Kyle Shanahan on Donald Trump’s remark about anthem protesters: ‘I was pretty bothered by it.’

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SANTA CLARA

This is the transcript of Kyle Shanahan’s Week 4 Wednesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers P.R. department.

 

A lot has happened since you guys last played around the league and around the country. Have you guys talked as a team about how you, if you’re going to address racial inequality as a team on Sunday?

“Yeah, we talked about it Monday when we got back together. We all got a chance to watch everything over the weekend. So, we had a good discussion about it Monday as a team, had a little bit more. [General manager] John [Lynch] and I got one-on-one with our leadership council, spoke with them. The players are getting together, talking about the best way they want to do it and we’ll continue to talk about it as the week goes.”

 

Do you anticipate players and coaches all doing something similar or together?

“Yeah, I anticipate us doing something together. I think that’s really what it’s about. I’m not exactly sure what. The players are talking about that, but they’re going to think of the best thing that they want to do and whatever we decide, hopefully we decide to do it together.”

 

Who is on your leadership council?

“There’s like 12 guys. I’m not smart enough to go through them off the bat. It’s [LB] Elvis [Dumervil], [LB NaVorro] Bowman, [S Eric] E Reid, [TE Logan] Paulsen, [FB Kyle Juszczyk] Juice, [WR] Pierre [Garçon], I think, [QB Brian] Hoyer, [WR] Marquise [Goodwin]. I know I left out a couple guys.”

 

Is Eric Reid a guy you rely on in this situation? I mean, obviously, he has experience with this, he’s devoted a lot of his off time to social justice causes.

“I don’t know about rely on, it’s more, I just want information and you want information from people who know. I think Eric has paid more attention to it than the average person and knows more about it, so he’s a great guy for me to hear his side and opinions and stuff, which helps me have a broader perspective of what’s going on.”

 

What were your reactions to what President Trump had to say?

“I was pretty bothered by it. I think the same way most people were. I think I’ve got a lot of regard for that position. I have my whole life. It’s a very important, big position to be the leader of our country and when you hear something like that, it definitely bothered me, especially when he’s calling out people that you’re associated with. But, the most bothersome thing is how everyone sees that position in our country and you expect that position to be the best leader possible and when I think of being a leader, I think of bringing people together. All I know is the quotes I read and when I read those quotes, I think that’s the opposite of what you’re expecting.”

 

We’ll obviously ask your players, but do you have a sense that your team as a whole feels the same way?

“Yeah, I think so. I haven’t got to talk to every single person, but almost everyone I have talked to personally feels similar. I think it surprised everyone. I think you expect more out of that position and I think everyone knows when people have differences of opinion, the only time you get things fixed is bringing people together. That makes it a lot harder when rhetoric brings people apart.”

 

This is your first year as head coach. You’re dealing with these kinds of issues and a lot of people out there say that people in sports should stick to sports. Why do you think it’s the right thing to kind of bring the team together and talk about non-sports issues?

“I totally agree when people say that. You don’t want a bunch of politics in sports. It’s a way to get away from it. When it is effecting people and it is truly involving all of us, I know it’s bothered a lot of people. You’ve got to separate the stuff, too. The stuff that’s gone on in the country, going back to the last few years, has a bothered a lot of people for good reason. And then you go to the stuff with the flag, which some people associate with that, some people don’t. But, then after this weekend it kind of threw us all in the same spot that we all were associated. I think that’s kind of the time that you do need to address it with the whole team, because I think the whole NFL felt like we were all called out.”

 

Do you feel at all like watching it, having already played, and seeing all the stuff that happened, did it feel weird like we’re in a weird time? Did you get that kind of sense watching it all play out?

“I think Saturday felt a little weirder for me just because I expected that on Sunday. I think it was weirder to read quotes like that from a president. I think it was weird for me to read that just sitting on my couch with my family, whether I’m an NFL head coach or whether I’m just a normal citizen sitting on the couch anywhere. I think that was weird for everybody. But, once you do read something like that I definitely wasn’t weirded or surprised by what happened the next day. It was exactly what I expected. I kind of had a good idea of how the people in this league would react to it.”

 

The President was saying how often that viewership numbers are down and that these protests will further hurt those numbers. Is that a concern? Is that talked about–?

“No, we don’t talk about that stuff. You talk about stuff we can control, stuff that you can worry about. I don’t know how to think about any of that stuff, whether it’s talk, whether it’s facts. I don’t know and I don’t get how you can know. You let stuff play out over the years and after you get 10 years of data or whatever, you can maybe give a better answer. But, all that stuff is stuff I don’t think twice about.”

 

(Inaudible)

“Nothing at all. We had a bonus day on Monday, so we talked about it for five minutes as a team and spent about 20 minutes talking with the leadership council on a bonus day that we had extra time. It hasn’t affected us at all.”

 

I was wondering what are your thoughts and reflections about Eric Reid’s piece in the New York Times?

“I think it was good that he did it. I think there’s a lot of lack of understanding and people don’t know why people decide to do stuff and people want to jump to conclusions, which you can understand to a degree. I think it’s very hard to make, to have an opinion on anything unless you can understand people’s intentions, understand why they wanted to do stuff. I know talking to Eric personally, that’s what he really wants to do. He wants people to understand his intentions and his intentions are not to disrespect the flag and our country. His intentions are to help our country and it’s a way that he believes will. You can disagree with that all you want, but I can’t disagree with his intentions and I respect his intentions.”

 

What are your thoughts in general about athletes speaking out for a cause?

“I really don’t have an absolute on it. I like people to be themselves and if people feel that that’s something they want to do and it’s important to them and their life and who they are, and when it’s all said and done and you’re on your deathbed, if that’s something that’s important to you and you feel you should have, then go for it. Be yourself. If you’re someone who doesn’t want to do that, then don’t. I don’t think people have responsibilities to be forced to do anything that they don’t want to do. I think people have a responsibility to be themselves and to do what they think is right. I think that’s different for every human in the world and I think that’s different for every athlete.”

 

Have you learned anything from Eric about these issues from talking to him that maybe you didn’t know?

“No, it’s just good to get perspective and to understand. To me, it’s really nice to be in a positon that I am to, it’s a lot easier for me to understand people’s intentions because I get to talk to someone one-on-one. I do think that’s very important with stuff like this. You just see people kneeling for the flag and you jump to, I get why everyone would think that’s disrespectful when they initially see it and stuff. You can always have that opinion, whether it is or whether it isn’t. When a guy explains to you why he’s doing it, then I can at least understand a person and understand where he’s coming form. Everyone has different circumstances on what has led them to make whatever opinions it is and I respect everyone’s opinion. I like to know the reasons for it. You can disagree, you can agree, but I feel fortunate to where at least I can talk to people firsthand. That gives me a much better understanding than watching it from a far.”

 

How are your guys doing that are in the concussion protocol?

“They’re doing better, better with time. I think all three of them have been cleared for football activity, but they still can’t go through any contact. I think the word is limited. But, they’re better than they were four days ago.”

 

Is there any chance LB Reuben Foster practices this week?

“I don’t think so.”

 

What about RB Carlos Hyde? Did the hip have any–?

“Carlos is limited. He’s going to be probably limited all week. I know he definitely is today. I know he’s still sore from it and still trying to recover, but right now he is limited.”

 

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians is a guy who’s been in this league a long time. What kind of relationship, if any, do you have with him and just what do you think of his coaching style?

