
The issue has remained in the spotlight with U.S. President Donald Trump highly critical of the protesting players.
The NFL owners in May approved a rule requiring players to either stand on the field for the anthem or remain in the locker room, but the policy is on hold pending discussions with the NFL Players Association.
Kaepernick is no longer in the league, but remains in the headlines.
He voices a new Nike commercial that was unveiled during the first game of the NFL season between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons on Thursday.
If Kaepernick is not backing down as the leader of the player protest movement, then neither is Trump.
On Sunday morning, Trump tweeted a reference to U.S. television ratings for Thursday's game, which started late due to bad weather.
"Wow, NFL first game ratings are way down over an already really bad last year comparison," Trump said.
"Viewership declined 13%, the lowest in over a decade. If the players stood proudly for our Flag and Anthem, and it is all shown on broadcast, maybe ratings could come back? Otherwise worse!"
source: news.abs-cbn.com
NEW YORK -- Nike's new ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick -- the American football player turned activist against police violence -- takes a strong stance on a divisive issue which could score points with millennials but risks alienating conservative customers.
The ads prompted immediate calls for Nike boycotts over Kaepernick, who has been castigated by President Donald Trump and other conservatives over his kneeling protests.
The sporting goods giant is using the former NFL quarterback as the face of its new "Just Do It" campaign, launched to mark the 30th anniversary of the iconic slogan.
The former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick has been effectively blacklisted by the NFL after kneeling during the US national anthem in 2016 in solidarity with the "Black Lives Matter" movement.
"While it is noble to take a stand on something, it is also commercially imprudent to dash headlong into a very sensitive issue which polarizes opinion," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail.
"Although the company's stand may go down well on its native West Coast, it will be far less welcome in many other locations."
Shares of the blue-chip company finished down 3.2 percent at $79.60 Tuesday.
But Nike's move also drew praise in some prominent circles, including former CIA director and leading Trump critic John Brennan, as well as sports journalist Jemele Hill, who have praised Kaepernick for taking a stand against police slayings of unarmed black men.
Picking Kaepernick may turn off some customers, but it likely will strengthen the company's standing with others, including non-whites and millennials, said Kelly O'Keefe, professor of brand management at Virginia Commonwealth University
"It's a dangerous move in that I'm certain there is already a boycott under way, but in the case of Nike I think those most likely to boycott are not likely to be their core audience," O'Keefe said in a telephone interview.
"I think their core audience is likely to be not only supportive of this, but even more enamored of the brand for their willingness to take this stand."
- Choosing sides? -
While Kaepernick is not an active player for the league, he has nearly two million Twitter followers and his jersey was still the 39th best-seller in last year's season.
He tweeted the new Nike advert, featuring a close up of his face, with the words: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything," above Nike's trademark "swoosh" and "Just do it."
The ad was unveiled just days before the kick-off of the 2018 NFL season on Thursday.
The US president has repeatedly and harshly criticized Kaepernick and other NFL players who have protested during the National Anthem as unpatriotic, calling for them to be fired.
Trump told the Daily Caller, a conservative website, that Nike sent a "terrible message" with the Kaepernick ad. But Trump also said companies in the US have "certain freedoms to do things that other people think you shouldn't do," according to an interview published late Tuesday afternoon.
It was a restrained response for the president who has taken to Twitter many times to blast companies he views as crossing him.
He slammed iconic American motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson after it announced plans to move some manufacturing capacity overseas because of tariffs enacted in response to Trump's tough trade policies.
But Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz said Nike was "on the wrong side of the American people."
US political polarization has been a growing topic at advertising industry conferences, prompting debate on whether it is still possible or viable to try to appeal to the entire market and avoid alienating consumers.
Brands like Cheerios and Coca-Cola have faced some blowback over earlier campaigns that expressed support for gays and lesbians and for immigrants.
But Nike's Kaepernick spot may go further because it could be seen as directly responding to Trump, O'Keefe said.
"I don't think they (Nike) would have chosen to get into this fight if they could have avoided it," O'Keefe said. "They have been drawn into this fight."
One factor in Nike's move may be the influence of other popular and powerful Nike-sponsored athletes, such as basketball superstar LeBron James, who has frequently clashed with Trump.
Another leading Nike star, Serena Williams praised Kaepernick and fellow former 49er Eric Reid for their political stances at the US Open last week.
Kevin Plank, chief executive of Nike rival Under Armour, faced tough questioning from star athletes including Steph Curry and ballerina Misty Copeland after praising Trump early in his presidency.
But Nike appeared willing to stand by the football player. ESPN reported that Nike had kept Kaepernick, who signed a sponsorship deal with the company in 2011, on its payroll throughout the controversy of the past two years.
