Kaepernick's Legacy Lives On.

• Author: Zirin, Dave
• Position: EDGE OF SPORTS - Colin Kaepernick

Awidely held assumption among NFL executives was that the national anthem protests started last year by quarterback Colin Kaepernick would end with the beginning of the 2017 season. The belief was that with Kaepernick flagrantly blackballed by the league for his political views against police brutality and racism, players would get the message to just "shut up and play."

Yet the truth has turned out to be far different. We have instead seen, in the NFL preseason, a flowering of players using their platform to sit down, raise a fist, or take a knee during the anthem. Then, after the games, they are explaining why. For most, it comes down to three words: Trump, Charlottesville, and pride.

Some players are moved by the presidency of Donald Trump and the dangerous divisions he stokes. Others are prompted by the sight of neo-Nazis on the march and the killing of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville. At a preseason game in August, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long, an alumnus of the University of Virginia, became the first white player to take part, putting his hand on the shoulder of teammate Malcolm Jenkins, who was raising his fist. Long has also expressed his outrage following the Nazi march in his hometown as well as Donald Trumps shameful response.

After the game, Long said, "It's been a hard week for everybody. It's not just a hard week for someone being from Charlottesville. It's a tough week for America. I've heard a lot of people say, 'Why do athletes get involved in the national anthem protests?' I've said before that I'll never kneel for an anthem because the flag means something different for everybody in this country, but I support my peers. If you don't see why you need allies for people that are fighting for equality right now, I don't think you'll ever see it."

But the main reason players are still resisting is that the issues Kaepernick raised have not been resolved; that he is no longer in the league is the proof of this. As Jenkins said, after continuing his protest from a year ago, "Last season, I raised my fist as a sign of solidarity to support people, especially people of color, who were and...