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By now youve heard about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand for the national anthem. He has said hell continue to sit until he sees a significant change in the treatment of people of color in our country.Reactions to Kaepernicks protest have been swift and strong, with many seeming to condemn the act without bothering to listen to the motivation.Some complained about him criticizing a country that has afforded him the opportunity to make millions of dollars playing football. Kaepernick said hes not speaking for himself but for those without a platform: Ive been blessed to be able to get this far and have the privilege of being in the NFL and making the kind of money I make and enjoy luxuries like that. I cant look in the mirror and see other people dying in the street that should have the same opportunities that Ive had and say, you know what, I can live with myself.Others have claimed that Kaepernicks act was disrespectful to U.S. troops. Kaepernick said he has great respect for our military, which has had his family and friends among its ranks. They fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. Thats not happening. People are dying in vain because this country isnt holding their end of the bargain up.Ever since the story broke Friday night, it seems everyones been eager to give a take. NFL coaches and players -- including Drew Brees -- have weighed in with their criticisms of the act, the message or both. Some players have said they support his message, but not the forum.The NFL communitys discussions about Kaepernicks actions stand in stark contrast to the responses many players and coaches have given when asked about domestic abuse in the NFL. Some players reacted strongly to the video of Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City elevator. Some said theyd rather not have Greg Hardy in their locker room after photos surfaced of his then-girlfriends visible bruising the night of his alleged assault. But for the most part, when asked about incidents of domestic violence -- even those documented in photos or video -- players stay mum or claim they dont have enough information to criticize.Dr. Eric M. Carter, an associate professor of sociology at Georgetown College in Kentucky, spoke to the New York Times about the relative silence among pro athletes when it comes to hot-button issues like the Rice video. Why dont we see more collective action among athletes? said Carter. Because theyve got too much to lose individually, or at least they perceive they have too much to lose individually.Carter interviewed over 100 players for his 2009 book, Boys Gone Wild: Fame, Fortune and Deviance Among Professional Football Players and said job security is a big reason players keep quiet. I think its part of that We all have short careers, weve got to get what we want right now mentality. Weve got to protect ourselves, in that sense, Carter told the Times. Maybe it comes off as protecting their teammates, which is what we would all like to think, that theres this real social bond that exists among these guys, but maybe not so much as youd think.Were seeing that again now with Giants kicker Josh Brown, who has been suspended one game after a May 2015 arrest on a charge of assault in the fourth degree/domestic violence, for which he was suspended one game by the NFL on Wednesday. Browns ex-wife told police that he had been physically violent with her in more than 20 instances over the past several years.Said Giants defensive end Jason Pierre Paul: Were all family around here. People have their own problems to handle. Hes still our brother and we look past it.Said Giants QB Eli Manning: I dont think there is a whole lot to say. To the team, if Josh wants to say something, he can explain his case. I dont know a whole lot of details about what happened. I know hes been suspended and thats about all I know.Said Giants guard Justin Pugh: Obviously, you have to be there for your teammate. I dont want to get too into it because I dont know all the details ... but all we can do is support our teammate and make sure were there for him.Pugh did get into the Kaepernick situation, though, tweeting about how hell be sure to stand for the anthem.Ben McAdoo, who said shortly after taking over the Giants head-coaching gig that he wouldnt tolerate domestic violence, has made one statement on Browns abusive incident: I do support Josh as a man, a father and a player.Yet McAdoo had plenty to say about Kaepernicks protest on Monday, including this: Id be disappointed if one of our guys chose not to stand. Kaepernick speaking up for those without a voice is disappointing, but Brown earns McAdoos full support. Huh.It may not be surprising that while Browns coach and teammates are unwilling to speak out against him, no one else in the league has criticized the Giants, either, for re-signing their kicker to a two-year deal.Back in 2014, even Kaepernick himself played the not my business card when asked about the release of teammate Ray McDonald the day it was learned he was being investigated on suspicion of sexual assault. McDonald had previously been investigated for domestic