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A22     SPORTS
                  Thursday 9 March 2017
                 Column: Kaepernick and the end of anthem protests




            TIM DAHLBERG                 a fairly easy one. She was
             AP Sports Columnist         left  off  the  U.S.  women’s
            Colin  Kaepernick  is  look-  national  team  for  a  major
            ing for work, after a season  tournament this month and
            more memorable for what  while  it  was  ostensibly  be-
            he  did  before  the  games  cause she is still getting into
            than anything he did while  form after tearing an ACL,
            in them.                     her protests certainly didn’t
            What  he’s  not  looking  to  help her cause.
            do,  according  to  multiple  It is, after all, the U.S. nation-
            reports,  is  to  continue  his  al team. If you’re making a
            national  anthem  protest  living playing for your coun-
            wherever he ends up.         try, the case can be made
            The  more  cynical  might  that you’d better stand up
            suggest  those  two  things  for the national anthem.
            are  related.  And  they  just  “It is an honor to represent
            might  be,  though  Kaeper-  the  USA  and  all  that  we
            nick has yet to publicly ex-  stand  for  —  to  be  able  to
            plain why he’s dropping a  pull on the red, white and
            protest  that  got  so  much  blue  to  play  a  game  that
            attention  last  season  that  I  love,”  Rapinoe  said  in  a
            some  blamed  him  for  a  statement.  “I  will  respect
            drop  in  NFL  television  rat-  the  new  bylaw  the  lead-
            ings.                        ership  at  USSF  has  put  for-
            Megan     Rapinoe    won’t  ward.  That  said,  I  believe
            be  kneeling  during  the  we should always value the     In this Dec. 11, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stands in the
                                                                      bench area during the second half of the team’s NFL football game against the New York Jets in
            national  anthem  either.  use of our voice and plat-     Santa Clara, Calif.
            The  soccer  player  —  who  form to fight for equality of                                                                      Associated Press
            kneeled  in  solidarity  with  every kind.”
            Kaepernick at a pair of na-  For  Kaepernick,  it  might   racial  and  social  injustice.  Kaepernick   Foundation,   cial.”
            tional  team  matches  last  also  come  down  to  em-    It  was  probably  the  only  and  he  has  hosted  “Know   That Kaepernick has a right
            year — says she will obey a  ployment. He opted out of    way  he  was  going  to  cut  Your Rights” camps for un-  to  protest  is  guaranteed
            new U.S. Soccer Federation  his contract with the 49ers   through the clutter and get  derprivileged  children  in   in  this  country.  That  others
            policy that says team play-  and  is  now  a  free  agent,   a mainstream audience to  the Bay Area.                have a right to vehemently
            ers  “shall  stand  respect-  though  there  are  indica-  notice what he was doing.   He’s also been a longtime    disagree with his platform is
            fully”  during  the  national  tions  he  could  return  to   But it was always going to  supporter  of  Camp  Taylor,   also their right.
            anthem.                      the team under a different   be  short  lived.  The  shock  a camp for kids with heart   This  was  never  Tommie
            And just like that, the great  deal. That the 49ers are in   value  wore  off,  and  it  lost  disease. The year he was in   Smith  and  John  Carlos  on
            national  anthem  protest  desperate need of a quar-      its   effectiveness.   Other  the  Super  Bowl,  his  father   an  Olympic  medal  stand
            movement appears dead.       terback is common knowl-     players who joined in for a  told me Kaepernick got on    in  Mexico  City  in  1968,  a
            It  didn’t  live  long,  a  few  edge.  It’s  also  common   week or two moved on to  stage and sang for the kids   stance  that  reverberated
            months  at  best.  Several  knowledge  that  the  49ers   other  things,  like  trying  to  during  a  day  he  spent  at   throughout  the  nation.  It
            players  followed  Kaeper-   — and the 31 other teams     remain employed.             the camp.                    won’t  be  remembered  a
            nick’s lead, but for the most  in  the  NFL  —  don’t  want   To Kaepernick’s credit, the  “It  was  ‘This  Little  Light  of   half century later as a land-
            part, they were a lot more  players causing distractions   protest  was  a  small  part  Mine,’  a  song  he  knew   mark in the nation’s history.
            preoccupied with keeping  with  protests  that  are  un-  of  what  he  does.  He  took  from  Sunday  School,”  Rick   Indeed,  one  of  Kaeper-
            their day jobs than crusad-  popular among most fans.     some  of  the  money  the  Kaepernick  said.  “He  talk-  nick’s biggest mistakes was
            ing for social reform.       Kaepernick  accomplished     49ers paid him and donat-    ed  about  looking  out  at   that  he  wasted  the  op-
            For  Rapinoe,  the  decision  at least part of his goal by   ed  $1  million  to  help  local  those  kids  and  knowing   portunity to fully articulate
            not to protest anymore was  taking  a  knee  to  protest   charities through the Colin  they  were  something  spe-  what he was seeking. q

                Veteran leads Iditarod as mushers jockey for lead




            ANCHORAGE,  Alaska  (AP)  Seavey and Nicolas Petit, a
            —  Mushers  are  jockeying  native of France who lives
            for  the  early  lead  in  the  just south of Anchorage.   Aliy Zirkle departs
                                                                       the Manley Hot
            world’s  most  famous  sled  Petit was fêted Tuesday for   Springs checkpoint
            dog race.                    being  the  first  musher  to   of the Iditarod Trail
            Wade Marrs, a 26-year-old  reach Tanana and the Yu-        Sled Dog Race
            veteran who had his high-    kon River.                    in March 7, 2017.
            est finish at fourth last year,    A  chef  flown  in  from  An-  Zirkle was the sixth
            was the first to leave the Idi-  chorage  prepared  a  five-  into the checkpoint,
            tarod  Trail  Sled  Dog  Race  course   meal,   featuring   but was first out af-
                                                                       ter spending about
            checkpoint  in  Tanana  on  cioppino  and  roast  duck,    15 minutes resup-
            Tuesday.                     served with champagne.        plying and check-
            He departed just ahead of  The  winner  of  the  nearly    ing on her dogs.
            four-time  champion  Dallas  1,000-mile race across Alas-  Associated Press
            Seavey and Pete Kaiser.      ka  is  expected  in  Nome
            Rounding  out  the  top  five  early next week.q
            are  two-time  winner  Mitch
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