"We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward," said Gino Fisanotti, Nike's vice president of brand for North America.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
NEW YORK -- With racial tensions casting a pall over American football, rap mogul Diddy wants to buy the Carolina Panthers and become the first African American owner of an NFL team.
The New York rapper, estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $820 million, voiced his interest as Panthers owner and founder Jerry Richardson stepped down in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.
"I would like to buy the @Panthers. Spread the word," tweeted Diddy, who is also known as Puff Daddy and whose real name is Sean Combs.
Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, began a movement of players kneeling rather than holding their hearts during the national anthem as a protest against police brutality and other racial injustices in the United States.
Kaepernick no longer has a job -- retaliation, his supporters say, for his outspoken politics -- and President Donald Trump has seized on the issue, demanding that owners punish athletes who do not stand for the anthem.
Amid Trump's attacks on the athletes, Curry, a history-making shooter for the Golden State Warriors, said he would not want to visit the White House with his NBA championship-winning team.
While more than two-thirds of players in the National Football League are black, only one team has an owner who is an ethnic minority -- the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are owned by Pakistani-born tycoon Shahid Khan.
Only one team in all of professional sports has a black owner -- the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, whose controling interest is held by basketball legend Michael Jordan.
Still, Diddy would face forbidding odds to buy the Panthers. The move would need approval from other NFL owners, some of whom might be loath to a deal that gives a role to Kaepernick.
The hard-living Diddy has also had his own share of controversy, including his arrest on weapons charges after a 1999 shooting at a New York club, although he was acquitted.
Diddy, 48, was ranked the world's top-paid celebrity on the last Forbes list in June, raking in $130 million in the previous year.
Outside of music, his business empire includes fashion lines and a stake in French-made Ciroc vodka.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
The NFL proposed joining with its players in a bid to spur social justice change, although not all players are on board with the proposal.
The league submitted the final draft of the proposal to players on Monday that would contribute nearly $100 million to causes considered important to African-American communities.
The NFL is seeking an agreement that players will stand for the anthem in return and put an end to the controversial movement that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began last season.
Players are expected to discuss the proposal during a scheduled conference call Wednesday night. If they accept the league's proposal, then the owners would vote to complete the deal at the annual league meetings in March, according to ESPN.
National funding as part of the league's current plan would offer 25 percent to the United Negro College Fund and another 25 percent to Dream Corps. The Players Coalition, which has filed for paperwork for nonprofit status, would get the remaining 50 percent.
Two players already have expressed displeasure with the NFL's proposal and plan to part from the Players Coalition, a group of approximately 40 players. Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and former NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin are viewed as the leaders of the Players Coalition.
San Francisco safety Eric Reid and Miami Dolphins safety Michael Thomas said they are withdrawing by releasing the same statement on Wednesday.
"With much thought and consideration, I've decided to officially withdraw my involvement in The Players Coalition founded by Malcolm Jenkins and Anquan Boldin," the statement read.
"The Players Coalition was supposed to be formed as a group that represents NFL athletes who have been silently protesting social injustices and racism. However, Malcolm and Anquan can no longer speak on our behalf as we don't believe the coalition's beliefs are in our best interests as a whole.
"We will continue to have dialogue with the league to find equitable solutions but without Malcolm and Anquan as our representative."
Reid was the first player to kneel beside Kaepernick last season during the latter's demonstration to shine a light on police brutality and social injustice.
Kaepernick opted out of his deal with the 49ers in the spring and has remained unsigned with some believing he is being blackballed from the league. Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in October accusing teams of collusion.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing the 32 owners of collusion, his legal team announced on Sunday.
Kaepernick has remained unemployed through the first six weeks of the NFL season, even when injuries to other quarterbacks created job openings. He retained attorney Mark Geragos to represent him.
"We can confirm that this morning we filed a grievance under the CBA on behalf of Colin Kaepernick," Geragos said in a statement, in reference to the collective bargaining agreement. "This was done only after pursuing every possible avenue with all NFL teams and their executives.
"If the NFL (as well as all professional sports leagues) is to remain a meritocracy, then principled and peaceful political protests -- which the owners themselves made great theater imitating weeks ago -- should not be punished and athletes should not be denied employment based on partisan political provocation by the Executive Branch of our government. Such a precedent threatens all patriotic Americans and harkens back to our darkest days as a nation. Protecting all athletes from such collusive conduct is what compelled Mr. Kaepernick to file his grievance.
"Colin Kaepernick's goal has always been, and remains, to simply be treated fairly by the league he performed at the highest level for and to return to the football playing field."
The 29-year-old Kaepernick said his agent reached out to all 32 teams to make sure they were aware of his interest in playing this season. He opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason.