“I don’t know Bruce personally very well, but I’ve always been a huge fan of him. I really started getting to know him as far as him as a coach, not as a person, which is off watching silent tape, when he was at Pittsburgh. I’ve always loved what he’s done. A lot of things that I’ve incorporated back to when I started trying to put together an offense, I’ve included things he’s done over the years, back with [former Pittsburgh Steelers WR] Hines Ward and things like that. I’ve always followed him. He’s a great offensive mind and I like how he carries himself, too.”

 

He was talking this morning about how he doesn’t like to sugarcoat things with his players. That seems like something you’ve kind of adopted. How have you gotten to that point with your philosophy on dealing with players?

“I just try to be myself, and I think Bruce is himself also. I think that’s pretty obvious. People know when you’re not yourself. You’ve got to keep it real. If that’s how you are all the time, you’ve got to be that way with the players. Players, even though it’s tough on them sometimes, if you ask a player pretty consistently the thing they want the most from coaches is honesty. Then you give it to them and sometimes they don’t like it so much. Usually they respect you for it in the long run.”

 

He mentioned that there’s always a difference between making sure the guys know it’s not criticism versus it’s him just coaching. How do you kind of walk that line?

“You try to never embarrass someone. You’ve got to realize for the most part, I know it’s not 100-percent this way, those players want to do the job just as good as you want them to do the job. And that’s why usually with me, if you’re working your hardest and doing the best you can, very rarely am I going to have a problem with you. Where I start to get on guys or want to call them out or handle them different ways is when I feel like they are taking shortcuts, they are not doing it as hard as they can and now they’re letting everyone down. If you get the most out of someone, you just try to keep coaching them. If they can’t get it done, then you do your best to find someone who can.”

 

I know you’re not interested in the Cardinals offense necessarily, but with Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald, he went bananas on Monday. I know you talked about how you loved former San Francisco 49ers WR Anquan Boldin. What are your thoughts on Fitzgerald and what he’s done throughout his career?

“He’s the man. He’s been great his whole career. He was great in college and he’s still great. Larry is, people talk about him losing speed and stuff, whether he has or hasn’t it doesn’t matter. When you can make cuts like he can, when you can play as violent as he can, when you have the hands that he does, everyone sees what he does for them in the pass game because you get the numbers and everything, but he doesn’t take a down off in this league. And to play that long that way where you’ll throw your body around as a blocker, you fight for yards after the catch when the ball is in your hand, he’s a fearless competitor. There’s no doubt he’s talented, but the competitor in him is what separates him from the rest.”

 

Some of the plays he makes when the ball is thrown to him regardless of whether he’s covered, regardless of what defense it is, the ball is going to him.

“Almost every time it’s one-on-one usually, because it’s hard for a guy to stop him even when he’s covered.”

 

With DL Tank Carradine on IR and DL Ronald Blair III on IR, who else is playing that big end spot behind DL Solomon Thomas?

“Really all of our ends. I don’t want to give you our exact answers and stuff, but all of our ends are capable of doing both. If you’re a defensive end, whether you’re a LEO or the big end, there are preferences we have for each, but you can play both. Just like anybody in the league, you can play both sides. There’s just different things and I think we’ve got some versatility in our D-Line. We have lots of guys who can play both sides of the end and most of those guys can also play inside. So, that is the one thing with our D-Line, even though we’ve had some injuries, we do have some guys that we can shuffle around and use all interchangeably.”

This article has 107 Comments

  1. Match up nightmare for any of our corners to cover Fitz one on one .

    Kind of hope the defense shows up , all the injuries have me concerned . The only thing IMO is that we will stop the run. Bad news is they like to pass .

  2. Grant

    You may .. have ..just opened a can of worms..
    (especially with the title of this piece)

    .. but .. anyhoo .. I’m of the opinion that .. “taking a knee”
    is NOT … disrespecting the flag !

    (This .. coming from one who wore our country’s uniform
    during …. the Viet Nam War ….!!)

    The first day of Boot Camp … I was issued two books ..
    The one that made a big impression on me .. was called
    “The U.C.M.J.” ….

    Among its pages .. was a section on the
    “7 Ways to Display the Flag” …

    (Backwards ain’t one of them)

    Not only that … but “Old Glory’s” colors are
    Red.. White … and Blue ! …. (Not GREEN)

    When I see it displayed on the US Arm Forces’ shoulders
    this way … I consider it as .. Government – Forced
    flag desecration ! …

    And when you compare that to ..taking a knee …
    you’re talking … small potatoes !

  3. This is getting absolutely ridiculous! No one gives a sh*t about these athletes or coaches poltical views.. The NFL or sports in general are suppose to help separate from Poltics. Instead these as**oles are making it about Racism… Basically targeting WHITE police Officers in America. Acting like White people dont get murdered everyday as well. This goes back to that piece of sh*t former president we had before this jacka** one took over. Whether you agree with the Presidents poltical views or not you should always respect him…. This lack of respect for a PRESDENT is shameful! If it was a democratic president( the one before fu**ked this country) this would not be going on! I’m done with this poltical rant.

    1. Piece of sh*t? Jacka**? All I’ve got to say is you got a funny way of respecting Presidents there RAW

      1. You won’t ever see me kneeling for an anthem or disrespecting the flag. I’m not even from this country. Born in Italy. Trump has said some jack*ss comments. That’s where that came from. Obama is something else. Now doesn’t mean I will kneel for the anthem when he is president. I just think he did a horrendous job as a president. I typically keep those thoughts to myself. If I was a professional athlete I would never use that platform in an attempt to influence fans. It’s quite laughable. Just do your job and save the non sense. We watch for enjoyment not for the opinion. They get paid awfully well for that and there taking advantage.

        1. But you will hurl foul epithets in the direction of those you are telling the rest of us to respect. Mkay….

          1. So when you call your boss a a**hole to a friend or Co-Worker it means you don’t respect him? Way to jump to conclusions and take it further then it needed to go. The point is that you are entitled to your own opinion, just don’t take advantage of the platform you were given. Not when your getting paid…. Everyone is different. Most think different. What most people share in common is that they watch sports for there entertainment. This is slowly becoming a bigger problem then it already is.

            1. No one gives up their right to speak up due to the profession they are in. If their employer had a problem they could take steps. But thanks to that a**hole (your word, not mine) owners are now in greater solidarity with the players than ever before. Apparently they don’t like to be told what to do by a**holes.

    2. I am a bleeding heart San Francisco liberal democrat who voted for Hillary, but even I see the NFL’s careless schadenfreude becoming a perfect storm. People are seriously angry, righteous and feel betrayed. They are middle American families who numbering over 60mm voters, all of them voting for Trump. So, they spend their days working hard, then releasing with friends and family their teams play. When someone like Eric Reid suddenly thinks he’s a knowledgeable Social Justice Warrior spokesman. explaining to the press that this was all a strategy devised by Reid and Kaepernick to make people in the stands feel uncomfortable over the divides between blacks and whites. Yes, all of Reid’s & Kaepernick’s former fans feel so uncomfortable they want to now burn your jerseys. They have already been thinking plenty about the problems in black society, along with problems in their own household, as well as everyone else in the lower economic classes. So, they have succeeded in making us uncomfortable. How dare us for wanting to have 3 hours of escapism in which we could forget about all our own troubles, as well as the rest of the world’s. You guys are not enlightened. You don’t know anything you’re talking about. For example, you want to turn everything Trump says and does as evidence that he is a white supremacist. Gather up all the fake news gotcha moments and you wont have anything that adds up to more than a smirk. What you will have is a vastly diminishing interest in the game. People don’t like when stupid, conceited people talk down to everyone else. We’ve stomaching their bad behavior, but now that they are disrespecting the flag, which remains the country’s greatest iconic symbol, they are now joining forces to boycott the NFL. I am too. I will continue watching the Niners play on local channels, but never again on espn. I will take sides with the Middle American and watch how all the revenue falls lower and lower.

