The NFL is perfectly comfortable with Steve Tisch continuing his duties as chairman of the New York Giants' board after reviewing his past associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"Everything we've looked at we understand," commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday. "I think we're comfortable with him participating as the Giants suggest."
Goodell last January said the NFL would "look at all the facts" to determine whether an deep investigation of Tisch's relationship with Epstein was warranted.
And since then Tisch has remained front and center in the Giants war room on NFL Draft day in April and at games. He was strolling the halls of the Manhattan hotel where owners and representatives from all 32 teams gathered for the fall league meeting this week.
Tisch and Giants president and chief executive officer John Mara represented the team in the meetings.
There is no telling if more emails naming Tisch exist or any other ties to the since-deceased Epstein will be uncovered. So Goodell said the league will keep its options open.
"I think always we'll look to see if there's any new information, we'll look at it and we'll evaluate that," Goodell said.
And this feels like the NFL is applying the Jedi mind trick on everyone regarding Tisch.
First, the league seemed concerned about Tisch's ties, which led to Goodell's search for information.
Then Tisch and his siblings (Laurie and Jonathan Tisch) requested to transfer their remaining 23.1% direct ownership stake in the Giants to their children's trusts in March, following prior partial trust transfers completed in 2023 and 2024.
And so Tisch's contrite statement in which he regretted his Epstein association seems not quite so meaningful anymore.
"We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments," Tisch said in that January statement.
"I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with."
All of this is, of course, a rough look for the NFL. It's bad optics.
Retired NFL linebacker Brandon Spikes has had an interesting football journey.
The former five-star prospect from Shelby, North Carolina committed to Florida out of high school and was a part of the loaded 2006 recruiting class that featured himself as well as college football legends Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin.
After a decorated college career which included two All-American selections and two national championships, Spikes was drafted late in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, where he spent five of his seven seasons in the league.
The dream for every young man growing up playing football is to ultimately hear their name called by the commissioner of the NFL on draft day, but Spikes claims he had to make some personal (and financial) sacrifices before going pro.
As a guest on the popular "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast, the former Patriots linebacker revealed he wasn't exactly hurting for money while in college.
While his response elicited a laugh from both Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, who were high-level college players in their own right, Spikes was mostly being tongue-in-cheek with his answer.
He did, however, reveal the numbers were a lot closer when factoring in Uncle Sam, referring to Massachusetts as "Taxachusetts" due to the high income taxes he incurred while playing for New England.
"You played in Foxborough," Spikes asked. "That check looks a little bit different when you walk up out of there."
When asked by Compton whether he cleared seven-figures while wearing orange and blue, Spikes denied it, playing it coy before adding that the university found a way to move his mom down to Florida while he was playing for the Gators.
"Those same home-cooked meals I got my whole life, I got those right there in Gainesville," he joked.
If you are one of the few fans still believing kids weren't getting paid before the advent of NIL, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but players like Spikes were living large long before it was "legal" to do so.
Let's all give Spikes a hand for being so charitable to take a cut in pay to play for the Patriots.
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court for the national anthem before the first two games of the WNBA Finals. Now Riley Gaines is arguing that those decisions should carry consequences when athletes seek to represent the United States internationally.
"It’s my personal opinion that if you kneel for the flag and what it represents, you shouldn’t be able to represent the USA at the Olympics," Gaines wrote on X.
"The American flag and our national anthem do not represent whichever political party or administration happens to be in power. They represent the American people, our shared identity, the freedoms we enjoy, and the generations of men and women who fought, sacrificed and died to preserve those freedoms," Gaines said.
"Players who leave the court specifically to avoid the national anthem are making a deliberate statement. They are free to do so, of course. Free speech includes the freedom to withhold respect."
"But I’m of the mind that choice has consequences when the same athletes later seek the honor of representing the United States on the international stage."
Neither Finals team nor the WNBA has answered OutKick’s questions about the anthem absences. Nor has the NBA, whose commissioner, Adam Silver, is helping lead the search for the WNBA’s next commissioner.
Gaines said patriotism does not require blind allegiance to a political party or pretending America is without flaws. But she argued that athletes seeking to represent the country should be judged on how they treat its anthem.
"If an athlete treats standing for the anthem as optional or objectionable during the WNBA season, it is reasonable to question whether they are prepared to accept the full weight of representing the country when the spotlight is global," she said.
