Sports & Politics Intersect: Eric Reid finds safety with Panthers

"This was a football decision, signing a player who can help us win football games.” - Marty Hurney, Carolina Panthers general manager

On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers signed free agent Eric Reid. The free safety was not re-signed by the San Francisco 49ers the season after he joined then-teammate Colin Kaepernick in kneeling to protest police brutality and racial inequality. 

That Reid now has a job isn't a complete shocker. Torrey Smith went on the record earlier this week by stating that the Panthers should hire his former teammate. Smith even offered to talk to his coaches on Reid's behalf. 

It's unclear how much, if any, impact Smith’s endorsement had. What is obvious is that Carolina has been plagued by injuries, and there was a need at the position. The team’s general manager said as much, noting that signing Reid had nothing to do with politics.

But while politics may not have been a factor, the recent change in ownership certainly was. As Sports Illustrated’s Jonathan Jones noted, Reid’s addition to the roster wouldn’t have happened under the regime of Jerry Richardson, who was one of the more vocal critics of the player protests. In contrast, new owner David Tepper has said that others’ claims that NFL players were unpatriotic were "dead wrong." 

News of Eric Reid’s signing was met with expressions of jubilation by his fellow athletes, perhaps none more significant than Kaepernick himself.

"Congratulations to my brother @e_reid35, an all pro safety who should have been signed the first day of free agency, who has signed a football contract," the new face of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign wrote on Instagram. "He has was the FIRST person to kneel alongside me. Eric is a social justice warrior, continues to support his wife, two beautiful daughters and communities in need."

Despite finally being on a roster, the collusion grievance Reid filed against the NFL is still pending. It’s also worth noting that Kaepernick still hasn’t been signed, though perhaps this move brings him one step closer to returning to the NFL.

Need to know now: 

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• Former colleague of Nassar to stand trial - In Michigan, Kathie Klages, the former gymnastics coach at Michigan State, will be tried on two charges of lying to investigators regarding sexual abuse allegations made in 1997 toward the imprisoned former team doctor, Larry Nassar.

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• NHL players “united” under cloud of labor battle - There’s a sense of inevitability toward another NHL lockout when the current CBA expires in 2020. But the players believe that they are becoming united as they learn more about the upcoming negotiations with the league. Meanwhile, the NHL and lawyers representing four unnamed former players suing the league over its handling of concussions have proposed that the trials should begin in the spring or summer of 2019.

• Sacramento Kings owner wants more sports fans to vote - On National Voter Registration Day, Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé penned an op-ed for Sports Illustrated, talking about efforts from several pro sports teams to register fans to vote. Concerned about the low turnout for non-presidential elections in the United States, these teams want people to vote for more than All-Star Games and naming mascots.

• Dan Gilbert interested in buying Detroit Tigers - Rumors are flying that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is interested in buying the Detroit Tigers. The Quicken Loans founder is a native of the Detroit area, and though he didn’t deny his interest, the Ilitch family has refuted reports that the team was up for sale.

• Billie Jean King, baseball owner - Tennis icon Billie Jean King is now a stakeholder in both the Los Angeles Dodgers and, pending league approval, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. The SoCal native and her partner, Ilana Kloss, will become the first women to join the current Dodgers ownership.

• Nike nearly dropped Kaepernick in 2017 - According to a New York Times report, Nike almost dropped Colin Kaepernick as an athlete endorser of the company a year ago, as the free agent quarterback remained unsigned by an NFL team. The decision to keep him on its roster eventually led to the landmark deal he recently signed, which continues to spark public debate.

• KeyArena renovation approved - In hopes of attracting an NHL expansion team, Seattle’s city council unanimously approved a $700 million, privately financed renovation of KeyArena. This is one of the last hurdles to clear before the league awards its 32nd franchise to Seattle.

• Silver wants NBA teams to hire more women - In the aftermath of its investigation into sexual misconduct within the business side of the Dallas Mavericks, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is calling upon the league’s 30 teams to hire more women into various roles in their operations. The Association plans to host multiple events to help change workplace culture and encourage more women to take leadership positions with teams.

• Dana White invites Trump, Putin to McGregor fight - As if next week’s middleweight championship fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor didn’t have enough bombast, UFC president Dana White has invited both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to the event.

• Senatorial candidate has history in sports world - As we near Election Day, there’s plenty more to learn about the “understated” Republican Congressman Jim Renacci of Ohio, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown. Renacci, who grew up with Joe Montana in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, is not known much outside of northern Ohio, but he’s a part owner of a minor league baseball team and previously owned nursing homes and an arena football team before going into politics.

• Trump administration sued for restrictions near Virginia golf course - President Trump’s golfing spawns controversy once again as a canoeing group is suing his administration, claiming that his weekend and holiday use of his Northern Virginia golf course has created illegal restrictions on the Potomac River.

• Khan’s bid for Wembley Stadium still under consideration - Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan’s bid for Wembley Stadium was not rejected by the England’s Football Association after its board agreed to have the larger council hear a presentation of the $785 million offer next month. If you bought London Jaguars merchandise on eBay, stay tuned.

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