Modern Dilemmas of Race and Sport

1. Modern Dilemmas of Race and Sport • By Paul Matli

2. National Anthem Controversies • 1968- Tommie Smith and John Carlos • 1972- Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett are barred from Olympics • 1973- Fans on Long Island boo college athletes • 1973- Madison Square Garden drops the anthem, then reverses • 1996- NBA suspends Mahmoud Abdul Rauf

4. 1968 Olympics • Smith and Carlos after winning gold and bronze raised their black gloves fists to sky in what was widely viewed as a black power salute • United States Olympic Committee suspended them amidst public pressure • Statement from Olympic Officials: The action obviously tempered the behavior of Negro American athletes who were involved in victory ceremonies today. In accepting their medals for their one, two, three sweep of the 400-meter run, Lee Evans, Larry James and Ron Freeman wore black berets, but in no way conducted themselves in a manner to incur official wrath.

5. 1972 Olympics • Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett barred from olympic competition for not facing the flag • Matthews and Collett stood casually, hands on hips, jackets upzipped • Crowd booed after the playing of the anthem

6. 1973: Eastern Michigan • One runner from Eastern Michigan continued warming up during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner • Another one was reclining on the ground • Spectators booed, said throw them out and made racist taunts toward the black athletes • Eastern Michigan got disqualified

7. 1973 MSG • Madison Square Garden didn’t play the National Anthem before the Olympic Invitational track and field meet • Meet director was quoted by NYTimes as saying that playing the anthem wasn’t obligatory because • “It’s purpose and relevance to sports events has never been established

8. 1996 NBA vs Mahmoud • In March 1996 Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (Chris Wayne Jackson) refused to stand for the anthem and was suspended by the NBA • Converted to Islam in 1991 • Said he didn’t believe in standing for any nationalistic ideology

9. Discussion • Do you think Sporting events should play the National Anthem before games?

10. Mahmoud Abdul Rauf • First sat for the anthem during the 1996 season • 22 years later and he still doesn’t stand for it • Was the Colin Kaepernick of the 1990’s

11. Background • 6’1 165 pound guard who attended Louisiana State • Played like a poor mans Stephen Curry • Averaged 30 points per game in college • Entered the NBA draft after his Sophomore year

12. NBA Career • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S81nXwyh-KA • Dropped 51 points against Jason Kidd and scored 32 on Michael Jordan during the 1995-96 season • No one knew about Mahmoud Rauf sitting for the Anthem until he was asked about it from a reporter

13. Reason for Sitting • He said the American flag as a symbol of oppression and racism. • Standing for the Anthem went against his muslim faith. • “You can’t be for god and for oppression. It’s clear in the Quran, Islam is the only way, Rauf said. • “I don’t criticize those who stand, so don’t criticize me for sitting.

14. Aftermath • NBA fined him $32,000 of his $2.6 million salary and suspended him one game. • Reached a compromise which allowed him to stand and pray with his head down. • At the end of 1996 season after averaging 19.8 points and 6.8 assists was traded to the Kings. • Playing time dropped significantly and was out of the league after his contract expired in 1998

15. Time in Europe • Mahmoud Rauf spent six seasons in Europe. • Played in Russia, Italy, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Japan before retiring in 2011.

16. Relation to Kaepernick • Both were talented to play in the league, but the NBA and NFL wanted to set an example • Both viewed the American flag as symbols of oppression • Both angered a majority of their fans

17. Thoughts on his protest • “I want to live and die with a free conscience and a free soul when it’s all said and done. That’s the journey I’m on,” Abdul Rauf said. “I had to make that decision for myself and I found that after I did that, it took off a huge weight. Do you get ridiculed? Do you hear the nonsense? Do people try to assassinate your character? Yes, but when it’s all said and done, you’re like man, I feel good because I know that I’m standing on something that I believe in.” • It’s beautiful to see and it’s going to be hard to stop-Mahmoud Rauf on the growing protest movement lead by Kaepernick

18. Question • Do you support what Mahmoud Abdul Rauf did? • Would you put your career on the line to stand for something you believe in? Why or why not?

19. A Protest Divided • Two factions emerged: Eric Reid/Colin Kaepernick vs Malcolm Jenkins/Anquan Boldin • Jenkins worked with the league to get a 7 year $89 million working toward grassroots social justice movements. • He believed this was a positive step forward

20. A Protest Divided • Reid on the other hand felt like Jenkins sold him out and quit the players coalition. • Russell Okung and Michael Thomas also left the coalition because Jenkins disappointed them. • Reid felt like the players were being paid off to stop protesting instead of the NFL actually looking at the present issues.

21. Protest Divided • “It’s unrealistic to think everyone was going to see eye to eye, but I am encouraged the coalition is alive and well,” Jenkins said. “We have a ton of players that are super interested and excited to get to work to highlight the work they’ve already been doing. • “The players had real leverage,” an NFL Owner said. “ Bu we knew we could sit back and watch them implode.”

