NOW ONE HOUR AND 15 MINUTES
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>>> PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
DEFENSIVE END MICHAEL BENNET
SAYS THE NFL ANTHEM POLICY,
QUOTE, WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE A
KNEE.
WE JUST HAVE TO WORK IN OUR
COMMUNITIES.
JASON WHITLOCK WITH US, ""SPEAK
FOR"SPEAK
FOR YOURSELF" HOST.
JASON THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BIT OF
A THANK YOU IN THE AN THEM
MOVEMENT.
>> THAW.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A BIT OF COMMON
SENSE.
COME MOM OF -- COMMON SENSE IS,
I HOPE THAT IS A SHINE THAT NFL
PLAYERS ARE WAKING UP, IT IS
ABOUT THE WORK YOU DO IN YOUR
COMMUNITY.
THAT IS WHERE THE REAL IMPACT
IS.
THE GESTURES WHICH WERE SO
CONTROVERSIAL AND SO POLARIZING
AND CREATED A CONVERSATION ABOUT
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, NOT THE
ALLEGED ISSUES THAT THEY WERE
TALKING ABOUT.
SO TO ME IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE
COMMON SENSE IS FINALLY WINNING
THE DAY AND THESE ATHLETES ARE
REMOVING THEMSELVES FROM DOING
SOMETHING INAPPROPRIATE AND
NON-PRODUCTIVE, SELF-DESTRUCTIVE
DIRECTION.
STUART: DO YOU THINK IT WILL
PICK UP SOME STEAM, JASON?
WE ALL WANT A GOOD SEASON FOR
THE NFL.
IT'S A GREAT SPORT.
FOOTBALL IS A TERRIFIC SPORT.
WE WANT THINGS TO GET BACK TO A
REAL GOOD SEASON.
DO YOU THINK WE'LL GET THERE?
IS THIS A GOOD SIGN?
>> I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD
SIGN, AND I THINK IT WAS
INEVITABLE.
I THINK NFL OWNERSHIP AND OTHER
PLAYERS BEHIND THE SCENES, HAVE
BEEN EXPLAINING TO PEOPLE THAT
WHAT THESE ATHLETES DID, COLIN
KAEPERNICK, STARTED, WAS
NON-STRATEGIC, NOT WELL-THOUGHT
OUT.
IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL DECISION AND
THEN IT JUST SPUN OUT OF CONTROL
AND WAS ACTUALLY HURTING THE NFL
AND EVENTUALLY WAS GOING TO HURT
THE BOTTOM LINE FOR NFL PLAYERS.
IT JUST WASN'T THE RIGHT MOVE.
AND FOR ALL OF THIS BENEFIT OF
ALLEGEDLY CREATING A
CONVERSATION, THE CONVERSATION
THEY CREATED WAS ABOUT THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM, NOT POLICE
BRUTALITY.
SO I THINK EVENTUALLY THE TRUTH
IS GOING TO WIN OUT HERE, AND
THE PLAYERS ARE GOING TO DIRECT
THEIR ACTIVITIES AS PLAYERS AND
AS ACTIVISTS IN A MORE HEALTHY
DIRECTION.
STUART: ATTENDANCE AT MAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALL GAMES, IT HAS
DROPPED, I THINK 6.6% FROM THIS
TIME LAST YEAR.
NOT SURE ABOUT TV RATINGS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, A DECLINE
OF ATTENDANCE IN OVER 6%?
>> MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL MADE
SOME INTERESTING DECISIONS AT
THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
ONE TO START THE SEASON A WEEK
EARLY.
THEN THEY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BY
BAD WEATHER.
OUR CLIMATE HAS CHANGED A BIT IN
TERMS OF WHEN WE EXPERIENCE THE
MOST RAIN.
A LOT OF THAT HAPPENS IN MAY
NOW, MORE THAN IN APRIL.
AND SO I THINK THERE HAVE
ALREADY BEEN 37 POSTPONEMENTS IN
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.
THERE WERE ONLY 39 TOTAL ALL OF
LAST YEAR.
SO I WILL NOT OVERREACT RIGHT
NOW TO THE ATTENDANCE DROP.
LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN JULY
AND AUGUST.
BASEBALL IS STILL A VERY GOOD
GAME.
BEST ENJOYED IN PERSON WHILE
EATING A HOT DOG, DRINKING A
BEER.
STUART: WHATEVER YOU SAY.
WHATEVER YOU SAY.
WE HAVE TO TALK WORLD CUP.
GET ON WITH IT.
LET'S TALK WORLD CUP.
HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
RENALDO ALREADY SCORED FOUR
GOALS.
HOW COULD I NOT BE WATCHING?
HE IS HAVING GREATEST WORLD CUP
EVER.
PUTTING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON
MESSI.
IT IS CLEAR RENALDO IS BEST
PLAYER IN THE WORLD BY FAR.
MESSI HAS WORK TO DO TO KEEP
PACE.
STUART: WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT
FOOTBALL, SOCKER?
>> I KNOW A LOT ABOUT FOOTBALL.
YOU WOULD BE SHOCKED.
I WAS A BEAST IN LITTLE LEAGUE
RECESS WHEN I WAS IN GRADE
SCHOOL.
I WAS A GREAT SOCCER PLAYER AT
RECESS, TREMENDOUS.
STUART: I THINK THIS HAS BEEN
ONE OF THE GREATEST SOCCER
TOURNAMENTS IN MANY, MANY YEARS.
THE WORLD CUP PRODUCED TRULY
SPECTACULAR GAMES.
HAVE YOU BEEN ENJOYING IT
REALLY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT IS NOT TO ENJOY?
IT IS GREAT FOR FS1 TO HAVE THE
GAMES ON FS1 AND FOX.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT.
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE NOT
ASKING ME ABOUT LANDON DONOVAN'S
COMMENTS, HE IS THE FACE OF
AMERICAN SOCCER, HE SAYS HE IS
ROOTING FOR MEXICO DURING THE
WORLD CUP.
I DON'T BLAME HIM, BUT A LOT OF
HIS FORMER TEAMMATES VERY UPSET.
THESE RIVALRIES IN SOCCER ARE
LIKE NONE OTHER.
MAYBE MORE PASSIONATE THAN
AMERICAN FOOTBALL AND
BASKETBALL.
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T ASK
ME ABOUT THAT, VARNEY?
STUART: WHITLOCK, NEXT TIME I
WILL, ALL RIGHT?
I WILL BE WATCHING YOU TONIGHT.
I LIKE THE SHOUTOUTS YOU