      1. Your mention of fake news invalids every single other word in your post. There is nothing fake about the reporting being done on this administration. Fake news that Trumps business council resigned en mass over Charlottesville? Fake news that the principals behind that ugly stain on America crowed that Trump had their backs? If you need to go to the safe space where all is right in your world you should give up more than just the NFL on ESPN.

        1. Ribico… cmon maaaan. CNN MSNBC and the rest have had it out for trump since day 1. Globalist shills. They even admitted that they were doing everything they could for Hillary.
          They’ve been caught numerous times over the years making fake live feeds and twisting facts for their agenda.
          Fox News is no different.
          You have to lay some of the blame on MSM for the divide in this country.
          It is fake, false, a farce whatever term you want to use, but it’s fact they are not reliable sources of news anymore.

          1. A question, md. Do you still hold the theory that 9/11 was an inside job? As I recall, you’ve forwarded that here before. Where was your source for that news?

    3. “The NFL or sports in general are suppose to help separate from Poltics. ” – Dumbo

      The NFL is in bed with Politics…..

      The NFL requests for public funds to build stadiums. ….
      Owners funding political campaigns….

      1. oneniner – I posted something similar down below. I think its strange people think NFL was free of politics before Colin’s sit down protest.

  4. Guess we’re not talking football today , and that stinks . ??

    NFL needs to get there ? together ,there is a time and a place for everything . Yes they should protest , not on the time clock , or when I’m paying to see football .

    Just about over hearing about this. And it being used as a shield.

    Costing us as fans ,our values, and our money , when all we want is to watch,and talk football .

    Do it on your own time . And when your not working .

    Good night guys ,this subject is just to much . At the wrong time.

  5. It’s no secret that the Cardinals are going to come out throwing, throwing, and throwing on Sunday. Like every game, the key defensively will be putting extreme pressure on the QB. It all starts up front. Palmer is a statue back there but given the time he can pick anyone apart, especially this depleted defense. We saw that against the Cowboys before they adjusted. This is a big test for the defensive line. If they can’t get to this guy, and get to him often, it will be a long day. Maybe a blowout. Something along the line of 45-24 Cardinals. If they can get to Palmer for at least 4 sacks and more than a handful of pressures, I see a close game, 28-24 Niners. It’s time for the big boys to step up.

  6. I guess sports is supposed to be one of those “safe spaces” I keep hearing about. Those things that people of a particular political bent take great glee in ridiculing.

    But I feel your pain guys. I go to my favorite political blogs and now I have to read about….football. And if you think the posters here don’t know what they are talking about…..

    Don’t these people know one of this country’s founding principles was the separation of sports and state?

    1. Ribico football is the state religion of the the US. It’s based on “blind faith” and studiously maintained ignorance. The devout have a list of “I don’t want to hear about it” topics that is endless.

  7. Since KS was talking about the protests and Trump, I will throw in my 2 cents.
    .
    Trump made a blatant political move, pandering to his base, and giving them some red meat to chew on. ‘ Oh, they are disrespecting the flag so they hate America.’, some say.
    .
    Wrong. It s because they love America, and want it to become better, do they protest.
    .
    Shame on the players who protest? No. Shame on a demagogue who clings to power by running his mouth. I have never been more ashamed in my life about a faux President who has devolved into spewing insults. He cheated to win, so we should de-certify the election, and remove him from power before he degrades the office further. His rants against the players is a typical fascist tactic to smear and demean patriots. Trump honoring the flag? He was the one who attacked a Gold Star mother. Trump demeaned a genuine war hero when he smeared McCain. Respect the President? Maybe they should tell him to stop wallowing in the cesspool.
    .
    Trump now is rattling his saber, in a desperate effort to wag the dog. He did everything possible to be wrong, and inflamed and exacerbated the situation with NK. He acted like a 8 year old spoiled brat against some one who has demonstrated he has nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to the continental United States. He broke every diplomatic protocol in the book, and has led us to the brink. Trump is unstable, and I hope Obama did not give him the nuclear codes.
    .
    These protests are silent, respectful, non violent and effective. Kaep kneeled because he saw injustices, and did not want to act like nothing was wrong.
    .
    Some fans are saying that they are offended. Well, I am offended by the misrepresentations, false narratives and intolerance. I am offended by the hate and thinly veiled racism. Protesting against injustice is a noble cause, and American as apple pie. Some fans want people to be forced to stand. That is fascism, and is Un- American. Some say the NFL has a right to force players to stop protesting. Glad the NFL has totally repudiated that argument.
    .
    Some fans say they will stop watching or spending any money or time on the NFL. Good. The NFL is better without them. Booing during the National Anthem may have been their right, but it showed little respect for the flag.

    1. All well said, Seb. You make some good points when you are not clamoring for Kaep’s return to the team.

      Regarding 45, it’s all going to come out. His perfidy, his conspiracy. Heads are going to spin from the number of counts against him by the special prosecutor. As Robin Lopez tweeted in response to his childish pique regarding the Warriors WH visit… “No big deal. In a few months you won’t be allowed to visit White House either “.

      The Constitution will win in the end.

    2. The NFL leadership and all its players are saying to the fans…

      “Look, you’re like drug addicts. You’re hooked. You’re not like restaurant patrons or buyers of shaving cream. Your loyalty is a given. You will attend our games, watch them on TV, and buy the products from our advertisers whether you are offended by what you see or not. You’re addicts and you don’t have the strength to resist NFL football.”

      Well my friends, we can say we’re going to boycott or we can organize and do it. I have a very simple plan that doesn’t even involve giving up football. Instead, we spread the message through every board and social platform we know of to BOYCOTT THE TOP 5 NFL ADVERTISERS: 1) Verizon 2) Toyota 3) Ford 4) McDonalds 5) Chevrolet. We simply stop buying their products, and within weeks Roger Goodell, Delanie Walker, and everyone in the NFL that profits from our “addiction” will learn, we weren’t so weak after all.

      1. You forgot Budweiser. I am sure fans will give up beer on Sundays, and go to art museums instead of watching football.

  8. It’s amazing how little research these NFL players do about the issue they claim to care about so much. I found some pretty compelling data to support the assertions that blacks are unfairly treated by police in just a 5 minute Google search (though I suspect the opposition probably has compelling data to show why this is so). I have yet to hear any of these players talk about the Harvard study or any of the research that actually confirms their point and would persuade people who don’t yet know these facts.

    If they want to advance this cause toward some sort of solution(s), they should suggest a CNN Debate on Race and Policing, and ask for selected NFL players to have a seat at the table where they can intelligently present and (possibly) debate potential solutions with police chiefs representing different cities. The minute they ask, the request will be granted, and this project will be a go!

    The problem is, they are lazy. This is too much work, and it’s a battle they could very well lose if all the facts from both sides are presented. The NFL players got all they really wanted: attention, hero worship from supporters, and sympathy from naively compassionate people who can be convinced of a point without hearing opposing arguments.

    Being intellectually lazy on a grand stage perpetuates the very stereotypes they find objectionable.

