215. Colin Kaepernick, NFL and race with Monte Poole

Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area joins Matt Maiocco and Laura Britt for a frank discussion of Colin Kaepernick, his protest of racial inequality and police brutality, the NFL and how race must be a large part of the discussion in changing the United States of America for the better.

1:55 – Matt Maiocco and Monte Poole talk about a piece they wrote at NBCSportsBayArea.com from their experiences.

4:00 – Monte talks about Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem.

5:20 – Monte looks back at how Muhammad Ali was received during his protest.

7:50 – Laura Britt was living in Chicago at the time of Kaepernick’s protest. She shares her perspective.

9:30 – The protest during the national anthem got a lot of attention. Matt said it was a distraction for those who did not necessarily want to listen to his message.

12:30 – Monte says it was never about the flag. It never has been.

15:50 – Laura says it seems as if people’s eyes have opened.

17:30 – Monte addresses Drew Brees’ comments and talks about the differing experiences of military members based on race.

23:00 – Kyle Shanahan talks about why it’s important for him to speak out.

27:45 -- Matt, Laura and Monte talk about the 49ers’ role in this issue.

39:00 – Matt and Monte agree that the irony is if the NFL tried to silence Kaepernick, it actually made his voice stronger.

44:05 – Laura asked Monte about the Declaration of Independence, where it reads “All men are created equal.”

48:20 – This is bigger than sports, but sports should be a vehicle that drives change for the better.

52:35 – Laura asks, “Why do people care about the color of people’s skin?”