Former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones called Tuesday for players from both teams to lose their eligibility to represent the United States in Olympic basketball.
Jones wrote that those players "should be ineligible to play on the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team."
Atlanta’s Team USA connection includes Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard
Reese and Howard were both named to Team USA’s 2026 Women’s World Cup roster. The Dream announced their selections in August, noting that they became the first two players in franchise history selected together for the United States at a five-on-five Women’s World Cup or Olympics.
Golden State had no players on that U.S. World Cup roster, but Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase served as a U.S. assistant coach. Golden State star Gabby Williams represents France.
Both Reese and Howard stood for the national anthem while representing the United States at September’s FIBA Women’s World Cup.
But representing the United States internationally comes with an extra responsibility to show respect for the country at home.
And that responsibility doesn't disappear when the USA jersey comes off and the WNBA jersey goes on. Staying off the court while the anthem plays during the WNBA Finals falls short of the standard we should expect from athletes entrusted with representing this country.
Sage Steele warns anthem absences could drive fans away
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele also criticized the league in a social media video.
Steele accused the WNBA’s players, coaches and leadership of disrespecting the country by leaving the court for the anthem.
"So are they free to express themselves the way they want? Absolutely. But there’s a cost to it," Steele said.
"And I just hope they realize that this constant lack of respect is going to turn fans away forever. They’re not going to come back, and it’s going to be their own fault," Steele added.
Players are free to express themselves, but as Steele noted, that freedom can come with a price. We're not calling for the players to be jailed.
The First Amendment limits the government’s power to restrict speech, but it doesn’t require fans to support those choices or critics to stay quiet. We have the right to express our disapproval, too.
WNBA rulebook calls for an anthem lineup
Both Finals teams were off the floor during the anthem before Saturday’s opener and Monday’s Game 2 at Chase Center. In both games, the players returned within seconds of the performance ending.
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook includes a provision calling for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or foul line during the national anthem.
OutKick contacted the WNBA and both teams after Game 1, followed up Sunday and again Tuesday. The inquiries sought explanations for the absences, clarification of the league’s anthem requirements and the teams’ plans for Game 3 on Wednesday night in Atlanta.
Those questions remain unanswered.
For Gaines, the responsibility goes beyond a WNBA pregame routine.
"Wearing the USA jersey is not a private entitlement that comes with athletic success. It is a public responsibility," she said.
Le RC Lens a été nettement dominé par le Club Bruges (3-0), mercredi soir, au Jan Breydelstadion de Bruges. Malgré une domination quasi sans partage lors du premier acte, les Sang et Or ont reçu une leçon de réalisme de la part des Blauw-Zwart, qui ont survolé la rencontre durant la seconde période.
The spending has hurt the Silicon Valley giant’s cash flow, which turned negative. Meta said it would issue a new class of stock to help it raise more money.
El Levante se ha impuesto este miércoles al Athletic Club en el Ciutat de Valencia (3-1), en el encuentro aplazado de la sexta jornada de LaLiga, en un partido en el que los granotas aprovecharon dos minutos antes del ecuador de la primera mitad para tomar ventaja con un doblete de Brugué y en el que los rojiblancos, que recortaron distancias en la segunda mitad con un gol de Alex Berenguer, acabaron con un jugador menos por la expulsión de Aymeric Laporte.
The carmaker, which is controlled by Elon Musk and is considering merging with another of his companies, SpaceX, spent heavily on artificial intelligence and other new technologies.
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Cordarrelle Patterson was arrested over the weekend on charges stemming from an alleged domestic dispute with his wife that left her bruised.
Patterson's wife told police that the former return specialist grabbed her hair and left arm, leaving her fearing for her children's and her own safety, TMZ reported, citing an arrest warrant.
Officers came to the house and found bruising on her arm, TMZ said.
The 35-year-old was the 29th overall pick out of Tennessee in 2013 to the Minnesota Vikings, where he spent four seasons. He then spent time with the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Patterson is the all-time leader in kick returns for touchdowns with nine. He's led the NFL three times in yards per return and has been a First-team All-Pro returner four times, most recently in 2020 with the Bears.
'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news, and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.
Another October Hump Day is here, folks. This is No. 3 of the month, with just one left. Before you know it, we'll all be basting turkeys and hanging lights.
It goes fast. Soak it all in. Don't take a single day for granted, because we're in the final stages of the greatest month of the year.