  9. KS was bothered by the rhetoric?
    .
    He can do something about it. He can stop blackballing Kaep, sign him to a -prove it contract, and allow a fair competition for the starting job. KS, John Lynch and Jed York should at least talk to Kaep, to see what is possible.
    .
    KS said he was into bringing people together, this would be one way to do it.
    .
    The good thing is, that I think KS is smart enough to take any QB, and make him better. KS should look at how Dak Prescott, with his mobility, rolled out, bought time with his legs, and delivered strikes down field. I believe Hoyer cannot do that, but Kaep can.
    .
    Hoyer may need to face the hard facts. There may be someone out there who has superior skills. Hoyer should show leadership by not being selfish. He should invite competition, and may the chips fall where they may.

    1. Shanahan is not blackballing him. He sees that there are TWO SH**Y READ-OPTION QBS ON THE MARKET. One was a PIA flash-in-the-pan when he had him Washington. The other one is as bad, if not worse, as a QB.

      Seriously dude, they’re nearly identical in profile. And years before this ‘blackballing’ writers were pointing out they were lousy QBs who had a run in a junk offense but were so fundamentally flawed they had no future:

      MMQB: The End is Near for Flawed QBs Griffin and Kaepernick (March 3rd, 2016)

      But it’s also a system built on quick decision-making, which is far from Kaepernick’s forte. Kaepernick is slow to process coverages (when he processes them at all) and doesn’t have a great feel for moving around in the pocket. Kaepernick can be hard to catch when he runs around, but too many of his run-around plays are fruitless because they never should have been run-around plays to start

      NFL.COM: Colin Kaepernick/Robert Griffin III woes: A spread QB quandary (October 9th, 2015)

      Decision making, and being able to process quickly is right there, as well — with Jay Gruden’s offense in Washington providing a good illustration of this, in regards to Griffin. The offense is built to provide answers to everything for the quarterback — it’s the QB’s job to find them. Griffin couldn’t do so at the rate or speed that Kirk Cousins (or Colt McCoy) could. So Cousins is the starter.

      And of course, there is the requisite physical ability (size, arm strength, etc.) that helps. From there, some players need more coaching than others. Some don’t have the two qualities above.

      “Kap never had the ability to do it, and RGIII never had the mental makeup,” one AFC personnel exec said. “Those are traits, and it’s different with those two.

      MMQB: NFL’s Best Running Quarterback? The Answer May Surprise You (June th, 2014)

      Kaepernick does not read the defense before the snap. You can tell because he shows no understanding of this basic quarterbacking concept: When one receiver is covered, it often means another receiver is not. There’s no awareness of route combinations.

      NFL.COM: Colin Kaepernick symbolic of running QB struggles (December 8th, 2014)

      Despite Kaepernick’s decisive experience and career-record (28-13 vs. 1-11) edge, Carr was the unanimous choice when The Sideline View’s John Middlekauff asked five NFL executives and quarterback coaches their preference going forward.

      Washington Post: Colin Kaepernick doesn’t deserve a second chance as an NFL starter (November 2, 2015)

      his inability to either read the field or get the ball to his receivers is an issue. And this is true whether he is under pressure or not: according to the game charters at Pro Football Focus, his 68.4 percent accuracy ranks him 26th out of 29 qualified quarterbacks

      Then we have all kinds of coaches and ex-NFL QBs talking about why running QBs struggle and what they need to change in order to succeed. And neither RGIII or Colin Kaepernick managed to make those changes.

      Steve Young and the art of molding a mobile quarterback (November 21, 2014)

      “You’re already a dual threat because you can leave the pocket and make throws,” Young said in an interview with The Chronicle. “Obviously, you can run for a bunch of yards. But are you the master of the main event, which is the job? The job is to deliver the ball from the pocket. It’s been proven to me over and over again that that’s the championship job.”

      Young, of course, was an exception: A mobile quarterback who developed into an elite pocket passer.

      ,,,

      “Peyton Manning has to listen to this,” Young said. “Because he either throws it or he goes down. He’s not going anywhere. So Peyton ate this up because he has no other option. But guys that can run around, we have options. So that’s the difficulty.”

      Kaepernick and Griffin are among a recent wave of dual-threat quarterbacks whose development has slowed after take-the-NFL-by-storm beginnings. Young hopes they reach a Hall-of-Fame level by putting in the endless hours of tedious study required to deliver consistently from the pocket.

      Hint: They didn’t.

      Joe Montana thinks Colin Kaepernick needs to improve as pocket passer (January 17th, 2014)

      “I like his mobility and that he’s getting the ball downfield,” Montana said. “But sometimes he needs to be more accurate in the pocket with pressure.
      “The game is changing. Nobody wants to throw with pressure anymore. But the guys who can win in this league are the ones who can make throws from the pocket.”
      “He’ll make some,” Montana said of Kaepernick, “but a lot of times guys are wide open, and he misses them.”

      So get the **** over it already. He’s done. And you don’t need some whack-a-loon conspiracy theory to understand why Kaepernick, like RGIII, doesn’t have a job. Especially a job with Shanahan who went through that garbage once before.

      1. Moses, quit wandering in the desert.
        .
        RGIII and Kaep are worlds apart. RGIII is trying to play on one leg. Kaep is finally healthy, and has been working out hard so he is at his ideal playing weight.
        .
        Kaep could throw for 412 yards if he had decent support. However, Baalke dismantled that SB team, so he had little rated talent around him. Still, last season, he had a 90.7 QBR, 59.8 completion %, and a 16-4 TD to int ratio. He did that with a 30th rated O line and 32nd rated WR corps.
        .
        Yes, Joe threw some shade, but if you read the entire article, he was balanced in his assessment, and thought Kaep had accomplished a lot. In fact, Joe and Kaep are the only 2 QBs to throw for 300 yards and run for over 50 yards in a SB.
        .
        Keep dreaming. Kaep wil play, because now the stigma of protesting is gone. When whole teams kneel just like I predicted, there will be some team who wants to win so much, they will take Kaep, because QBs like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton all think Kaep is talented enough to be a starter in the league.
        .
        Hoyer had a 48.2 QBR against the Seahawks, and right now, has a 74.6 QBR, so statistically speaking, Kaep is right now superior to Hoyer.
        .
        I thought Lynch proclaimed that he would try everything he can to improve the quarterbacking. KS’s weak argument that Kaep did not have the exact same skillsets as the other QBs, and he did not want to try to make it work, just means he is content to keep losing.
        .
        Jed has a fine opportunity to show leadership, and kickTrump in the teeth to show he is not afraid of a mean tweet.

  10. Facts and statistics are thrown out the window when it comes to black America.
    Which is why it’s useless to argue about their so called “oppression” obviously caused by the white race.
    Secondly the anthem was started at a baseball game during ww1. Has nothing to do with politics, social whining, the president and especially whining millionaires who take a CNN story and run with it. (Michael brown)

    If you disrespect that you’re disrespecting the veterans who serve, served and died for it.
    So in essence they’re slapping the faces of those who died for their right to protest.
    IMO they could choose a different way to bring awareness to their grievance.
    And after what York said he will NEVER get a dime from me again, and I will watch no games until these eletists find a different way to protest.
    It’s a shame a president (no matter who it is) gets grief for sticking up for his country and what he and more than half the nation believes is patriotic and a symbol of our freedom. Thank you to all that sacrificed the ultimate price. And those who serve now. Whether you do or don’t see a problem with how they’re protesting.
    I will do my own protest In honor of my father who served his country in Nam.
    Goodbye football until these rich kids show some f-ing respect!

