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Colin Kaepernick stood tall while sitting down, which is not an easy thing to do. In fact, what he did in benching himself for the national anthem on Friday night was the hardest thing he could possibly do.The easy thing? That would be standing silently with his teammates on the San Francisco 49ers sideline, cutting against the grain of his conscience. Nobody wouldve known the difference. Nobody would have reason to challenge his patriotism, to call him all kinds of nasty names, and to remind him, by the way, that he has devolved into a lousy quarterback who should be spending more time with his playbook anyway.But he planted himself among the Gatorade buckets, understanding that in an age of 24/7 surveillance, he would be outed soon enough. Kaepernick didnt strike the kind of dramatic pose made by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City, and that was OK. He made his statement loudly and clearly.I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color, Kaepernick told NFL Medias Steve Wyche, confirming Pro Football Talks original report. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.An unscientific survey of Twitter reaction from players, fans and observers offered more evidence that the country is divided, perhaps still broken, along racial lines. This emerged as the one undisputed truth about a story that will have legs as long as the quarterback doesnt use his during the pregame anthem:Kaepernick is a 28-year-old biracial man who was raised by the white parents who adopted him, and who believes he can no longer remain silent in a country where young, black men are too often shot by overheated cops, and where blacks are forever asked by whites to rise above obstacles that whites themselves created.African-American athletes are often asked (unfairly, perhaps) to speak out on social issues and, well, Kaepernick just did. If you dont like what the man did or said, thats your prerogative. But telling him that what he said and did was un-American is to lose sight of what it means to be an American.In some corners of the globe, Kaepernick might face prison time or worse for publicly disrespecting his country. Only the quarterback didnt disrespect the United States. While pointing out its fatal flaws -- socioeconomic and justice systems still tilted against African-Americans after all these years -- Kaepernick unwittingly reminded the world that the U.S. is still a pretty damn good place to live.His team released a statement praising what the anthem represents but recognizing that Kaepernicks boycott matched up with such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression. His league said players are encouraged but not required to stand for the anthem. His coach, Chip Kelly, said he had no right to tell any player how to honor, or not honor, his country.This is what American servicemen and women have defended here and abroad -- Kaepernicks right to sing the national anthem at the top of his lungs, and to refuse honor it altogether. As long as hes not interfering with his teammates right to make their own red, white and blue choices, whats the problem here?But yes, people had problems. A lot of people. Matt Hasselbeck, former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst, tweeted this of Kaepernicks move: Easy way to make sure youre NOT the starting QB on opening day. #Sept. 11.On the job front, perhaps some broad-minded Niners players, coaches and executives were less concerned with the real-world distraction theyd have to deal with and more impressed by the fact Kaepernick showed some courage and leadership at great personal risk. If they take football away, my endorsements from me, Kaepernick said, I know that I stood up for what is right.On the Sept. 11 hashtag front, I remember standing near the smolder at Ground Zero?when an African-American cab driver from Queens told me he believed the terrorist attacks would spell the end of racism in America. He thought a common enemy would bring white and black together, and I recall thinking it was one of the nicest things I had ever heard. Sadly, it didnt prove prophetic. There remains a White America and a Black America, separate and unequal, and Kaepernick just became the latest public figure to speak out against the imbalance.And now youre going to tell him to stick to football? To just worry about beating out Blaine Gabbert? To stand before the game and show proper respect to everything that song and flag represents?Youre going to try to scare him into submission with a biblical flood of tweets?Most of todays athletes arent ready for the backlash, sociologist Harry Edwards told me at this years Super Bowl. Edwards was a source of inspiration behind the 1968 Olympic protest. And they forget they dont control that, especially in this age of 24-hour social media. This isnt the athlete revolt of 1967, when you were talking about a telephone and a single reporter at a major newspaper and then somebody else picking up the story. Today, you hit send and you have an instant worldwide audience.Kaepernick didnt fear that attention; go review his Twitter timeline, his retweets of issues in black and white. This day was coming for him, just as it was for many bold athletes who preceded him.They say football builds character. In America, we should celebrate the fact that Colin Kaepernick just revealed his. Wholesale Shoes From China . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Wholesale Shoes USA . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. https://www.wholesaleshoesforcheap.com/ . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. Wholesale Shoes . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. Replica Wholesale Shoes . LUCIE, Fla. CHASKA, Minn. -- He has never experienced defeat at the Ryder Cup and has been a key contributor in his three appearances, so Rory McIlroy might not have the same chip on his shoulder that has typically been part of the European mantra.For so much of Ryder Cup history, Great Britain and Ireland, and later Europe, used what it perceived as second-class status to the mighty Americans as incentive -- a tactic seemingly unnecessary when youve captured three in a row, and eight of the last 10.But, of course, there are other ways.I dont think its hard for us to find motivation, because anywhere you look, whether it be the sea of red you see on the golf course or the comments that are made in the media by the U.S. team or by the captain, that gives us so much motivation already, McIlroy said Tuesday at Hazeltine National, site of this weeks Ryder Cup.Whenever we are going up against one of the greatest teams ever assembled, thats motivation enough, just to say how good a victory this would be if we got out and beat these guys on their home soil.McIlroy was taking a not-so-subtle jab at U.S. captain Davis Love III, who last week said in a radio interview that this U.S. team was the best maybe ever assembled, although Love said his comments were made in a broader sense and have been taken out of context.What I was saying was, This is what Id tell them: You guys are really good. Go out there and play like it, Love said.Certainly the U.S. needs to give Europe no extra fodder, especially the captain. Johnny Miller, the two-time major champion and TV analyst, didnt help when he suggested the European team is its worst in years.But judging by McIlroys take as well as that of Sergio Garcia, their European teammates will use it to gain any advantage they can.They are motivating factors, said Garcia, who is playing in his eighth Ryder Cup and has been on just two losing sides. You know what they say, opinions are like ... we all have one. At the end of the day, you dont win Ryder Cups with your mouth. You win them out there on the golf couurse.dddddddddddd.When first told of Loves comments last week at the Tour Championship, McIlroy quipped that he knows the U.S. has the best task force ever assembled, a reference to the often-chided U.S. Ryder Cup Task Force that was formed in the wake of the 16? to 11? defeat at Gleneagles two years ago.Yeah, obviously Ive followed everything and Ive had a bit of fun with it, with the task force, greatest team ever assembled, whatever else they are talking about, McIlroy said. But its going to be tough this week. Every Ryder Cup is.Even though Europe has had so much success, its always been [tough]. Maybe apart from the last time at Gleneagles, but the other two -- we shouldnt have won in 2012, we shouldnt have. It was a sort of steal and grab and go away. It was unbelievable how that worked out.And even at Celtic Manor in 2010, we only won one session, but it was that session where all 12 players were on the golf course [due to weather delays] and we won that session 5? to ?. So the Ryder Cup has probably been a lot tighter than people realize. Im sure its going to be that way again this year. Its going to be tough.McIlroy takes a good bit of confidence into the Ryder Cup after his playoff victory on Sunday at the Tour Championship, where he also captured the PGA Tours FedEx Cup.After a season that was mostly disappointing (he did win earlier on the European Tour at the Irish Open), McIlroy won twice during the FedEx Cup playoffs and capped it with a birdie putt on the fourth-extra hole to beat Ryan Moore -- who Love selected Sunday night as his final at-large pick for Team USA.Personally for me, its all about Im confident in my game, said McIlroy, who is 6-4-4 in his three Ryder Cups. Im confident coming here, and I feel like Im playing pretty well. I dont know how much bearing it will have on the team as a whole. Im very excited to get going again and play, just happy with where my game is. ' ' '