Sports Illustrated protests cover omits Colin Kaepernick
On Tuesday morning, Sports Illustratedunveiled the magazine's cover for the week of Oct. 2, 2017. And though the cover professes a focus on unity in sports, it has the internet divided.
Tweet may have been deleted
Under the banner "A Nation Divided, Sports United," the cover features prominent pro athletes — including rivals LeBron James (who called the president a "bum" earlier this week) and Steph Curry (who rejected the president's White House invite) — as well as much-maligned NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, all locking arms.
SEE ALSO:The first NFL game of Sept. 24 started with a powerful, unprecedented protestThe cover story will reportedly focus on the sports world's reaction to the president's comments calling for the firing of NFL athletes who "take a knee" during the national anthem — namely, the widespread protests by NFL players, the twitter reactions by James and other NBA stars, and other forms of protest, such as the first instance of taking a knee in the MLB.
On social media, some praised the cover for making a strong show of unity in response to the president's divisive comments.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
But others weren't so thrilled, particularly over the omission of former San Francisco 49ers quarter Colin Kaepernick, whose protests during the 2016 season were the impetus for the entire debate presently unfolding.
Tweet may have been deleted
Kaepernick began protesting police violence against people of color in 2016 by sitting — and later kneeling — during the national anthem. He has since been unable to secure a job after entering into free agency, which many people think is linked to his protesting, and constitutes a form of blackballing.
SEE ALSO:A year after Colin Kaepernick's first protest, his absence looms larger than everNevertheless, athletes across the NFL began to follow his example, and Kaepernick's movement ballooned after the president described him and any fellow athlete-protesters as a "son of a bitch" during a speech in Alabama.
Given Kaepernick's influence on the movement, and the repercussions he may have suffered as a result, his absence on the Sports Illustratedcover dedicated to "unity" is especially conspicuous.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Others questioned the inclusion of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Goodell said that he was "proud" of the NFL players for their united reaction to President Trump's statement and tweets.
He has also recently been attending meetings and forums with NFL players interested in getting the league more involved in social justice issues such as police violence.
Tweet may have been deleted
However, Goodell is a widely criticized figure in the NFL, particularly around race and social justice issues.
Tasked with trying to clean up the league's image, Goodell instituted harsh penalties for misconduct. But some see him as too punitive toward athletes who are found to have used drugs, and too forgiving for infractions such as violence against women (as in the case of Ray Rice) and cheating by white players and coaches (as in the case of the New England Patriots' "Deflategate").
Goodell also had a lukewarm response to Kaepernick's initial protests. And now, his focus on "unity," instead of the issue of institutional violence against black people that Kaepernick was attempting to draw attention to in the first place, could be seen as a whitewashing of the protest's original intent.
Many take Goodell's inclusion on the cover, over Kaepernick's, as giving credit where credit is notdue — it has the effect of giving a wealthy white man disproportionate kudos and visibility for a movement started by people of color, particularly one who is now unable to get a job.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Overall, whether you agree or disagree with the cover design, Sports Illustratedis highlighting one big fact: This has been no ordinary week for sports in America.
Featured Video For You
Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe talks esports
(责任编辑:关于我们)
- Apple Watch 10 rumors: Everything we know so far
- North Korean smugglers disguised under Pacific island flags
- John Dickerson on his friend and colleague Gwen Ifill.
- 市科技知识产权局考察汉源石棉两地孵化载体建设情况
- Scientists discover where the huge dinosaur
- This shark lives for centuries. Scientists discover how it resists aging.
- Moyes prioritises defensive recruits
- MacOS High Sierra vulnerability publicly disclosed weeks ago
- Journalist quarantined in N. Korea says strict guidelines were in place
- How much for Oasis tickets? Fans joke about splurging on reunion shows
- 市区地面停车位诱导系统开建
- ‘United working hard in transfer market’
- 清远唯一!连南“瑶山那抹红”获评广东十大乡村振兴示范带
-
Weather update for second Pak vs Ban second Test match day one
ListentoarticleThe second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh, part of the ICC World Test Champions ...[详细] -
What would make you trust an AI assistant? How about a face?
Interacting with AI is fast becoming the norm, thanks to the ubiquity of Siri, Alexa, and the Google ...[详细] -
While Bale appeals to Spurs' nostalgia, Reguilon has transformative potential
LONDON:As Tottenham Hotspur celebrate the return of club great Gareth Bale on loan from Real Madrid, ...[详细] -
南农晨读丨中华战舞 普宁英歌_南方+_南方plus【今日关注】2023年全国粮食收购量超4亿吨新华社记者从全国粮食和物资储备工作会议上获悉,2023年,我国粮食产量再获丰收,全国收购平稳有序,全年收购 ...[详细]
-
Microwave technique recovers 87% of batteries' lithium in 15 minutes
Lithium is a finite resource, and the more we lock inside rechargeable batteries, the less we have t ...[详细] -
雅安日报/北纬网讯昨(27)日,市人大常委会机关党支部召开党课报告会,传达学习全市“两学一做”学习教育工作推进会和全市三项整改“回头看”有关文件、会议精神,市人大常委会党组书记、主任李伊林为机关党员干 ...[详细]
-
While Bale appeals to Spurs' nostalgia, Reguilon has transformative potential
LONDON:As Tottenham Hotspur celebrate the return of club great Gareth Bale on loan from Real Madrid, ...[详细] -
9家上市猪企2023年生猪总销量已超1.2亿头!牧原、温氏、大北农、唐人神超年度目标
9家上市猪企2023年生猪总销量已超1.2亿头!牧原、温氏、大北农、唐人神超年度目标_南方+_南方plus近日,随着各大上市猪企陆续公布12月份的生猪销售情况,2023年的成绩单也逐一揭晓。据农财智库 ...[详细] -
高燃!哨响表停赛不止,2024广东“村BA”开赛在即,一分钟带你重温高光瞬间。
...[详细] -
Google named as the best place to work in 2017
It might not have seemed like such a great year for Google, but Google's employees still like it. Th ...[详细]
Spaceship tech slashes energy usage of existing AC systems
US flies spy plane over Korean peninsula following NK missile launches
- 厚植精神文明沃土 培树司法文明新风
- ‘Sewol trauma behind Seoul’s quick response to virus crisis’
- Owners are selling their homes for Bitcoin, because of course they are
- 市科技知识产权局考察汉源石棉两地孵化载体建设情况
- Game Plan
- N. Korean leader's son veiled in mystery amid 'Kim Il
- Seoul High Court calls off defector group's license repeal over anti