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Sports & Politics Intersect: Hank Williams Jr. has been a long time gone
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Sports & Politics Intersect: Hank Williams Jr. has been a long time gone

Front Five: The top stories that shaped both sports & politics this week

“Are you ready for some football?” Hank Williams Jr. 

ESPN announced the return of Hank Williams Jr. to the Monday Night Football broadcast after cutting his opening song  six years ago in response to his comments about President Barack Obama playing a round of golf with former House Speaker John Boehner, likening the pairing to “Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu” then later adding, “When both sides are high-fiving it on the ninth hole when everybody else is without a job. It makes a whole lot of us angry.” The move comes at a time when ESPN has been under increased scrutiny  over perceived biases – both right and left, and ratings pressure due to cable cord-cutters. ESPN says fans missed the intro, but critics were quick to point out that Williams’ personal store still sells Confederate flag-branded gear which is alienating in 2017. 


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“He’s a starter in this league. We have a starter, but he is a starter in this league and I can’t imagine somebody won’t give him a chance to play.” - Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks head coach

After considering Colin Kaepernick as a backup to starting quarterback Russell Wilson, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll passed on the former Niner in favor of Austin Davis, saying he believed Kaepernick should still play as a starter in the league . Seattle had been considered the last chance for Kaepernick to sign with a team ahead of training camp; he will now wait to see if his number gets called closer to the season. Recent protests outside of NFL headquarters in New York have shown there is support for Kaepernick in the league, (although Giants owner John Mara says even the prospect of signing the QB has led to the most passionate letters from fans threatening boycotts he has ever seen), but the longer the Super Bowl-caliber thrower remains unsigned, the more it appears there is a concerted effort to keep him out of the NFL – despite his promise to stand for the anthem in 2017. 


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 “As an Indigenous person, I am encouraged that the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has accepted jurisdiction over my complaint and agrees that it can proceed to a hearing.” - Douglas Cardinal, member of the Blackfoot Tribe  

The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ruled plaintiff Douglas Cardinal has the standing to go forward with his lawsuit against the Cleveland Indians, Major League Baseball and Rogers Communications, which was filed last fall. Rogers Communications, which owns the Rogers Centre and the Toronto Blue Jays, MLB and the Indians avoided having to make last-second uniform changes just before the two teams met in the 2016 postseason in Toronto when an Ontario Superior Court denied the motion, but the case was also filed in both the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission. In recent months, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has indicated he would like to see the logo phased out soon while Cleveland’s ownership continues to stall.


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“Odubel is a dynamo on the field, and as he becomes more comfortable with the language, his leadership skills will improve, and no doubt he will be a centerpiece in the Phillies' future.” - Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, apologizing for comments earlier in the week 

When asked about Odubel Herrera’s ability to lead the team in a radio interview earlier in the week, Phillies legend Mike Schmidt said the language barrier and use of a translator did not make for a good leader, saying, “he can’t be a guy that would sort of sit in a circle with four, five American players and talk about the game. Or try and learn about the game or discuss the inner workings of the game.” Herrera, who speaks and understands a fair amount of English but prefers using the team’s translator, said he disagreed with Schmidt but respected him as a player. When asked if he had any issues in the clubhouse, Herrera said, “Zero.” 

On the same day, Red Sox broadcaster and former player Jerry Remy expressed displeasure that Yankee pitcher Masahiro Tanaka was allowed to have a translator come out to the mound when speaking with teammates and coaches, saying “Learn baseball language. Learn. It’s pretty simple. You break it down pretty easy between pitching coach and pitcher after a long period of time.” Both NESN and Remy apologized during the next game’s broadcast.


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 "But one thing is clear. The football community worldwide should agree that … major tournaments should not be played in countries that actively support terror." - German Football Association President Reinhard Grindel 

As fellow Middle Eastern nations Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain move to isolate Qatar, the fate of 2022 World Cup fell into limbo while waiting to see how trade sanctions would affect the country’s ability to import construction materials needed to keep progress on track for new venues. Saudi Arabia has already cancelled an Asian Champions League qualifier scheduled in Qatar between Saudi club Al Ahli and Iranian club Persepolis – a previously considered “neutral” location between the two unfriendly countries. FIFA says it is in regular contact with Qatari officials, but has offered no other comment. Qatar, which was awarded the 2022 World Cup seven years ago, was always a controversial choice for the games due to poor weather conditions, lack of already established venues and human rights violations, including the use of slave labor in construction, according to Amnesty International. 

Of note 

For the record books: This week in sports politics history 


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“You better get your head down in here, if you want it on.” - The advice Yoga Berra’s commanding officer gave him during the Normandy Invasion as he watched the planes overhead.

On June 6, 1944, baseball, horse racing and fighting all went dark in honor of the D-Day invasion that marked one of the biggest turning points of World War II. While the story of Seaman Second Class Yoga Berra’s heroics have been widely told, five minor-leaguers and semi-pro players died in the invasion. At the start of the 1944 season, approximately 340 Major Leaguers, 119 Negro League players and also more than 3,000 minor leaguers served during World War II. 

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