Blank gives team leeway on anthem
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank believes players should have the right to speak out on important issues even though he isn’t expecting his players to protest during the national anthem this season.
Blank said just like last season, Falcons players have been asked to stand for the national anthem.
He said the Falcons are “very committed to the military.” He also said he believes players have “very significant rights” and appeared to say he wouldn’t fine players for exercising those rights.
Blank said players should be allowed to make their own decisions on what he described as the “complex issue” of standing or kneeling for the national anthem.
“So if you have players who still feel that’s the way they have to express themselves, they will,” he said, adding, “I don’t think you’ll see” protests.
“But it’s far better, in my opinion, to have somebody make those decisions themselves than to hit them over the head with a hammer,” he said.
Dude, where’s my car?
Iowa defensive lineman Brady Reiff was arrested July 21 for public intoxication — to the tune of a .204 blood-alcohol content — after he tried to open the door of a University of Iowa police car that he mistook for an Uber.
Wrote Dwight Perry of
The Seattle Times: “Hawkeye apologists immediately accused the cops of disguising their coverage.”
Tom and Brady
Tom Brady met some adorable little twins as the New England Patriots opened training camp Thursday. And their namesakes made it extremely flattering for the Patriots’ signal caller.
Why? Because the toddler twins are named after him, as one is named “Tom” and the other “Brady.”
Brian and Grace Caffyn, the boys’ parents, live in Hong Kong. Despite the great distance, they maintain their allegiance to the Patriots.
Brian Caffyn says he was inspired to name the twin boys after Brady after the Patriots’ thrilling victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
“They were born like two months after the Seattle game, so I was pretty charged up,” Caffyn said via CBS Boston.
Making matters even more interesting on the themed-name front, Brady Caffyn’s middle name is “Edelman” in honor of the Pats wide receiver Julian Edelman.
Growing pains
Bob Molinaro in the Norfolk
Virginian-Pilot, on Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg turning 30: “Seems like just the other day the big righty was a gangly kid appearing on his first disabled list.”