    1. md, as I recall you are of Puerto Rican heritage. Do you still have family back in the the island? I hope they are getting on ok. Reports from there are heartbreaking.

      1. Yes ribico I am Puerto Rican. My familia is there. They are doing alright. Most of the island is devistated and their damn isn’t looking good. The spirits are good with most though. This has been coming for a long time. Wish their government would have put forth efforts to help things when and if this disaster occurred.
        And thank you for asking.

    2. Bye….no one cares what you think about football anyways….moron

      If your president was so patriotic why didn’t he serve in the military?

        1. @ninermd the Dotard follower…….

          Asked by ABC News whether he owes McCain an apology, Trump said: “No, not at all.”

          “People that fought hard and weren’t captured and went through a lot, they get no credit. Nobody even talks about them. They’re like forgotten. And I think that’s a shame, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said Sunday.

          “People that were not captured that went in and fought, nobody talks about them. Those are heroes also,” he said.

          the same fool talking about disrespecting the vet……..disrespected a hero and you still voted for him…..

          1. Onelame it’s been awhile. How’s the KC board doing? How is yours and old blue eyes relationship? Good I hope.

            As far as McCain. That’s who you are calling a hero? Have you ever researched the pow’ he was inprisoned with? Songbird is what they called him! Yes. He was a coward caught on audio givin up secrets while captured. And he’s a hero? Child please. I’ll bet my bottom dollar your snowflake liberal self hated him when he ran against obama. In fact it’s not even a debate. Not you want to throw him in to fit your narrative?
            Take a class is common sense. Oh and let go of occupy democrats, CNN and MSNBC. You’re going to end up on camera one day with some basic questions you won’t be able to answer on YouTube making your antifa friends look bad.
            McCain a war hero. Lmaoooooo!

            1. McCain is a war hero because he was tortured until broken. They all broke, and I do not hold that against him.
              .
              John McCain is a war hero because he refused to leave until all of the other POWs were released. He was tortured for that, too.

              1. Well, I won’t condemn McCain for recording propaganda because he was forced to do so. However,

                http://www.newsmax.com/Pre-2008/McCain-s-Character/2006/07/11/id/686864/

                As the Senate Committee heated up – and more and more new information surfaced showing that indeed we did leave men behind held against their will in Vietnam and Laos – McCain began a long and vicious campaign to discredit and shoot down any new information or anyone advocating that the truth about our POWs be made public. Thus emerged for many to see the mean and ugly side of John McCain.

        2. Seb…. oh the gold star family that was caught being crooks? That gold star family? I understand some of you have soft feelings. I am not a big trump supporter, but in good concience I could have never voted for Clinton.
          I couldn’t stand obamas politics but I still supported him because he was the POTUS. I voted for him the first time and against the second after his true colors showed.
          So as far a political stances I consider myself a libertarian. Despite what dummy onelame claims.
          I’m sick of PC and sick of the communist and socialistic wave growing. And I’m also sick of the establishment BOTH sides.

          Hate him or like him he’s still the POTUS. And whining because old Bern lost and that crook Clinton isn’t going to change that.

          Again the national anthem and salute was started for one reason. To salute the vets. Period. It should NOT be disrespected on a platform such as the NFL. On their own time fine. And it is their right. But it’s at the workplace. And that’s a different ball game.

          1. Md, you are also attacking a Gold Star mother? No matter what she did, she also suffered the ultimate sacrifice for this country. I also have never heard she was arrested, tried and convicted of any crime in America.

  11. He’s not patriotic. He’s not defending the country, flag, military, regular Americans or anything else these people are so outraged over. The only thing he gives a damn about is Donald Trump. This whole episode on his part stems from being laughed out of court for his NFL anti-trust suit. OK, judgement was in his favor, but damages totaled a bigly 1 American dollar. That is what is bothering Trump about the NFL.

    1. It was Trump’s fault btw. USFL had a strong damages claim then Trump got on the stand and that was that. Stupid blow-hard cost himself big-time.

    2. Trump also expected the rest of the USFL to pay Flutie’s contract when Trump signed him. Kind of like Mexico paying for the wall.

  12. Huh. With all these supposed boycotts, this is an excellent opportunity for the League to rebrand itself as the thinking persons game.

  13. Moses it’s not merely by the way, it’s the gist of the entire episode. Niner fans can complain about Jed ruining a franchise. Well, here’s an owner not only ruining his team but the entire league it belonged to. It takes a special art of a deal to pull that off.

  14. Seb, you were doing so good staying away from your Kaep fantasy. I was proud of you. That lasted, what, two minutes? Like a moth to a flame!

    1. Juan, Trump may call Kaep an SOB, I just call him a hero. Kaep has endured ostracism, persecution and death threats.
      .
      I have said it before. Blackballing Kaep is giving the NFL a big black eye, and Goodell should advocate for one of the team owners to sign Kaep, before they keep looking even more mean and vindictive.
      .
      Sure am glad Steph Curry is championing Kaep.

      1. I haven’t done this in a long time. Our “respected” president called Kaepernick a bastard, and the theoretical protesting player fired on the spot be a “respected” owner a son of a bitch.

        Get the little details right.

  15. Without being disrespectful of others’ opinions, I am still amazed at how much mileage and angst this anthem protest gets; for and against. Just from my own observations at sporting events, most folks seemed bored, distracted, and mildly annoyed at having to rise and pause during the playing or singing. Some talk through it, others are attentive to their phones, some can’t stand still and are shifting from foot to foot, eating and drinking. Nobody stands at proper attention. 20% put their hands over their hearts. >Virtually nobody is thinking about military veterans, the Bill Of Rights, political parties or Mom’s apple pie. Nobody. The guy next to you is just as likely to be picking his nose as holding his hand over his heart.
    I am not the only guy who notices this. I’ve noted it since I was a ten yer old going to baseball, basketball, tennis matches or football games with my Dad. He just told me to worry about myself and do what I know is right.
    Now some folks want to give up their recreational interests (NFL) to boycott perceived patriotic blasphemy by some players…….but what about your Uncle Charlie scarfing down that Chili Dog or Nephew Pugsley texting during the anthem? Do they get a pass from outrage?
    These players are like actors, musicians, dancers or other entertainers. Do I have to approve of the guitar player’s personal political views to enjoy his band’s performance?

    1. In Texas, there is quite a bit of heartfelt patriotism and a palpable sense of being a part of something great when the anthem is played at sporting events. Many people are preoccupied, but a majority seem to really enjoy it and find it uplifting. The experience could vary from region to region.

      1. I agree with you BroT. I wish I didn’t have such feelings over this but I can’t help but be angry every time I see a man kneel for the anthem. Could it be because I served my country? Because I still serve? Because instead of being handed a job and education, I had to serve to afford one? Or because players simply have no idea what the hell they are protesting anymore…

        Anyone in the military who has served in any type of color guard or just being responsible to bringing down the flag at sunset on a small military installation, there is so much respect and care given to the flag. The soldiers and sailors, of all races and sexes all treat the flag the same.

        I strongly feel that at this point, it would be appropriate to take the national anthem out of sports. When I heard that the teams that played in London this past week knelt for the National Anthem and then stood for the British Anthem, it just drove me crazy. The UK has racial issues of their own not to mention we were at war with them at one point….where’s the sense?

        This is such a sensitive subject for me and I wish it didn’t fire me up so much.

      2. being a part of something great when the anthem is played at sporting events

        I’m in agreement. I always stand for the Anthem, try to sing along as well as my limited vocal range allows. But if someone else doesn’t, fan or player, I don’t get bent out of shape. I’m not that insecure about what this country is supposed to stand for without having it reinforced over my head by an old English drinking song, with a paean to slavery in some of the unsung later verses. I’d much prefer singing This Land Is Your Land.

