The NFL exhibition season began in earnest Thursday night with knees down, fists up and the obligatory rant from the White House.
America’s Game, oh how we’ve missed you.
Twelve games were on tap Thursday — glorified scrimmages at full regular season prices — and the closest any of them got to high drama was during the national anthem.
Interestingly enough the sideline of the 49ers, which was ground zero for the anthem protests in 2016, was downright sedate. No 49ers kneeled, and only wide receiver Marquise Goodwin held his right fist in the air during the anthem, evocative of the clenched gloved fists raised in protest by sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.