violence.Hes a good friend to a lot of people on this team. No one thought bad of him, Kaepernick said then. Hopefully its just a misunderstanding. ... I understand why the team did what it did. Other than that, its not my business.Violence against women, like racial oppression, should be everyones business. And we should be able to talk freely about these issues.The fact that players are jumping at the chance in 2016 to speak out about Kaepernicks protest proves its not just about the desire to keep quiet for the sake of job security. The key is whether theyre willing to listen to the disenfranchised, be it a survivor of domestic abuse or a target of police brutality.I look forward to the day when people stand up and demand justice for people with the same passion they display in defending symbols. After all, whats the point of defending the American flag if youre not invested in protecting the very people it represents? Whats the use in defending the freedoms our anthem promises if youre not willing to listen to those who arent truly free?Standing for the anthem is easy because its expected. Loving your country enough to want to make it better is real patriotism. Fernando Valenzuela Dodgers Jersey . 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PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Baylor dominated Michigan State inside with its size advantage, got out in transition and kept knocking down shots.The result was a second lopsided win against a ranked team in 10 days, along with the No. 20 Bears earning a trip to the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game.Johnathan Motley scored 20 of his 26 points in the first half and the Bears shot 55 percent after halftime to beat the 24th-ranked Spartans 73-58 on Thursday.Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. added 14 points and eight rebounds -- nearly all in the second half -- for the Bears (5-0), who sprinted out of the break with a 12-2 run on the way to shooting 55 percent in the second half. That quickly turned a 33-30 halftime deficit into a double-digit lead against the cold-shooting Spartans (3-3).We were able to get stops and we were able to get some transition buckets, Baylor coach Scott Drew said. And when were able get in transition with some easy ones, that loosens things up.The Bears did a lot of things well. They controlled the boards. They had 24 assists on 30 baskets. They scored 19 points off turnovers.The Spartans just werent able to mount much of a pushback. They went 7 minutes between baskets spanning halftime as Baylor made its push, while the Spartans thin front line was no match for the 7-foot Lual-Acuil and 6-10 Motley.We were bigger than them in the paint and we think were tougher, Motley said, so we just used that to our advantage.Freshman Miles Bridges scored 15 points for the Spartans, who shot 39 percent after halftime -- including 1 for 10 on 3-pointers -- in a demanding opening month of the schedule that has them crisscrossing the country.We were moving the ball and really playing well I thought through the first half, and we quit doing that, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. I just think we looked awfully tired. I can accept that thats my fault, not theirs.BIG PICTUREBaylor: In their first two games in the Bahamas, the Bears have notched a tough win against VCU and now a rout against the Spartans in the span of 24 hours -- about as good of a starrt as Drew couldve hoped to see.ddddddddddddMichigan State: The concerns about the Spartans injury-depleted front line showed up in a big way in this one. Motley went just about anywhere he wanted in the first half, while Lual-Acuil led Baylors effort on the boards. Izzo said Wednesday there would be some growing pains while this group sorted things out -- and this performance illustrated it perfectly.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Bears vaulted into this weeks AP Top 25 after beating then-No. 4 Oregon last week and could be ready to climb after beating VCU and Michigan State, depending on their finish Friday. As for the Spartans, theyve slid from their No. 12 preseason perch and could be set to fall all the way out despite -- or maybe because of -- that schedule.IZZOS APOLOGYMichigan State has already lost to Arizona in Hawaii and Kentucky in New York. The Spartans travel to Duke next week in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.Izzo said he did a terrible job putting together a schedule that has left little time to practice and try to develop his team.I actually apologized to my team, he said. And yet, Ive always played a tough schedule. ... You know what? You can take it as an excuse, you can take it as the truth, I dont give a damn. Im telling you what I did. This aint on them. Its on me.UPFRONT SIZEWith Michigan State down two big men because of injuries, Lual-Acuil, Ishmail Wainright (eight rebounds) and Motley helped the Bears control the inside. Baylor outrebounded Michigan State 36-29 and held it to three offensive boards while scoring 44 points in the paint.UP NEXTBaylor: The Bears will play No. 10 Louisville, which beat Wichita State later Thursday, in Fridays championship game.Michigan State: The Sparta