The Cowboys “plan to protest during the national anthem” before tonight’s game against the Cardinals, according to sources. They will “likely come to some decision in the locker room.” It “may not be a coordinated effort,” but “just be a few individuals.” One player said, “We have to do something.” No Cowboys player has “protested the anthem.” Coach Jason Garrett on Saturday said that he “expected none would in light of Trump’s comments against a number of players who have chosen to kneel, sit or raise their fists in protest of racial inequality” (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 9/26).

As of deadline, the Cowboys' Jerry Jones was the only NFL team owner that has remained silent with regard to the player protests (THE DAILY).

Ford Motor Co., a major sponsor of the NFL, today "issued a statement in support of free speech after player protests and President Donald Trump's call for a fan boycott." The statement read: "We respect individuals' rights to express their views, even if they are not ones we share. That's part of what makes America great" (ADAGE.com, 9/25). Nike today also said that it "backs" NFLers' right to protest. The company in a statement said, "Nike supports athletes and their right to freedom of expression on issues that are of great importance to our society" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 9/25).

Meanwhile, a cohort of USAA members are "pressuring the San Antonio-based financial services and insurance company to drop its sponsorship" of the NFL. An online petition as of today had "more than 1,000 signatures, out of 100,000 sought" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/25).

Some of the league's other "biggest spenders" such as Visa, A-B InBev, Microsoft, McDonald’s, PepsiCo and Bridgestone have "remained silent on what was possibly the most political and polarizing Sunday in recent league history" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 9/25).

Online jersey sales for Steelers OT Alejandro Villanueva “jumped after he was the only player to leave the tunnel and stand on the field” during the national anthem yesterday amid league-wide protests. The former Army Ranger's jersey was “listed as the top seller among more than 10,000 football jersey products sold on NFLShop.com Monday morning” (TRIBLIVE.com, 9/25).

Michelle Beadle and Jalen Rose will "join Mike Greenberg on ESPN’s upcoming morning show," according to sources. Beadle will relocate from L.A. for the N.Y.-based show and both she and Rose will "continue as full-time hosts of ESPN’s NBA Countdown for now." Rose will also "continue to co-host the ESPN Radio show Jalen & Jacoby" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 9/25).

Rebecca Schulte is stepping down from her post as CSN Mid-Atlantic President & GM after a run of more than 10 years. One of the highest ranking women in sports media, Schulte will stay with the RSN until a successor is named and in place. CSN Mid-Atlantic, which holds the rights to the Capitals and Wizards, is going through a significant change in its own right as the RSN is in the process of being rebranded to NBC Washington. Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the Ted Leonsis-owned group that owns the Capitals and Wizards, holds an equity interest in CSN Mid-Atlantic.

“Leaving, especially at this time, is very bittersweet,” Schulte wrote in an email to employees this afternoon. “It is time for me to pursue new goals and challenges, both professionally and personally. It’s an opportunity for me to take a new path in my career, one that allows me to have new experiences and learn new skills. It’s also a chance for me to refocus on non-work related passions, including my family.”

The USOC did not rule out a bid for the '26 Winter Games in a media conference today, but execs said it would depend on the L.A.'s agreement for the '28 Games and the status of other potential bids in Europe and Canada. IOC President Thomas Bach has said he would like the Winter Games to return to traditional host cities, which USOC Chair Larry Probst said is “code for Europe or North America.” Innsbruck (Austria), Sion (Switzerland) and Calgary also are all weighing bids. Also, a U.S.-based Winter Games in '26 would potentially compete with the sales and promotion efforts for L.A. '28.

USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said, "We wouldn’t go forward with a 2026 bid unless it was something that Casey (Wasserman) and Gene (Sykes) and the team from L.A. were comfortable wasn’t going to impact their ability to market and promote the 2028 Games." The USOC BOD will discuss the matter at an Oct. 13 meeting.

ESPN’s Dan Shulman handled the final game of his “Sunday Night Baseball” career last night amid little fanfare and much humility. The second play-by-play voice in the 28-year history of “SNB,” Shulman never referenced the fact that he was calling the final game of his seven-year “SNB” stint. Instead, in the top of the ninth inning, he highlighted cameraman Mike Chiasson, who is retiring after 28 seasons on “SNB.” Shulman handled the final out of Angels-Astros as he has so many others in his career -- by introducing the next show without bringing any attention to himself. "I'm Dan Shulman saying so long from Houston. Here comes SVP."

Earlier this year, Shulman announced that he was leaving “SNB,” citing a desire to create a better work-life balance. He will call the AL Wild Card game for ESPN, plus postseason games for ESPN Radio. Next season, he will call some non-Sunday MLB games for ESPN. The net has not decided who will replace Shulman in the “SNB” booth.

USOC officials today said that they “don’t expect American athletes to violate the rule” prohibiting demonstrations of political, religious or racial propaganda during the PyeongChang Games, but also “insisted that they support what has been happening across the U.S.” (LATIMES.com, 9/25).

USF will announce a "15-year naming-rights agreement" for its sports-focused graduate program, which will be named the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management program in honor of Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik and his wife Penny (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/25 issue).

Tickets for the NL Wild Card game at Chase Field on Oct. 4 sold out one hour after going on sale (D-backs).

“If the debate for them is really about police brutality, they should probably protest the officers on the field that are protecting them instead of the American flag” – White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, on NFL players protesting during the national anthem (MSNBC, 9/25).

"I wish I would've taken a picture of the actual table that is given to the visitors to put players on when they're injured. It looked like it was from the '20s. It's ripped. It's just not good. I think that's a pattern in the Big Ten" -- Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, criticizing Purdue after Ross-Ade Stadium's medical facilities were not sufficient to address a player injury on site on Saturday (ESPN.com, 9/25).

"Steve Ballmer would probably tell you that when he was the CEO I was confused about what it meant not to be the CEO, and I had to learn to be the No. 2 guy” -- Bill Gates, on working with Ballmer at Microsoft (WSJ.com, 9/25).

"When you have lost the moral high ground to Roger ****ing Goodell something is horribly wrong” -- HBO’s John Oliver, on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell denouncing President Trump’s comments about the NFL protests (“Last Week Tonight,” HBO, 9/24).

I can't remember the last Knick who smiled as much as Enes Kanter has today. He's definitely new here.

— Brian Mahoney (@briancmahoney) September 25, 2017

Snap judgements about overnight ratings are always pointless. I know this tho, until Cowboys have played you can't count NFL viewership

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) September 25, 2017

Yankee exec to me on the phone today: "I'm not talking about the netting. Goodbye. and don't f**king call me again.'' Click

— wallace matthews (@OysterBayBomber) September 25, 2017

Thank you Aaron Judge for hitting No. 50 today, saving us from a dozen cut-ins by ESPN every night for your at-bats.

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) September 25, 2017

Great way to start @PresidentsCup week walking into your hotel room and seeing all the red, white and blue! #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/Hw7WAXaD7l

— Steve Stricker (@stevestricker) September 25, 2017

Superfan & staffer @flythonia created a Hawks-themed music video and it's already stuck in our heads 🎤🎧 pic.twitter.com/PmcE1oCmRN

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) September 25, 2017

907,063 -- Daily Twitter mentions of #TakeTheKnee from Sept. 23-25, according to data from measurement firm 4C Insights. The most hashtags came through at 12:00pm ET yesterday, with nearly 80,000 tweeted out at that time (THE DAILY).