The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Bill Rhoden Talks to Jelani Cobb About Protest and Professional Sports

Episode Summary

<p>Colin Kaepernick has yet to set foot on the football field this season, but the protest movement he launched a year ago has taken on a life of its own, after the President went on a tirade against protesting players, suggesting that “that son of a bitch” be fired. The <em>New Yorker</em> staff writer Jelani Cobb reflects with Bill Rhoden, a writer-at-large for ESPN’s “Undefeated,” on the fifty-year history of black athletes embracing politics on the field. Is it time, they ask, to retire “The Star-Spangled Banner” from football?</p>

Episode Notes

Colin Kaepernick has yet to set foot on the football field this season, but the protest movement he launched a year ago has taken on a life of its own, after the President went on a tirade against protesting players, suggesting that “that son of a bitch” be fired. The New Yorker staff writer Jelani Cobb reflects with Bill Rhoden, a writer-at-large for ESPN’s “Undefeated,” on the fifty-year history of black athletes embracing politics on the field. Is it time, they ask, to retire “The Star-Spangled Banner” from football?