Tommie Smith noticed the three Eagles players raising their fists during the national anthem before Monday night’s game in Chicago and he instantly knew why their stance was similar to Colin Kaepernick’s — and why it was different.
“It struck me very deeply. These young black players, I know they’re not old enough to remember 1968,’’ said Smith, who joined fellow medalist John Carlos in raising gloved fists on the podium during the national anthem at the Olympics in Mexico City that year.
“When I see these young men raise their fists, I see that as a power source, as a need to move forward, to get involved, to say, ‘Here I am,’” Smith told Sporting News Tuesday.