22. Discussion • Which side do you agree with: Jenkins or Reid

23. Kaepernicks influence • Kaepernick had every intention of playing in 2017 but knew his protest made things complicated • Chose not to grant any interviews with NFL teams or media • “If you say nothing, nothing can be used against you,” Kaepernick said.

24. Kaepernicks influence • NFL Players Association and Union offered to file a collusion case against the NFL • Kaepernicks team wanted to wait it out instead of speaking out. • Media members, teams and even players in the union criticized Kaepernicks decision to opt out of his contract.

25. Humiliation starts • Kaepernick was passed over by multiple teams with holes at quarterback (Indianapolis, Denver and Miami Dolphins) • NFL executive compares Kaepernick to Rae Carruth who is in prison for killing his wife and conspiracy. • No one defended him when Mike Freeman’s 10 point stance was released which angered his inner circle. • “How could they f***** let that pass? Nobody defended him,” a member of his inner circle said. “You just let them compare one of your players, who had done nothing except try help some of most vulnerable people in this country to a f***** murderer.

26. Kaepernick and Al Sharpton • Al Sharpton said that he would organize a boycott of the NFL if Kaepernick wasn’t signed by week 1 of the NFL season. • Sharpton had two problems though • First was the players seemed prepared to play without a formal response to Kaepernicks situation. • Second was that Kaepernicks cap ignored him during the spring and summer as fans organized spontaneous boycotts in support of him.

27. Question • Al Sharpton said he wasn’t sure if Kaepernick had a strategy. Do you believe Kaepernick should have spoken up throughout this process

28. NFLPA • NFLPA wrestled with it’s own strategy on how to deal with the protests. • They support players rights to protest, but the union believed it’s primary responsibility wasn’t to eradicate police brutality but to protect jobs and increase salaries. • Were afraid if boycotts started the players would lose money and sponsors.

29. DeMaurice Smith • Head of the NFLPA DeMaurice Smith wasn’t happy with his perception in the media • He believed in the right to protest and had an interview with Dave Zirin of the Nation to prove that. • When the NFL said Kaepernick wouldn’t be punished for kneeling, Smith thought that he did his job.

30. President Trump • President Trump and his supporters took notice of the protest and weren’t happy. • Trump, his supporters and Russian Bots all pushed the hash tag stand for the anthem during games. • In Huntsville Alabama he goes off on players and verbally threatens NFL owners. • “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, get that son of a bitch off the field? Out, fired, fired.

31. Trump unites players • For one Sunday the whole NFL was united. • Every team kneeled and did a showing of solidarity • Most players involved with the original protests wondered if this was more to do with Trump than the actual movement. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NPrxcN5gfc

32. Kaepernick files a greivance • Mark Geragos Kaepernicks lawyer files a collusion grievance on his behalf • Claimed Kaepernick was blackballed from the league • This further fractured the relationship between the NFLPA, Kaepernick and Player Coalition

33. Jenkins talking with NFL • As early as the 2017 Preseason Jenkins had been in talks with Goodell about partnering with the NFL on criminal justice initiatives. • He raised his fists like Tommie Smith John Carlos paying tribute to them

34. Players Coalition • NFLPA didn’t want the Players coalition involved with talking to NFL • Jenkins and his crew did anyway • Jenkins wanted the Coalition to be separate from the NFLPA

35. Reid • Reid was always wary of the players coalition even though he joined in 2017 • He didn’t want to work with the NFL because he felt that kneelers like him were taking a much bigger risk. • Reid didn’t feel supported by the NFLPA

36. Reid vs Jenkins part 2 • Reid said the group had agreed that there would be an inclusive leadership structure yet he felt Jenkins had anointed himself leader. • Jenkins says his goal was to have players united to fight issues important to them- like the killings of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling. • “We got this moment, we’re all here for the same reason,” Jenkins said. “We want to see change in black communities. The goal isn’t to protest, the goal is to move beyond the protest and makesome changes.”

37. Players Coalition vs Kaepernick • Mark Geragos went public about Kaepernick not being invited by the players to an October meeting in New York. • Two players in the group didn’t like that Kaepernick had “lawyered up” against the NFL.

38. Chris Long • Avid supporter of Jenkins, Kaepernick and black players protesting. • Donated his entire 2017 salary to his hometown of Charlottesville. • Struggled finding a job during free agency because of his support of Kaepernicks movement.

39. Saga playing out now • Kaepernick has sued the NFL and is in the process of gathering a case against them. • Eric Reid who is in the prime of his career still doesn’t have a job. • Most players have seemingly given up the protests • “We’ll see if the league will keep it’s word or if the players got taken,” a former player said. “But I don’t think they sold out. You know what they did. They bought in.”

40. Discussion • Do you think the players made the right decision to compromise with the NFL? • What do you think the future is for Kaepernicks movement?

41. Nate Boyer • Boyer said he was originally bothered by Kaepernicks protest • Boyer talks about the reaction he got from his former Green Berets

42. Discussion • What was your overall reaction to the four readings? • Did your opinion of protests change or stay the same?