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The World According To Neil: History proves athletic events are a proper stage for social, political demonstrations

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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia U.S. Olympians Tommie Smith (center) and John Carlos (right) raise their fists in peaceful protest at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

By Neil Patrick Healy

Another weekend of football has the country talking, and it wasn’t for the play on the field. No, the story of the weekend wasn’t the Redskins’ win over the Giants, or Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz’s continued brilliance through the first three games of his career. The national conversation is still centered on the two minutes before kickoff. Two minutes where black men knelt or raised their fists in silent protest while the national anthem played.