World Series on deck. NBA is back. Midweek college football is hitting on all cylinders at the moment. Hockey in full swing. The NFL is currently sending teams to Paris for reasons I still can't figure out.
Just an amazing time to be alive right now if you're a sports fan. It doesn't get much better than this.
Let's roll.
Welcome to a Hump Day Nightcaps — the one where the Neyland Stadium crowd last weekend had Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer seeing GHOSTS in the fourth quarter.
What else? I've got Danica Patrick back on the campaign trail, Tiffani Amber Thiessen gives her Halloween costume a test drive, and a hypothetical college football question worth your time today.
Sound good? Good!
OK, grab you your favorite Back to the Future movie to celebrate Back to the Future Day, and settle in for a Hump Day 'Cap!
It appears Neyland Stadium got to Kalen DeBoer
That's right. Today is the day any Back to the Future fan worth his or her salt knows like the back of their hand.
October 21 (2015). They thought we'd have flying cars back in the '80s when they made this movie, and, to be fair, we're getting closer.
Did y'all see what Elon cooked up over the weekend? The ROADSTER!
Yeah, we're not far off! About 11 years later than Doc McFly envisioned, but still, not bad.
As for the franchise itself ... I've said for years that Back to the Future is one of the greatest trilogies of all time. That's right — all time. It's also one of those rare ones where the middle movie is the best of the three. That's hard to do. It's rare. And BTTF pulled it off all those years ago.
Impressive. What a dynasty.
OK, let's get this class started with another dynasty that, sadly, feels a bit old in 2026: The Alabama Crimson Tide.
A hypothetical worth discussing
Amazing. Poor Kalen DeBoer. He looked just miserable last weekend in Knoxville, and that video — coupled with the apparent record the Vols broke — makes it even worse.
As for the decibel record itself ... Tennessee claims it now owns the highest on record at 130.3. Some folks on the internet aren't so sure. I've seen fans point to the LSU-'Bama game in 2022 at 133, and some random Nebraska game in 1992 at 133.6.
The Vols, however, maintain last Saturday's third-down sack tops 'em all. From the official release:
No crowd pops were louder than during a huge sequence in the third quarter with the Vols leading 19-10. Defensive end Tyree Weathersby recorded a sack on second down with 3:56 remaining in the stanza. The ensuing play, the Crimson Tide committed a delay of game penalty that made it third-and-16.
Neyland Stadium experienced 130.3 decibels (dBA peak) on field level for a noise event that lasted seven seconds during that sequence, which was the highest scientifically verified decibel crowd event in college football history. Alabama was called for a false start one play later.
For what it's worth, the highest decibel level for any sporting event on record took place at a Monday Night Football game at Arrowhead Stadium back in 2014, according to the folks over at earpeace.com.True story.
Argue away!
And when you're done debating that, take a look at this little hypothetical question making the internet rounds today and tell me where you land:
Danica, Tiff Ann & Happy Anniversary to this legend!
So, for me, this one is insanely easy ...
It's Kirby Smart at Nebraska, right? Feel like Kirby would turn Nebraska into a powerhouse in Year 1. Two years tops. I don't even think Matt Rhule is a good coach, and he somehow has Nebraska at 5-2 right now (should be 6-1, maybe 7-0).
As for the others ...
Curt Cignetti at Missouri would be No. 2, followed by ... Marcus Freeman at Michigan? I don't know. The rest of that list looks like a disaster to me. Lincoln Riley at Texas would just be Sark 2.0. Ryan Day at Northwestern would be hilarious, and Deion Sanders at USC would be the most entertaining, but also the most combustible.
Anyway, let me know! Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
OK, let's rapid-fire this Hump Day class into a big Hump Day night. First up? It's officially election SZN, which means Danica Patrick is back on the Trump Train.
Choo-choo!
"I wish you could all have just 5 minutes with @potus! He is so easy to talk to and SO fun to listen to! He’s a great story teller… funny and obviously interesting. He is also very curious what your opinion is pertaining to any topic. And of course he is really into sports, which I love!" Patrick said in her post, which included several pictures from the 2024 elections featuring Trump and the ex-NASCAR star.
Anyone else here beyond exhausted by all the election stuff? It's just brutal. I got 7 phone calls/texts this morning alone from candidates asking A) for money, or B) for me to "take a short survey" so they could see where things stand.
There are signs EVERYWHERE in my town right now. Everywhere. On every street corner. In front of every store. Below every stoplight.
