In 2016, when Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police violence against black and brown people, most white NFL players remained silent or, worse, criticized the action, reframing it as disrespect for the flag and U.S. troops. Two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive end Chris Long, who was playing for the New England Patriots at the time, actually listened to Kap to gain a better understanding and became one of the league’s first white players to publicly support the protests. In addition to speaking out, in 2017, he famously threw his arm around Philadelphia Eagles teammate and activist Malcolm Jenkins during his raised-fist protest to show solidarity. On this episode of “Getcha Popcorn Ready,” Chris joins T.O. and Hatch to talk about his teammates’ earlier protest in the wake of Mike Brown’s killing and why it didn’t move the needle like Kap kneeling, why he decided to speak up, the importance of white NFL stars like J.J. Watt throwing their influence behind the movement and what advice he gives them, why Drew Brees’ recent comments about disrespecting the flag were so disappointing, what protests will look like moving forward, and why it’s not enough to simply not be racist. Also, T.O. opens up about a disturbing racist encounter he had early on in his career. This is an important episode you do not want to miss.

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