    2. Anyone who learned to respect the flag in the Boy Scouts during 1946 when I followed the 49ers first season, knows
      that the flag is desecrated 24/7 and 365 days of every year in this more modern time.

      Just one example of flag etiquette failure in recent years has been displaying the flag horizontally during the playing of the national anthem at NFL games. Just look around you for the flag being used for unintended reasons.

      The reason there was flag etiquette in the first place is that there are no flag rules or anthem rules in the constitution.

  16. I think the key to the Cardinals game is who is healthy enough to play safety for the 49ers. The Cards line is not playing well so I expect the 49ers to do well against the run but if they can’t get to Palmer then he will carve up that secondary. JJ Nelson could have a career day. I’m sure the defense will try to take away Fitz which will leave Nelson in single coverage. Will be interesting to see if the 49er offense can have back to back good outings. BUT the hallmark of Brian Hoyer’s career is inconsistency. If he plays with confidence and our pass rush improves, the 49ers can win this game.

    1. With David Johnson being injured, the Cards lost their biggest weapon. The next most potent weapon is Fitzgerald. If the Niners can shut him down, they may have a good chance to win.
      .
      The key is Jared Veldheer. Niners should target him with their best pass rusher.

    2. Palmer is playing really badly. THey have no running game. Their line is beat up. But their defense is still pretty decent. No cake-walk for the 49ers who, frankly, really aren’t there yet.

    3. I was amazed at how the Cards got beat like a dead horse (or a political topic) by that 3 man rush the other night. Arians may be the 2nd brightest mind in the NFL (was thet according to Grant?) but he couldn’t come up with an answer. The Niners don’t have a DeMarcus Lawrence (where did that guy come from?) but if they can get similar pressure from our DLine platoon (relax, I’m not disrespecting the military) we should have a chance.

  17. RynheartTheReluctant‏
    @TheRynheart

    Replying to @realDonaldTrump
    Trump’s Evangelical Adviser on Fox News: NFL Players Lucky ‘They Are Not Shot in the Head’

    Ann Killion‏Verified account @annkillion 2h2 hours ago
    More Ann Killion Retweeted RynheartTheReluctant
    Can’t make this stuff up.

    Donald J. Trump‏Verified account
    @realDonaldTrump
    The NFL has all sorts of rules and regulations. The only way out for them is to set a rule that you can’t kneel during our National Anthem!

    Damon Bruce‏Verified account @DamonBruce 2h2 hours ago
    More Damon Bruce Retweeted Donald J. Trump
    Dictators love rules instead of thought.

    @Ann Killion:

    Pence absurdly says players should give up free speech because “National” is in name of NFL…
    Mike Pence says NFL players should no longer have the freedom to publicly voice their opposition to racism.
    Why? According to Pence, the use of “national” in the name of the National Football League means players must stand during the national anthem.
    Pence made his bizarre comment at a campaign rally for Sen. Luther Strange, who faces off against disgraced former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice

  18. Glad the announcer says- please stand to honor the National Anthem. He or she does not say- you must stand to honor the National Anthem.
    .
    Many fans at the Stick used to run up to the bathroom during the national Anthem because there would be less people at the troughs, and they would empty their bladder before the game. I wonder if the haters would call them disrespectful for that.
    .
    All the booing during the National anthem? That sounds pretty disrespectful to the flag. Maybe they hate America.

    1. I once witnessed a fight in the restroom that had dripping urine from the restroom above at the stick before the game.

      A fight broke out during the anthem because one guy at the urinal thought the other one opened his 16 0z can of bud on him that had been shaking around in his pocket (in the 80’s & 90’s fans snuck those into the game to avoid the ‘stick prices).

      Myself and a vet stepped in to break up the fight and pointed out to the instigator that he was leaked on from above. (I let the vet use the urinal before me ) !

    2. Please rise as we honor the men an women in uniform with the national anthem.

      The tricky part is while I believe Colin has every right to protest in the way he does it’s hard for me to separate the flag from the military. I have never thought of the flag with the police, but I guess some will.
      That’s why while I understand it, and support their right, I definitely struggle with the idea as I see it as something many military men and women will see as disrespectful.

      1. I’ve always heard it as Please rise as we honor America with the national anthem.

        Since 9/11/01 it is customary to sing God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch at MLB games. What happened to the separation of sports and religion? I don’t go to sporting event expecting a Kate Smith concert to break out.

        1. Good point. I’ll add that nobody complains when a president throws out the first pitch at a Nationals game (Washington’s first team was called the Senators BTW). It’s only when people disagree with a certain view that they say ‘keep politics out of sports’.

        2. I’m not certain about that with nfl games… considering the the us military was paying to have the players stand on the field for it.

      2. My job in the Korean/Cold war was to deliver a package to Russia and then try to walk home provided that home was still there.

        I’ve never related that job to any extraordinary relationship to flags and anthems at sporting events.

        I am able to relate what Kaepernick did last September to excessive force by police who are clearly not constrained by the laws they are expected to enforce. That was his message, and it’s been greeted by cries of sacrilege.

  19. Niners finally ready to strike gold on Kyle Shanahan’s fourth try?

    Dan Graziano, NFL writer: 49ers over Cardinals. Yeah, I know it’s in Arizona, but the Cardinals just don’t look right without David Johnson, and Larry Fitzgerald can’t play Superman every week (I don’t think). The Niners’ offense was clicking pretty well the last time we saw them, and they come into this game with 10 days of rest while the Cardinals will have had only six. Give me Kyle Shanahan for his first win as a head coach in this one.

    http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20816025/2017-nfl-insiders-predict-week-4-upsets-fantasy-flops-new-york-giants-playoff-hopes-more

  20. PFF lists Elvis Dumervil as 49ers ‘secret weapon’

    The 49ers will need him stepping up against the Arizona Cardinals.

    The San Francisco 49ers roster featured a ton of turnover this offseason

    One aspect of the 49ers game plan that has remained relatively inconsistent is the pass rush. Arik Armstead is still getting comfortable working on the edge in the base defense, and Aaron Lynch remains a bit inconsistent. However, one veteran addition has quietly put together a strong three games.

    Pro Football Focus put together a look at the top “secret weapon” for each of the 32 NFL teams through three weeks. PFF pointed to edge rusher Elvis Dumervil:

    Forty-one of his 48 snaps this season have been pass rushes. Tcareer, and 2017 has been no different. His eight total pressures rank fifth among the league’s 4-3 defensive ends in pass-rush productivity.

    https://www.ninersnation.com/2017/9/28/16378706/pff-49ers-secret-weapon-elvis-dumervil

  21. British Newspaper: “NFL owners ‘are afraid of their players, and I think it’s disgraceful” – Trump

    “I have so many friends that are owners, and they’re in a box,” Trump said in a Thursday interview with Fox News. “I mean, I’ve spoken to a couple of them, and they say, ‘We are in a situation where we need to do something.’ I think they’re afraid of their players, if you want to know the truth, and I think it’s disgraceful.”

    It was the latest salvo in Trump’s attack on NFL players who have refused to stand for the anthem, a six-day broadside launched with a speech in Alabama on Friday.