And don't get me started on the commercials. Goodness gracious, the commercials. It's nonstop. If I have to see Byron Donalds shoot hoops with his kids one more time, I'm going to lose it.
You're gonna win Florida, Byron. I promise! Give us a break!!
Next? On the way out, I'd be remiss if I didn't take a minute and wish a happy 15-year anniversary to what I consider one of the pivotal moments in the history of college football ...
Pure cinema. Man, I miss the Pac-12 After Dark. What an amazing time that was. We had it all, and now it's basically reduced to nothing.
The fake ref in that video? He goes by Jacen Lankow — an Arizona alum who is now a household name in Tucson.
From Tucson.com, which chronicled the event in real time:
With four seconds left before halftime and the Wildcats leading 42-7, Lankow — a UA senior — ran onto the field dressed as a game official, whistled a play dead, yelled "ball, ball, ball," attempted to grab the football from the umpire — and then bolted from midfield to the north end zone while simultaneously ripping his costume off to reveal a Speedo.
This was a Halloween prank from the then-senior. He bought a ref outfit from the costume store across the street. He counterfeited an all-access field pass using Microsoft Paint.
We are just a couple of days away from the World Series starting. There are some great games ahead of us, and baseball has delivered some really enjoyable games this postseason. With the series beginning in a few days, it is worth taking a look at some of the futures markets and who we should wager on for MVP and the overall series.
Champion
It is really hard to bet against the Brewers. I'll be honest, I'm not a Brewers fan. Most of it is because I am a Cubs fan, and I have found the Brewers to be a bit insufferable without winning anything, so if they do win, it might just get worse. Personal issues aside, the Brewers are the best team in baseball, have been the best team in baseball, and have looked absolutely elite in the postseason. Can they be stopped?
The Tampa Bay Rays will look to do just that. It doesn't look good for them, though. They had the second-lowest OPS against 98 mph or faster pitches in baseball this season. They have struck out 66 times in the postseason, but that's actually five fewer in one less game than the Brewers. Still, the Rays will need to figure out a way to make contact against an elite pitching staff. Outside of Jacob Misiorowski, the Brewers bullpen can fire pitches in there.
I think the Brewers probably do win the World Series. At -165, the price is a bit higher than worth it at the moment, and the value is on the Rays. Tampa does have a very good team. Brewers winning 4-2 is probably my favorite look at +360.
The edge in the starting rotation probably does go to the Rays. Drew Rasmussen is a finesse pitcher, but he has been elite. Freddy Peralta used to pitch for Milwaukee, so I'm interested to see how he performs. Nick Martinez has been strong for them as well. They have a good bullpen, too. The Rays have a shot to win this game, but if they do, it will probably be because Rasmussen wins two games and likely is involved in a third at +2000.
For the Brewers, there are a number of guys who could've been selected for the NLCS MVP, but it went to Jake Bauers. It really wouldn't surprise me to see him get it in the World Series as well. William Contreras at +650 is my favorite look. He has had numerous big hits, and if he can call great games for the club, he could get a bit of an edge. Contreras had a good series the one time the teams played this season. The Brewers have so many good players it is hard to pick just one guy who will get the credit.
I think betting on Contreras to get the most hits in the series at +850 is also a look. Most of it is the same logic as the MVP. I don't like anyone on the Rays to get this because the speed of the pitching might be hard for them to catch up to.
Lille n'a pas fait le poids mercredi 21 octobre contre les Turcs de Galatasaray, vainqueurs 4-2 au stade Pierre-Mauroy, et reste en bas de tableau avec trois défaites en trois matches. Manchester United a vécu une soirée cauchemardesque à Côme, qui a surclassé le club anglais 4 à 1.
This is about as one-sided of a fight as you're ever going to see. It's like the younger brother going after the older brother to see where he stands. It's Mike Tyson in his prime walking through opponents seconds into a bout.
The trail cam footage starts off with a spike, for reasons only he can answer, lunging towards a bigger buck in the woods and immediately finding out that doing so was a bad idea.
The young buck is lifted off the ground, ragdolled and tossed in the air like he weighs nothing. After being dominated in short order, the young buck impressively manages to land on his feet following the brief battle.
Wisely, the smaller deer then decides he's had enough and makes a run for it with the bigger and stronger buck giving chase. Here's the fight. Don't blink, you might miss it.
