Swimming With Sharks: Kaepernick's Protest, Backlash and Resistance

Edge of Sports

Dave Zirin / The Nation

Sports, History, Sports News, News, Politics

4.8 • 619 Ratings

🗓️ 31 August 2016

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We speak to Olympic gold-medal swimmer Anthony Ervin about Colin Kaepernick's anthem protest against police violence, Ervin's book ‘Chasing Water,’ and life since winning gold in Rio. Then, choice words about, and then from, an athletic activist who walked in Kaepernick's path, Toni Smith–Thompson. The ‘Just Stand Up’ award goes to Khaled Beydoun for his look at how Kaepernick is being dealt with in the sewers of sports radio. Finally, we answer a phone message from listener Ronnie that asked the Edge of Sports hotline why we speak about athletic resistance at all.Speak your mind by calling (401) 236-3343 (EDGE.) Let us know what you think of Colin Kaepernick’s actions. Also, at this crucial moment, which sports talkers are doing it right, and who is making a fool of themselves? (401) 236-3343 (EDGE.)Anthony Ervin: https://twitter.com/AnthonyErvinhis book, ‘Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian’ http://akashicbooks.com/catalog/chasing-waterToni Smith-Thompson: https://twitter.com/mstonijDZ column, ‘Thoughts on Colin Kaepernick From an Athlete Who Walked That Path’https://www.thenation.com/article/thoughts-on-colin-kaepernick-from-an-athlete-who-walked-that-path/Khaled Beydoun: http://twitter.com/KhaledBeydounZirin: ‘America Needs to Listen to What Colin Kaepernick Is Actually Trying to Say’https://www.thenation.com/article/america-needs-to-listen-to-what-colin-kaepernick-is-actually-trying-to-say/—http://edgeofsportspodcast.com | http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | email us: edgeofsports@slate.com—instrumentals: Souls of Mischief (A-Plus production) http://hieroglyphics.com https://twitter.com/hieroaplus | Back Star - Definition (Hi-Tek production) https://twitter.com/HiTek | Gang Starr (DJ Premier production) http://premierwuzhere.com | Notorious BIG (DJ Premier production) | Missy Elliott (Timbaland production) https://twitter.com/MissyElliott http://timbalandmusic.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Edge of Sports podcast. This week's entire show is framed by what happened Friday night when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made the decision that he would not stand for the national anthem, as well as his speech afterwards, the heart of which was, I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.
0:22.5	Today we are going to talk athletic dissent with gold medal swimmer Anthony Irvin
0:26.7	and another athlete who protested the anthem 13 years ago, Tony Smith Thompson.
0:32.4	Just so people can hear him in his own words before we talk to Anthony Irvin or Tony Smith
0:36.5	Thompson on Sunday, Colin Kaepernick addressed the media and said this.
0:44.9	There's people being murdered unjustly and not being held accountable.
0:49.2	Cops are getting paid leave for killing people.
0:53.5	That's not right. You know, I have great respect for men and women that have fought for this country. That's not right.
0:55.0	You know, I have great respect for men and women that have fought for this country.
0:58.0	I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country.
1:01.0	And they fight for freedom.
1:03.0	They fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone.
1:07.0	And that's not happening.
1:09.0	I mean, people are dying in vain because this country isn't holding their end of the bargain up
1:14.4	as far as giving freedom and justice and liberty to everybody.
1:19.4	It's something that's not happening.
1:21.5	This stand wasn't for me.
1:23.4	This stand wasn't because I feel like I'm being put down.
1:51.8	This is because I'm seeing things happen to people that don't have a voice. People that don't have a platform to talk and have their voices heard and affect change. So I'm in a position where I can do that and I'm going to do that for people that can't. Our first guest won the gold medal in the 15-meter swimming event at the 2016 Rio Games.
1:57.8	He also won gold at the 2000 Olympics. That would be a 16-year gap, and that is unreal.
2:03.8	He also wrote a book that I helped edit called Chasing Water. He's a person of uncommon
2:08.7	thoughtfulness on the sports landscape. His name is Anthony Irvin. The crime, which you discover
	...

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