    Zveljka‏ @zveljka 2h2 hours ago

    Replying to @guardian_sport
    Trump should mind his own business, hopefully thousands of miles away from the white house

    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/sep/28/trump-nfl-owners-afraid-of-players?CMP=share_btn_tw

  22. Donald Trump Could Seriously Damage The UK/US Relationship, These Ex-British Ambassadors Warn

    Donald Trump could harm the US/UK relationship with his chaotic administration and is just as “unpredictable” for Britain as for the rest of the world.

    These are the warnings from former British ambassadors to Washington.

    Meyer, who was ambassador in the run up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, said said the two presidents he knew – Bill Clinton and George W Bush – were “both orderly, rational people who ran tight ships” that ensured he always knew “what the lines of command and control were. You knew who to go to to get things done.”

    Meyer contrasted this with Trump’s “chaotic and disorderly” approach and called him the first president of the post-war era who is “unstable”.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald-trump-uk-ambassadors_uk_59b635dde4b0b5e53107175f

    1. Yep. Sums it up nicely.

      Although us Brits are doing a pretty good job of wrecking things all by ourselves… Brexit, Farage, BoJo, May. Its pretty messy over here. Most people are totally fed up of politics and politicians right now.

  23. NFL/media’s been “politicizing football” for decades. “Hank Williams Jr Coming Back to Monday Night Football” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/05/sports/football/hank-williams-jr-monday-night-football-theme-song-returns.html

    Watching Fox pregame shows I get the feeling south won the civil war. Wear 49er of Giants gear away from the bay area, you get an ear full of politics. Often hateful. Well before Colin’s famous sit down.

    Politics was never absent.

    1. What the heck? Dude, you may want to go up to the heavy duty tinfoil.

      I live in the south and travel all over the place including all over the Southern US. I proudly wear my 49er & Giant gear everywhere. In fact, it’s kind of annoying the only thing my family buys me for presents is Bay Area sports gear. I’ve done the Robert Trent Jones golf tour in Alabama wearing my 49er golf shirts and never had anyone say anything negative to me or want to talk politics. I have never ever had any single derogatory comment come my way in any setting. I’ve seen the 49ers play in Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, and Atlanta over the years and always wear my 49er apparel. Never one single negative comment. The only time anyone ever approaches me is when I’m out and another 9er fan wants to talk 49er football. If you are receiving hateful comments I would suggest it has more to do with you than the football team you follow.

      1. I left CA in the early 90s and moved to Nashville in 1992 and lived there until 2010. I still have my Gold 49er jacket, never mind the newer, crappier stuff. I’ve got my Brodie jersey, my Montana jersey, Young jersey, my Garcia jersey, my Smith jersey. I got Jerry Rice jerseys’ for my daughters.

        Nobody cared. At all. Ever.

        I didn’t even get the idiotic jokes about steers & queers and I don’t see no horns…

        1. Raised in the South Bay, I now live in NYC. The Monday morning after that infamous NFCC loss to the Seahawks (“Crabtree is a sorry player”) , I got on the subway for work. Already in the car was a guy wearing a Niners warmup jacket. I says to him, tough game last night, right? He looks at me disinterestedly. I nod at his jacket. He says, I got this at a thrift store. Oh.

          1. Funny. I used to travel to NYC all the time. We were in the process of transferring a business operation from NYC to Houston. I had a great relationship with the senior manager over the operation in NYC. Really good guy. UNTIL the 2002 playoff game between the Giants and 49ers. He was a huge Giants fan so we had some good natured jawing going the week before the game. Giants got up to a big lead and then Jeff Garcia led a huge 4th qtr comeback and the 49ers won the game. The Giants had a chance to kick a last second field goal but the deep snapper had a bad snap and they had to run the fire drill. The 49ers defended a deep pass off the busted field goal attempt where a pass interference call could have been made to allow the Giants another chance to kick a game winning field goal. No call made and the 49ers won. The next day I flew to NYC for our normal transition meetings and the guy basically attacks me as soon as I get to the door to his office. He was screaming, you have to admit it – that was pass interference. The Giants got screwed. Since he basically accosted me as soon as I walked in I wouldn’t budge. I basically said no ref will call that ticky-tack BS when the game is on the line. Besides the Giants defense is the one that lost the game, not the refs. The day ended with me telling him to grow up and before I left his office I said, “You want to be mad be mad at that Punk A** B*** Jeremy Shockey. That JA can’t catch a cold.”

            Our little project was never the same after that. I never had another friendly word with the guy.

            1. Yeah, Giants fans had good reason for outrage over that one. What were Niner fans supposed to do? Not take the win? ;) As I recall, that was a short playoff run,

              I came out to attend the 2011 NFCCG with my bros-in-law. That one pissed me off royally, Giants revenge for sure. Monday flight back, I was sitting next to a Giants fan who also came out for the game. We both got hammered on the way back, he in celebration, me in total depression. Now he was a good guy, bought me a few rounds.

      2. We were almost forced out of a Seattle bar for wearing niner gear when we went in to watch a niner’s game on one of multiple TVs. The bar staff was great, but the Seachicken fans were drunk, loud and obnoxious. The niners weren’t even playing the Seahags. I grew up in an earlier era, but I became upset when men began hassling the women who were with us.

        So yeah, it does exist.

        1. Thats rivalry animosity. I’ve honestly never experienced that but I know that exists. That has nothing to do with Brodie’s point about 49er fans being attacked for their political views.

          1. You’re response to Brodie said you never had any negative comment hurled your way (for presumably any reason). And you said “If you are receiving hateful comments I would suggest it has more to do with you than the football team you follow”. It wasn’t at all clear from your response that you were not including “rival animosity”.

            1. Reread my response to you bro. I said I’ve never experienced rivalry animosity like you have but I know it exists. Political animosity based on assumptions made about people who wear 49er gear does not exist. That’s a fantasy concocted in Brodie’s mind.

    2. I remember the constitution being read before the 2014 Super Bowl. The next day it hit me, the Tea Party read from the constitution when they were sworn in.

  24. Donald Trump: The President Shouldn’t Tell NFL Teams What to Do?

    “Where are the fundraisers and concerts showing the same support that residents of Houston and south Florida felt after Harvey and Irma? Instead of paying attention to the growing humanitarian crisis impacting our fellow countrymen, the president of the United States spent the weekend picking a fight with professional athletes over their decision to exercise their First Amendment rights. Inevitably, the media and all of America’s attention followed.

    Trump has tweeted just five times about Hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico since last week — once on Tuesday before the storm hit the island and then Wednesday night, promising his support. Then he tweeted again Monday night.

    Meanwhile, combining his original tweets and retweets, Trump posted about the controversy surrounding the national anthem and athletes more than 20 times over the last couple of days. More

    Than. Twenty. Times.”

    http://www.snopes.com/trump-obama-nfl-tweet/

  25. Texas Lawmakers Who Voted Against Relief for Hurricane Sandy Now Ask For Help With Harvey
    All of a sudden, Ted Cruz is a big fan of disaster relief.

    Rubio voted against Sandy aid in 2013. Now he wants money for Irma.

    Florida Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson urged Congress to approve additional funds for disaster relief as Hurricane Irma threatens Miami, a bipartisan ritual for politicians with constituents facing hardship from a major storm.

    But in 2013, Rubio was one of 36 Republican senators who voted against a Hurricane Sandy relief bill for New Jersey and New York.

    “You can be a fiscal conservative until it hits you and your community and then you have a different point of view,”

    The irony of this request was not lost on lawmakers from states that had been devastated by hurricane Sandy in 2012. At that time, Texas lawmakers overwhelmingly voted against recovery assistance for New York and New Jersey.

