Hate mail, unofficial bans and Super Bowls: Long journey of the Black QB

"As with anyone who's studied American history, I know that racism is sewn into the fabric of our country. But in my reporting, it was all the specifics and anecdotes. Like Warren Moon talking about how when he was a starter at the University of Washington, they were booing him before home games. It was Doug Williams telling me about the racist hate mail he got when he was a rookie in Tampa Bay. It was Marlin Briscoe telling me they just gave the job away when he was back in Omaha. I just didn't have a full grasp of how bad the overt racism was."

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/aug/17/hate-mail-unofficial-bans-and-super-bowls-the-long-journey-of-the-black-qb

Opinion | Trump thinks the economy is no longer worth his time. We’ll all pay the price. - The Washington Post

It’s been a busy weekend for President Trump. With millions still out of work thanks to the pandemic, the president was focused on important issues: attacking the Atlantic for reporting that he called fallen soldiers “losers,” demanding that a Fox News reporter be fired for confirming parts of the Atlantic’s story, revising federal agencies’ racial sensitivity trainings and urging the Big Ten conference to play football this fall. You might have noticed that list offered nothing for those looking for work.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/09/06/trump-thinks-economy-is-no-longer-worth-his-time-well-all-pay-price/

High school baptisms must cease, FFRF declares | Freethought Today

After FFRF contacted a high school in Tennessee over an on-field baptism of students, several local and national media covered the issue. A concerned area resident reported that on Aug. 7, Chad Diehl, a minister at Bethlehem Baptist Church and “character coach” for the Springfield High School football team, baptized two players on the school’s football field in front of the rest of the team and coaches. ....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-36-no-08-october-2019/high-school-baptisms-must-cease-ffrf-declares

Beto O'Rourke Grabbed a Political Third Rail—And Electrified His Campaign - The Atlantic

By answering a question most Democratic politicians have refused to touch, the Texas Democrat has tapped into a powerful movement. ....
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/beto-orourke-grabbed-a-political-third-railand-electrified-his-campaign/574057/

Over 40 athletes, coaches, sports commentators, and others explain player protests - YouTube

Conservative commentators and guests have complained that athletes haven’t adequately explained why they’re protesting in the first place. But current and retired professional athletes, student athletes, coaches, sports commentators, and others have explained at length what they are fighting for. Here are over eight minutes of examples....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhUMGJM-tyk

Russian trolls are still using the anthem controversy to sow division on social media - The Washington Post: Analysis

Russia continues to show that it is aware — and willing to exploit — the racial tensions in the United States. ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/11/russian-trolls-are-still-using-anthem-controversy-sow-division-social-media/

Why people are angry over a Washington Post fact check about police shootings - Vox

The article argued that there were "virtually no shootings of unarmed black children" in recent years. ....
https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/8/31/17806216/washington-post-police-shootings-black-children-glenn-kessler-tamir-rice-jordan-edwards

Republican County Secretary Resigns After Calling Kneeling NFL Players "Baboons" - VICE:

In since-deleted Facebook posts, Beaver County Republican Committee secretary Carla Maloney also wrote, "You don't like it here go to Africa see how you like it there."....
https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/pawje8/republican-county-secretary-resigns-after-calling-kneeling-nfl-players-baboons

Phillip Tutor: Prep football, God and the law | Phillip Tutor | annistonstar.com

High school football season has started. And God is at the games. Can’t keep God out. If Christians are present, God’s there. That’s what the Bible says in Matthew. I’m a backsliding Methodist who was married in a Catholic church, but I remember that much.....

https://www.annistonstar.com/columnists/phillip_tutor/phillip-tutor-prep-football-god-and-the-law/article_8c79d312-a732-11e8-9938-bb96f9bd68c6.html

Trump scolds NFL players ‘making $15 million a year’ for mixing politics with sports - The Washington Post: Analysis

President urges players to "go out and play really tough football" — and leave politics to others.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2018/06/15/trump-scolds-nfl-players-making-15-million-a-year-for-mixing-politics-with-sports/

