All the Sports Stories You Need to Know This AM
You gotta fight for your right…
The Kaepernick Controversy Continues
Colin Kaepernick of the SF 49ers took his first snaps as a starting quarterback yesterday with a 53-yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter, finishing with 13–29 for 187 yards, the 49ers ultimately losing to the Bills big time 16–45. So… not great. Not at all terrible.
He was welcomed (and “welcomed”) back into the starting spot by some very opinionated Buffalo Bills fans. Some cheered on the controversial QB, sporting signs that read “Bills Fans For Racial Justice.” Other supporters who didn’t have tickets knelt outside the stadium while the national anthem played.
Kap’s kneeling during the national anthem has set off a firestorm since he began doing it in preseason. Kap recently was the subject of ire from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who spoke out against his protest but late last week apologized for doing that.
Bills fans also were protesting head coach Rex Ryan’s support of Donald Trump. (Ryan introduced Trump at a Buffalo rally earlier this year.)
Contract Signed , Shirt Possibly Off
J.R. Smith, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ last remaining free agent is officially off the market. The hater of shirts, BFF of LBJ signed a four-year, $57 million contract to kick off his weekend. Hope the mimosas were flowing, J.R.
So who will the Cavs’ next big, will-he-won’t-he-omg-the-suspense-is-killlling-me free agent be? As Cleveland.com points out, LeBron James’ $100 million contract (for three years, two of which are guaranteed) will be the next one to worry about.
Gulp.
Nigel Hayes Wants College Athletes to Get Their Due
There are always some signs on College GameDay that get people’s attention, and this week, that sign belonged to none other than a Division I star. Wisconsin Badgers star basketball player Nigel Hayes sent a message to the NCAA this weekend with a “Broke College Athlete” sign and a Venmo name where people could send money. Hayes has spoken out about the “whether or not to pay college athletes” dilemma in the past, tweeting about the amount of money the Big Ten Conference makes versus how much his scholarship is worth. The fight for college athletes to get paid is still going strong. However, the Supreme Court decided earlier this month not to hear the Ed O’Bannon case regarding anti-trust laws/what athletes are able to earn.
MLB Postseason Update
The Cleveland Indians are halfway to saving the date for the World Series, winning the first two games of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Chicago Cubs (and sports fans everywhere who feel their pain) are still hopeful about reversing the curse. The LA Dodgers won 1–0 in Sunday’s game tying up the NLCS 1–1.
PS: We ranked the best walk-on songs. Get pumped.
In Memoriam
We’d like to send our condolences to three sports families who lost loved ones this weekend. Olympic runner Tyson Gay’s 15-year-old daughter Trinity was shot and killed yesterday morning. Former NFL player Quentin Groves died in his sleep Saturday at age 32. And 50-year-old former New York Jets defensive lineman Dennis Byrd, who inspired so many by learning to walk again less than a year after a devastating neck injury in a game left him paralyzed, was killed in a car accident Saturday.
Pieces of this article came from Courtney Cohen and Lisa Raphael.
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