    TomD’s Take: “Every now and again the tree of liberty must be watered by bloodshead against those who wish us harm…Both foreign and D-O-M-E-S-T-I-C”…..Thomas Jefferson

    http://www.snopes.com/trump-obama-nfl-tweet/

  26. http://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/109612-transcript-robert-discusses-49ers-inconsistency-pressuring-opposing-quarterbacks/

    I assume Grant asked this.
    :-)

    “In terms of Solomon Thomas, when I’ve watched him on tape, it seems like he was consistently working into the chest of the offensive tackle. Is that the technique that you’re coaching or would you prefer him to work an edge?”

    Saleh

    “You always want him to work an edge.”

    “He’s going through growing pains. My thoughts have not wavered and my opinion of him has not wavered in the sense that he’s going to be special if he continues to work the way he has been working.”

  27. http://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-harrison-kaepernick-trump-sports-politics-0930-20170928-story.html

    “Baseball rules had been codified only seven years earlier, and the players sensed even then that the national anthem would ally them with the Union cause.”

    “As early as the 1970s, the comedian George Carlin identified football and its language with the military and war. It is no coincidence that football and the military are forever united, or that the Department of Defense reportedly paid the NFL and its teams more than $5 million to honor our troops.”

    “Sports served with politics is as American as apple pie served with ice cream.”

  28. Well If you live under a rock ,or your head is stuck in the sand ,so to speak . I believe we are witnessing the end or the down fall ,or at least the backlash of these protest .

    All this because of what ,a bunch of rich athletes , who have the right to protest ,are going about it wrong. As rich as they are , racial inequality ( does this apply to the NFL to ,what percentage of black players to Hispanic, to white , that’s inequality) . Listen they make millions , really ? Look at some point Everyone has experienced this in one way shape or form. Black Hispanic White don’t matter . what are we doing America.

    Well now it has affected the NFL so much ( money wise) that the commissioner and the NFL and the Players Association will have to deal with this. the outcome will not be good, and most people will not be happy because of a bad timing issue, to disrespect our flag as so many see it . that flag stands for our freedoms and our rights as a people ,it is to unify us not to divide us. It stand for our fallen . The sacrifices made through the course of our history .At least respect that. Than protest .

    I don’t see it as racial inequality as much as I see it as Financial inequality (education )the poorer you are the more likely you are to be profiled, looked upon or frowned upon as a burden weather , you are white, Latino or black. The ones that the inequality is happening to is the poor . Prove me wrong ,find out how many rich people are in jail , than show me how many poor people are . If you really want to find out were the problems lie . Just follow the money , cause most that are profiled , that are in a state of being harassed . Are less educated . Meaning you earn less .Want to stop inequality , better education for all . For everyone.

    Please tell me that this ,being the education of America . In all fairness is not at the route of all of it . By the way the more educated you are the more money you make ,the less likely you are to be racially attacked .

    Quote , never saw anyone get on there ? , while sitting on there a$$ . Get up off yours and fix it America .

    1. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/public-school-funding-and-the-role-of-race/408085/

      Mosenkis delved into funding data for 500 school districts in the state of Pennsylvania. Because richer school districts are able to drum up more cash through taxes, they should receive less state funding, and poorer districts should receive more. He looked at how much money they received and sorted those findings based on race and income.

      “If you color code the districts based on their racial composition you see this very stark breakdown. At any given poverty level, districts that have a higher proportion of white students get substantially higher funding than districts that have more minority students.”

      The compounding issue of low-income neighborhoods and scarce (or biased) funding leaves such schools with little money or resources to educate their students, and thus little hope of breaking the poverty cycle.

  29. #80 , than vote , protest at City Hall .

    It’s social inequality , not racism .
    Than do something about it.

    Again , has to due with getting up off your butt , and addressing it.

    My question is this helping ,in the area’s of education . All that are poor , regardless of color or race . Are entitled to an education . Because that is the only thing that’s going to help . Note for the record , I don’t think it’s fair . Children should all be treated fairly . Educated fairly .

    And again don’t think the kapernick protest , are in the right spot to make a difference . All it’s done is make people think ,why watch this . If they want better education in that area , they have to protest it there ,elect officials that care about these matters . Get more funds . For them under privilege areas ,. I agree .

    And hope for change . Hope someone in them areas does something about it .

    1. I agree on education and the poor getting screwed across racial lines. But I posted that link to show that poor black people have it worse than poor white people and they have a smaller chance of escaping poverty.

  30. NFL players and coaches , especially the Niners, should focus on winning the game.
    Football is not even close to the only place where people come together under various circumstances. I would say football is rather limited in their scope of diversity.
    In real life, at every business in our country,
    all kinds of people come together to bring success to their business and satisfaction to their customers, who by the way are also as diverse as can be. That’s America.
    The dividers are led by Kapernick, who ironically enough has no NFL job, and certainly Kapernick has a deep dislike for our country and our flag. Kapernick has a hatred of our police and military and the office of the presidency. He loves communism and the Castros. Good for him.
    As fans we have, many of us, are sitting out and not watching these fools any longer.
    We are discovering many better things to do with our time.
    Never bite the hand that feeds you.

    1. Please educate yourself before spouting BS and trying to divide the country.

      After hours of careful consideration, and even a visit from Nate Boyer, a retired Green Beret and former NFL player, we came to the conclusion that we should kneel, rather than sit, the next day during the anthem as a peaceful protest. We chose to kneel because it’s a respectful gesture. I remember thinking our posture was like a flag flown at half-mast to mark a tragedy.

  31. The dividers are led by Trumpty Dumpty. He spits on the constitution, has admitted assaulting women, calls Nazis very fine people, and conspired with the enemy to steal an election through divisive tactics and lies.
    .
    Kaep, on the other hand, is sick of the injustices perpetrated on innocent people, both black and white by rogue elements that use the badge to oppress people. He decries a system that has 99.9% of the cops accused escaping justice while also being paid while on trial.
    .
    Kaep is not perfect, and I sincerely hopes he registers to vote and helps vote out the haters, but he is pure as snow compared to Twitler, who is demeaning and shaming the Office of the Presidency. Trump’s hate filled obscene rant was his lowest hour, and I hope Mueller can remove him from office before he does any more damage and lead us into a nuclear war.
    .
    Kaep loves this country and is trying to make it better. Trump only loves himself, and does not care what happens as long as he can cling to power. SJ said- Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels. Jemele Hill is right.

    1. People who want to get rid of Dotard the Menace are the real patriots!
      His twits about Puerto Rico are a disgrace to ANY human being. Period!

  32. Grant has just lowered himself to the bearer of fake news with twisting what KS said!
    What were your reactions to what President Trump had to say?

    “I was pretty bothered by it. I think the same way most people were. I think I’ve got a lot of regard for that position. I have my whole life. It’s a very important, big position to be the leader of our country and when you hear something like that, it definitely bothered me, especially when he’s calling out people that you’re associated with. But, the most bothersome thing is how everyone sees that position in our country and you expect that position to be the best leader possible and when I think of being a leader, I think of bringing people together. All I know is the quotes I read and when I read those quotes, I think that’s the opposite of what you’re expecting.”

  33. Grant did not ask a single question in this exchange!
    Instead he chooses to distort the truth, that’s unpatriotic!

  34. I’ve seen Grant write/act like a teenager before, but to knowingly put words in Shanny’s mouth shows that we should doubt ALL of his writing since this is not the first time he has distorted the truth.
    Puerile patriotism is not a free ticket to provide FAKE NEWS!

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