The Former Green Beret Behind Kaepernick's Protests
*By Max Godnick*
The man behind Colin Kaepernick's controversial decision to kneel during the National Anthem understands why some might take offense to Nike's 30th anniversary "Just Do It" ad campaign. But former NFL player and Army Special Forces vet Nate Boyer sees the gesture as a compromise that gives weight to Kaepernick's views and still honors service members.
"We came to this idea of taking a knee alongside his teammates instead of sitting on the bench isolated," Boyer said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar. "He thought that was very powerful, and he would do that for the men and women who fought and died for what that flag represents."
Nike's decision to tap Kaepernick as the face of its campaign has sparked passionate reactions across the political spectrum. [LeBron James](https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1037425215653982209) and [Serena Williams] (https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/1036769320196616198) led a chorus of supporters who praised the move, while critics threatened a boycott, trashing the athletic giant's apparel and posting the evidence on social media.
Boyer said he doesn't take issue with Kaepernick's inclusion in the campaign, but he understands why some veterans are offended by the tagline, "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."
"That can be hurtful to some people who truly believe that their brothers and sisters in arms who they laid to rest paid that ultimate sacrifice," he said.
Boyer and Kaepernick first met in 2016 after the quarterback began protesting racial injustice by sitting during the National Anthem. The former Green Beret published an [open letter](http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000693173/article/nate-boyer-writes-open-letter-to-colin-kaepernick) in response to the football star, and the two eventually met in-person.
When Kaepernick [knelt for the first time](https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/09/nate-boyer-colin-kaepernick-you-can-do-more), Boyer stood alongside him and continues to support his mission.
And the movement the two started is still deeply relevant. A [clip](https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/beto-orourke-on-nfl-players-kneeling-during-the-national-anthem) of Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) voicing his support of the protests went viral with over 50 million views across all social platforms. In it, the Senate candidate said he "can think of nothing more American" than taking a knee to protest police brutality.
Boyer doesn't have trouble coming up with an alternative.
"I think there's nothing more American than serving your country," he said. "But that's my opinion."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/veteran-who-suggested-kaepernick-kneel-weighs-in-on-nike).
Baseball is as American as — Apple TV+. The National Pasttime has a new media partner this season, as the MLB will be streaming Friday night doubleheaders on the Apple streaming service. Noah Garden, the league's chief revenue officer, spoke to Cheddar News to break down the details of what's being offered in the new package and why Major League Baseball felt the need to make the move this year. "We've been in a situation where we've lost reach, even within the cable bundle. There are situations where people in the local market don't have access to watch their favorite team and their local team on top of that," he said. "You have cord cutters and even probably more importantly, cord nevers. So streaming offers of some ability to gain reach that we've lost over the the last couple of years, and Apple was really the perfect partner for us."
The 2022 Masters Tournament is slated to begin on Thursday, and one of golf's most iconic players is set to return to Augusta National, just 14 months after a devastating car accident. In a press conference, Tiger Woods told reporters that not only is he planning to play in the tournament, but that he also thinks he can win. Cam Rogers, national sports betting and golf analyst, and host of 'Lock It In'
for the Bleav Podcast Network, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Carsten Koerl, CEO of Sportradar, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains how his company is bolstering the platforms of sports betting and streaming networks, and discusses basketball legend and Sportradar investor Michael Jordan's role in helping the company grow.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 4, 2022, with reports of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, a weekend shooting in Sacramento killing six and injuring 12, Mexico ending its gas subsidization for U.S. drivers, and the University of South Carolina winning the women's NCAA basketball championship, and more.
Between Bells EP Conor White recaps some of the biggest stories of the week, while Baker Machado and Hena Doba test their knowledge, and maybe learn a thing or two. It's This Week in Trivia!
David Salituro, MLB and PGA sportswriter for Fansided.com, joins Cheddar Bets to break down his favorite futures bets in the MLB and at The Masters.
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For the first time in the history of the storied men's college basketball rivalry between Duke University and the University of North Carolina, the two teams will be meeting directly in the NCAA tournament — and in the Final Four! Sean Green, the co-founder of the Sports Gambling Podcast Network, joined Cheddar to give his take on the possible final game of legendary Duke coach, Mike Krzyzewski. "Now, if you recall, UNC actually beat Duke in Coach K's final home regular-season game, so revenge is going to be on the mind of Duke in this Final Four game, and I think they have the best of UNC. I like them laying four points," Green said. He also picked Villanova with an upset win over Kansas.
This June marks the 25th anniversary of the infamous 1997 "Bite Fight”, the iconic boxing rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield when Tyson shockingly bit a piece of his opponent’s ear off. As a macabre tribute to the incident, the boxing legend’s line of cannabis products, Tyson 2.0, has released “Mike Bites", edibles in the shape of an ear complete with a bite mark. Tyson, the chief brand officer and co-founder, along with CEO Adam Wilks joined Cheddar News to talk about the unique gummies. "I just think this is just me owning what I did. I'm owning my responsibility. I've done that. That was pretty bad at the time, but I turned it over to make it pretty good," the former heavyweight champion said.
