Colin Kaepernick's grievance filed against the NFL includes a discovery request that will "seek to dig into a high-profile roster of targets" including President Trump, Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones, Patriots Owner Robert Kraft and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, according to sources cited by Charles Robinson of YAHOO SPORTS. The discovery also includes teams like the Seahawks, Ravens and Titans. Kaepernick’s legal team will "seek to digitally pick through the inner-workings of why some teams entertained and then passed on the quarterback after he entered free agency in March." Trump’s involvement with owners and some of his public statements "could become a useful tool in arguments." One incident that will draw interest in discovery "occurred long before Trump’s railing on anthem protests during this season." Trump on March 20 "engaged in some apparently unscripted bragging to a crowd in Louisville, Kentucky, about his influence in keeping NFL teams from signing Kaepernick." That came "one day after Kraft had joined Trump on Air Force One for a flight between West Palm Beach, Florida, and Washington." Kaepernick’s camp "hopes to prove that Trump has been one of the pivotal unifying forces of collusion in the NFL, either through his relationship with Kraft and Jones, or through his influence using his public platform" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/29).
PLEASE STAND, SIT OR KNEEL: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Peter Nicholas notes Trump drew "tepid support for his campaign to require" NFLers to stand for the anthem in a poll conducted by the WSJ and NBC News. By a two-to-one margin, Americans in the survey "disapproved of his handling of the matter, with 59% disapproving and 30% approving" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/30). In Boston, Ben Volin wrote the NFL will continue to "try to work with the players instead of forcing them to stand." It is "one of the few issues where the players actually have some leverage" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/29).