Without knowing for sure if any insults were tossed around about the other deer's momma, I can only speculate that rutting season played a part in this fight. The young buck, possibly horned up, was stepping into the wrong territory.
He had to be shown who was boss, and that all the ladies in the area were spoken for. It's part of nature. A part that you really don’t want to get in the middle of.
I'm no expert on deer by any means, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the spike is going to hit the gym, grab some supplements and work the heavy bag before he tries his luck with this buck again.
You have to turn being lifted off the ground and spun around in the air into a motivator. You can't have too many of those losses under your belt. Especially not in front of any doe.
The best fighters get back up and dust themselves off. They learn from their mistakes and make the adjustment. Lunging at the bigger buck was a big mistake for this spike.
The sky appears to be falling in Austin, Texas, with the Longhorns having suffered back-to-back losses. With Arch Manning being the starting quarterback for a Texas offense that ranks in the bottom half of the league, many are pointing at him as the lead culprit of the messy situation, but one former head coach is pointing the blame elsewhere.
Just two weeks ago, Texas was the No. 1 team in the country and appeared to be a real threat to win a national title. Now, the Longhorns are just one loss away from virtually being eliminated from College Football Playoff contention, but the big picture of it all is that head coach Steve Sarkisian has simply not pushed Manning to take a step in the right direction.
To put it simply, Manning has been average so far this season. He's 10th among SEC quarterbacks in completion percentage (63.9), 12th in passing yards (1,295), and ninth in touchdown passes (11). He has not been able to elevate his team's offense as much as many expected him to in what is now his fourth year in Austin.
In Brian Kelly's opinion, the offensive struggles seen at Texas this season fall on the shoulders of the man who calls the plays, Sarkisian.
"I think it’s on the play caller," Kelly told Danny Kanell on SiriusXM on Tuesday. "I think the play caller takes a lot of the responsibility. Look, he’s your quarterback. They’re not going back. I mean, they’re not going to bench him unless there’s just a total meltdown."
Kelly, like the majority of others in and around college football, complimented Sarkisian's offensive mind, but claimed it may be time to make the game plan a bit simpler for Manning moving forward.
"Coach Sarkisian is an outstanding play caller. He understands the game. He’s proven, seasoned, but sometimes there has to be that sit-down conversation," Kelly continued.
"Say, ‘Look, we’re going to do what you can do and execute.’ And to your point, Danny, this is about accuracy and higher completion percentage. If we can run the ball with more effectiveness, if you add those two things to the Texas offense, they’re going to win the rest of their football games."
Manning was only asked to throw the football 20 times during Texas' loss at home to Florida a week ago. He completed 14 of his passes, threw for one score, and didn't throw an interception in his team's 27-24 loss.
As Kelly alluded to, the Longhorns playing a more complementary style of offense could greatly benefit Manning. Texas rushed for just 99 yards against the Gators.
On the flip side of Kelly's opinion, if the recipe for success six games into the season is to dumb down the offense for Manning, the Longhorns could be in for a long second half of the year.
Texas takes on No. 7 Ole Miss this upcoming Saturday at home, with road contests against Missouri and LSU still looming as well.
The NBA returned to action yesterday, and I had two plays for us, and we started perfectly with wins in both games. It won't always be a rosy outlook, but it was nice to get off to a good start in the NBA. We had the appetizer of three great games yesterday, and today we have 11 different matchups to choose from. The first one I have circled is on ESPN as the Timberwolves take on the Heat.
The Minnesota Timberwolves should probably be given a little bit of credit for all of the tinkering they've done with their roster over the years. We see a lot of teams build a roster and then leave it alone for a few years to see if it will work out. The Timberwolves have given their team a chance, and then they adjust based on the results of the squad. For example, they've traded for Rudy Gobert, then they traded away Karl-Anthony Towns when the pairing didn't work. They realized they needed a point guard, and they traded for LaMelo Ball in the offseason.
The problem with the trade is that they got rid of one of their best players, Naz Reid, in the deal. He will be missed off the bench and in key moments. However, Ball should make the offense look a little more dynamic. Ball has plenty of flaws. He has terrible shot selection, seems to be a complete disaster on defense in isolation situations, and he is injury-prone. There is no denying his talent, though. When his shot is falling, he is elite. He is great in transition, and he will now be a second option to Anthony Edwards, who seems to already really like playing with him.