Jake Tapper: Trump lied about the Eagles

CNN's Jake Tapper breaks down President Donald Trump's decision to cancel the White House visit for the NFL Super Bowl champion, the Philadelphia Eagles....
https://youtu.be/rGMQi1ICYA0

Fox host Shep Smith smacks down Trump for repeating lie Eagles didn’t stand during anthem — using Fox News reporting - Raw Story

Immediately following President Donald Trump's flag-waving extravaganza that filled in for the time that was supposed to be devoted to honoring the Philadelphia Eagles for their Super Bowl victory, Fox News host Shep Smith took a shot at Trump for complaining that the players knelt for the anthem during the 2017 season. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/fox-host-shep-smith-smacks-trump-repeating-lie-eagles-didnt-stand-anthem-using-fox-news-reporting/

Fox News fails to recognize prayer - The Washington Post: Opinion

A clueless choice of photos betrays a fundamental Fox News constituency. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/06/05/fox-news-fails-to-recognize-prayer/

Another politician says he’s boycotting the NFL. This time, it’s a Minnesota Democrat. - The Washington Post

Focus on football? The league's latest political headwinds are coming from the left. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/another-politician-says-hes-boycotting-the-nfl--this-time-its-a-minnesota-democrat/2018/05/31/2320a5d6-64dd-11e8-a768-ed043e33f1dc_story.html

One In Four Americans Believe God Decides Outcome Of Sporting Events, Study Says

Football is played by opposing teams of 11 men lined up against each other on a field, but it is widely acknowledged that outcomes can be decided by intangible elements. The average football broadcast contains several references to things like hustle, determination and momentum, for example. But does the sport answer to a higher power? A new study, timed with the imminent Super Bowl, suggested plenty of Americans believe so, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported. ...

http://www.ibtimes.com/one-four-americans-believe-god-decides-outcome-sporting-events-study-says-2649521

Alabama ex-cop says she was tasked with keeping Roy Moore away from cheerleaders at high school games -- Raw Story

A retired Alabama police officer told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday that she had to keep an eye on Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore in the 1980s at local high school football games because he would regularly harass the team's teenage cheerleaders. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/11/alabama-ex-cop-says-she-was-tasked-with-keeping-roy-moore-away-from-cheerleaders-at-high-school-games/

Is it ‘against the law’ for NFL players to kneel for the national anthem, as Roy Moore said? No | PolitiFact

Roy Moore, Alabama's Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate, introduced a new dimension to the debate over NFL players’ protest by claiming that kneeling during the national anthem is illegal. "It’s against the law, you know that?" Moore said in an Oct. 16 interview with Time magazine. "It was a act of Congress that every man stand and put their hand over their heart. That’s the law."....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/oct/19/roy-moore/it-against-law-nfl-players-kneel-national-anthem-r/

An Emboldened KKK Is Utilizing a Deeply Disturbing Recruitment Tool | Alternet

The Ku Klux Klan hopes to recruit future white supremacists at high school football games.....
http://www.newsweek.com/how-kkk-targeting-high-school-students-white-supremacy-recruitment-681886

NFL Players Association has a polite but pointed response to Mike Pence's assault on free speech

Mike Pence carried out a pre-planned, costly publicity stunt on Sunday, traveling hours at taxpayer expense to an NFL game where he knew that players would kneel during the national anthem in order to walk out in a huff over the silent protest. The NFL Players Association responded with remarkable restraint, while making clear just how big the issues here are:....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/9/1705448/-NFL-Players-Association-has-a-polite-but-pointed-response-to-Mike-Pence-s-assault-on-free-speech

Mike Pence protests NFL protest, but stays silent on white supremacist rally -- ThinkProgress.org

Vice President Mike Pence further fueled the row over NFL anti-racism protests today by walking out of a game in protest between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts after players took a knee during the anthem. The Vice President immediately tweeted half a dozen times about it and released a statement....
https://thinkprogress.org/mike-pence-colts-protest-f77a01531332/