Kaepernick has been a controversial figure since he first sat and then knelt during the national anthem before games with the 49ers in the 2016 season. The move was the beginning of what turned into league-wide protests earlier this season after U.S. President Donald Trump made critical comments of players who don't stand for the national anthem.
Kaepernick and his legal team are claiming the owners violated terms of the collective bargaining agreement, specifically a clause that prohibits teams from acting together in regards to a player's employments status.
"No Club, its employees or agents shall enter into any agreement, express or implied, with the NFL or any other Club, its employees or agents to restrict or limit individual Club decision-making," the CBA states, adding that the clause applies to "whether to negotiate or not to negotiate with any player" and "whether to offer or not to offer a Player Contract to any player."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has stated on multiple occasions this season that Kaepernick is not being blackballed.
The Players Association said it will back Kaepernick in his fight against the NFL and is in the process of scheduling a conference call with his advisors for early this week.
"Our union has a duty to assist Mr. Kaepernick as we do all players and we will support him," the NFLPA said in a statement. "The NFLPA has been in regular contact with Mr. Kaepernick's representatives for the past year about his options and our union agreed to follow the direction of his advisors throughout that time."
Among the teams who lost a starting quarterback this season were the Miami Dolphins. In that instance, Miami lured Jay Cutler out of retirement to be its signal-caller, citing a relationship Dolphins head coach Adam Gase and Cutler developed when both were with the Chicago Bears.
The Baltimore Ravens considered Kaepernick when Joe Flacco sustained a training camp injury but ultimately passed on signing him.
The Tennessee Titans needed a quarterback earlier this month when Marcus Mariota was injured. They opted for journeyman Brandon Weeden.
The Green Bay Packers could be in the market this week after losing Aaron Rodgers to a broken collarbone on Sunday.
Kaepernick passed for 2,241 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while fumbling a career-worst seven times with the 49ers last season. He also ran for 468 yards and two touchdowns.
In six NFL seasons, Kaepernick has passed for 12,271 yards with 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, adding another 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Kaepernick, who guided the 49ers to the Super Bowl following the 2012 season, has indicated he would stand for the national anthem this season.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
CHICAGO - Chicago police were thrust Tuesday into a political debate over kneeling during the US national anthem, after a photo of two officers in the protest pose appeared on social media.
The photo was posted Sunday by anti-violence activist Aleta Clark on her Instagram account. By Tuesday it had graced the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper and earned the officers a reprimand.
The kneeling pose during the national anthem is a symbolic protest over racial injustice popularized by American football player Colin Kaepernick.
It has become the object of a public feud between President Donald Trump and the National Football League (NFL).
The Instagram photo showed Clark posing with two uniformed Chicago police officers kneeling with one hand raised in a fist. Clark told AFP she had gone to two police stations to ask officers to pose for the photo.
"I wanted to see if there were officers that were in agreement that racism was wrong and that police brutality was also wrong," Clark said.
Officers at the first station she visited, whom she described as "Caucasian," declined. Two African-American officers at the second station agreed.
"It takes a lot for a person to sacrifice, to possibly jeopardize their careers, for something they believe in. That's heroic," Clark said of the officers.
Chicago, the third largest US city, has one of the highest number of shootings and murders in the country. Its police department also has a strained relationship with black communities, following a history of abuses.
The police department would not name the officers in the photo, but said that their actions had violated department policy.
"We... addressed this in the same way we handled a previous incident of potential political activity while in uniform (officers with a MAGA hat)," police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told AFP by email.
Guglielmi was referring to the acronym for Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.
"The officers will be reprimanded and reminded of the policies concerning appearance and conduct while on-duty and in uniform," he said.
Trump called for players who engage in the kneeling protest to be fired, prompting a public outcry and more than 150 NFL players over the weekend engaging in symbolic protests at games.
nov/jh/
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- Oakland Athletics player Bruce Maxwell has become the first US Major League Baseball player to kneel during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner.
The 26-year-old catcher dropped to his knee in front of the team's dugout before the start of a regular season contest against the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. Maxwell placed his hand over his heart during the anthem and teammate Mark Canha stood next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
Maxwell, who is an African-American, was adding his support to a protest begun by National Football League player Colin Kaepernick in response to the treatment of blacks by American law enforcement.
The Oakland Athletics issued a statement saying the team "prides ourselves on being inclusive" and supports "players' constitutional rights and freedom of expression."
Maxwell's protest comes after US President Donald Trump denounced protests by American pro athletes and rescinded a Washington invitation for NBA champion Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Maxwell, the son of a US army veteran, was born in Wiesbaden, Germany and played high school baseball in Alabama.
The Athletics chose him in the second round of the 2012 MLB entry draft. He has three home runs and 21 runs batted in 71 games this season.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