The Miami Heat come into this game with a new look as well. They still have some key mainstays like Erik Spoelstra as their coach. I've removed any doubt about his abilities. He seems to find a way to get things to work regardless of who he has on the roster. That doesn't mean they always win, but he certainly gets the most out of his team. Pat Riley is also willing to shake things up as he tries to get the team back to championship contention.
There is no doubt they are close again because they added one of the best players in basketball in the offseason with Giannis Antetokounmpo coming to the team. Giannis will now be the offensive force for the team. If you're going to question anything about the roster, the main question should be: where will the shooting come from? No one on the roster, outside of Klay Thompson, is a great 3-point shooter, and he is on the wrong side of his career to be relied on. Probably the same with Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Heat might have the best defensive five in basketball. Davion Mitchell is an elite defender, even if he doesn't get much recognition for it. Thompson and Wiggins have both likely lost a step, but both are still good defenders. Giannis and Bam are potential Defensive Player of the Year candidates. It is a bit hard to take the under in this game because the Timberwolves could absolutely be an offensive force, and no one really will stop Giannis on their team, but I think the Heat defense, plus the lack of 3-point shooting from Miami, give the under 238.5 a good shot.
The NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) has called for a full investigation into how the Eagles' medical staff handled the diagnosis of a blood clot in star quarterback Jalen Hurts. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says, bring it on.
Australia-based IFM Investors has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s largest port operator, in a deal that values the company at approximately £10...
Ex-Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays player Richard Butler and his wife have been charged in connection with an alleged youth baseball training fraud scheme in Canada.
A husband and father of three children was reportedly shot dead in front of his wife on Sunday following a dispute at a softball game in Humble, Texas.
The mayor of Nice, France, rebuked Victor Wembanyama for supporting the ongoing protest movement in France, accusing the NBA star of encouraging unrest.
"French celebrities like the basketball player Victor Wembanyama, who called for supporting the riots of October 17, bear a historic responsibility," Ciotti wrote on X. "They must be condemned."
For background, the protests began in September with high school students claiming they were demanding better conditions in French schools, including more resources, improved facilities and relief from overcrowded classrooms. The movement has since expanded into a broader protest against government spending cuts, drawing support from university students, labor unions and members of France's "Yellow Vest" movement.
The unrest escalated significantly on Oct. 17, when an estimated 550,000 to 800,000 people participated in demonstrations across France. Rioters broke out in several major cities, including Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Rioters and looters clashed with police, set fires, damaged public buildings and looted businesses.
Earlier this month, Wembanyama, who was born in France, wrote on Instagram that he'd "really love to" join the protests.
"These are systemic inequalities, problems that are so deep," he added when asked about the demonstrations during a preseason postgame press conference on October 8.
"I’m glad that high school students, young people in general, are making their voices heard, because I hear them and I support them. And I hope the people at the very top will do the same."
Then, on Oct. 16, the eve of the nationwide demonstrations, Wembanyama posted a cryptic image of the White Rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland" pointing to his watch. Some in France interpreted the post as signaling anticipation for the Oct. 17 demonstrations, though Wembanyama did not explain its meaning.
Wembanyama has not publicly commented on the protests since the widespread violence on Oct. 17.
As the emerging face of the NBA, Wembanyama has shown he's more LeBron James than Michael Jordan in his approach to political issues. Last January, he said he ignored the advice of Spurs public relations and spoke out against ICE in America anyway.
"PR has tried, but I'm not going to sit here and give some politically correct [answer]," Wembanyama told reporters. "Every day I wake up and see the news, and I'm horrified. I think it's crazy that some people might make it seem like or sound like the murder of civilians is acceptable."
During the NBA Finals, Wembanyama drew attention for crossing his arms during the playing of the U.S. national anthem. Later in the series, he reportedly stayed off the court entirely during the anthem.
It would behoove the NBA for its biggest star to not align himself with polarizing political causes. James did little to help his own or the league's popularity when he embraced political activism.
I suspect Wembanyama's commentary and demonstrations, whether about America or France, won't help the league's popularity either.
One must also wonder how informed Wembanyama is about the issues on which he comments. This tends to be the question when athletes and celebrities speak out about complicated issues.
His initial support was for students protesting conditions in French schools. Fine. However, the movement he encouraged has since grown into something much larger and, at times, much more violent.
Wembanyama was willing to lend his considerable platform to the demonstrations when they represented a cause he supported. Now that those demonstrations have been accompanied by widespread violence, he ought to use that same platform to condemn it.
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