WHEN SPORTS MEET POLITICS
Sunday’s show of solidarity and protest around the NFL will not be soon forgotten
It might take a while for everyone to digest what went down in the NFL on the weekend.
Was it one of the strangest, unlikeliest series of events in pro sports history? Well, yeah.
The president of the United States called a group of NFL players “sons of bitches” and demanded their firing, for protesting against racial inequality. Many teams held special meetings to discuss how to respond, owners included, with some owners even standing during the anthem on the field, armin-arm with players. More than 200 players knelt during Sunday’s pre-game anthems, ESPN reported.
That’s uncommon news, all right.
Was it also a weekend that unified some teams? Undoubtedly. Buffalo Bills players, for instance, talked glowingly about their team meeting with ownership, team personnel and coaches.
“Everybody came together as one,” Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes told me. “We are Americans, we’re here to embody one.”
The Bills went out and upset previously undefeated Denver, 26-16.
One club, however, the Pittsburgh Steelers, insisted its players remain in the tunnel during the anthem at Chicago’s Soldier Field. That didn’t appear to sit well with players, and on Monday quarterback Ben Roethlisberger confirmed as much.
“I was unable to sleep last night,” Roethlisberger wrote on his personal website, bigben7. com. “The idea was to be unified as a team when so much attention is paid to things dividing our country, but I wish we approached it differently. We did not want to appear divided on the sideline with some standing and some kneeling or sitting.”
Roethlisberger suggested he would not have knelt or sat, and that moving forward “I hope standing for the anthem shows solidarity as a nation, that we stand united in respect for the people on the front lines protecting our freedom and keeping us safe.”
Along that line, was it also a weekend that dismayed onceloyal NFL fans even more? On both sides of the border? Possibly. Probably. I heard from a few Canadians and Americans alike vowing as much.
On Monday morning, the NFL’s executive vice-president of communications, Joe Lockhart — a former White House press secretary for, of all presidents, Hillary Clinton’s husband Bill — discussed some of the fallout issues on a conference call with reporters.
Has the league spoken with anyone at the White House since Trump dropped his first “sons of bitches” bomb on Friday night?
“I’d say there’s been an extraordinary amount of dialogue between the commissioner and the owners, the coaches, the players; there’s been none with the White House,” Lockhart said.
“The president has chosen his form of dialogue, which is Twitter, (with) statements that I’m not sure a sensible review of the facts would support.
“If the president wants to engage in something positive, and productive and constructive, he knows our number.”
Lockhart said he had not heard that any of the league’s business sponsors or partners raised a “single issue” about Sunday’s mass pre-game protests, or shows of unity.
I asked Lockhart, following statements made Sunday by several NFL owners praising and supporting players for “respectful” displays of protesting, whether kneeling or sitting during the anthem qualified as such.
“Yeah,” he said. “Nothing’s changed. We at the league believe strongly in respecting the people who protect the liberties in this country, and we believe — and it’s certainly our hope — that people stand during the national anthem. But we also respect their right to make a personal statement or an expression of their personal beliefs.”
Lockhart said the league is “committed” to continuing to play the Star Spangled Banner before games. And the “players and the league are in unison. The real effort here is to make progress in the community on issues of inequality. We are together on that. …
“You’ll hear from players this week, you’ll hear from owners this week. This is about going from protests to progress.”
TREND, NOT COINCIDENCE
It happened again, so it probably will happen again.
1. Three games, three stinkers for the New England defence. And the most recent — against Houston and rookie QB Deshaun Watson — should perhaps send the loudest alarm bells yet in Foxborough. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick hardly ever loses to a rookie QB, and it was only because of some heroics uncommon even for Tom Brady that the Pats eked out a 36-33 win. New England ranks last in the NFL in total yards (461) and passing yards (331) allowed per game.
On the other hand, the Patriots far and away lead the league in total offence (441 yards per game, 41 more than second-place Minnesota) and passing offence (340 per game, 49 more than second-place Green Bay). Only the L. A. Rams (?!) are scoring more points per game (36) than the Patriots (33).
2. The Baltimore Ravens defence tied for the league lead last season with 18 interceptions. This season, they’re far in the lead, with eight; Detroit has seven and no other team has more than four. So, since the beginning of 2016, the Ravens have picked off 26 passes, with Kansas City (with 22) the only team with more than 19.
HERO
Case Keenum, QB, Minnesota Vikings.
The journeyman backup is a veritable jinx wherever he goes (Texans twice, Rams twice, now Vikes), because since 2012 he always seems to be replacing an injured or failing starter. Well, in subbing for injured Sam Bradford on Sunday, Keenum was spectacular against Tampa Bay, completing 25 of 33 passes for a career-high 369 yards, three touchdowns and no picks in a 34-17 win.
STOCK UP
Jacksonville Jaguars. Their defence leads the NFL with 13 QB sacks, rookie Leonard Fournette has helped to revive an awful run game, and the Jags can improve to 3-1 with a win Sunday at the New York Jets. Wow. This is a team that, annually since 2011, has won five, two, four, three, five and three games. Even QB Blake Bortles is playing better.
STOCK DOWN
Oakland Raiders offence. Has there been a more shocking performance by any offence or defence than that of Oakland’s supposedly juggernaut attack Sunday night in Washington? Seven first downs, 18 yards rushing by Marshawn Lynch, 118 yards passing by Derek Carr and an NFL-season-low 128 total yards. A pathetic effort that can’t help but stick in their minds.
TOUGH LUCK FOR CANUCK
Hard-luck Canadian NFLer Brent Urban has suffered his third major injury in four years in the league.
After missing most of his first two pro seasons with a torn ACL in 2014 and torn biceps in 2015, the Mississauga, Ont., native gradually increased his role as a penetrating defensive end in the Baltimore Ravens’ 3-4 defence to the point he began this season as a starter.
But in Sunday’s loss in London, England, to Jacksonville, Urban suffered a serious foot injury. On Monday, head coach John Harbaugh said it’s a Lisfranc injury — usually a fracture of a metatarsal in the top, central area of the foot that typically requires nine to 15 months of healing.
The 2014 fourth-round draft pick had four tackles and a pass knock-down this season.
The Ravens have placed 15 players on injured reserve this year, and by NFL rule can bring back only two later in the season.
SPROLES OUT
The Philadelphia Eagles have lost valuable running back and returner Darren Sproles for the season.
Head coach Doug Pederson on Monday said Sproles broke a forearm and tore an ACL in Sunday’s victory over the New York Giants.
“Double whammy on a play,” Pederson said. “But, yeah, unfortunate. … It’s a devastating loss with the punt return, the special teams aspect of it (too).”
DAZN TROUBLES
Social media complaints kept-acomin’ Sunday, following another uneven day of the DAZN streaming service to Canada, at least according to some subscribers.
The usual complaints filled up DAZN Twitter timelines during Sunday’s game — everything from time lags, to constant rebuffering, to terrible low-def picture, to sound issues, to game availability complaints.
The NFL issued no comment on Monday.
DAZN did not issue an update or apology to subscribers, like last week, when the Englandbased streaming service apologized with a $20 refund to Canadian NFL subscribers for the troubles.