Tag: CNN

Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins joins CNN as a contributor

New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, lately of the Eagles, was hired by CNN as a contributor due to his social justice activism.

One member of the New Orleans Saints will be a prominent voice on television in the days ahead. Veteran safety Malcolm Jenkins was hired by CNN in a contributor role, as first reported by Variety.com’s Brian Steinberg. Jenkins has made guest appearances on the network in the past, speaking on his activism towards achieving social justice as a leader of the Players Coalition. Teammates like Demario Davis have also been featured in CNN’s coverage.

However, this isn’t a big career turn for Jenkins. Initially drafted by the Saints back in 2009, he helped win Super Bowl XLIV and spent six years with the Philadelphia Eagles before re-signing with New Orleans this offseason. His four-year contract is valued up to $35 million, though just over $16 million of it is guaranteed. That alone suggests the Saints will be the center of his attention for the foreseeable future.

Still, Jenkins is acutely aware that there are more important things in life than football. And he’s prepared to use his platform — and the one CNN has just given him — to advocate for issues important to him and the Black community.

“Now more than ever, the public needs to be educated on the roles of elected positions of power, such as the District Attorney, Police Chief or City Council and how to hold those individuals accountable, especially through their voice and their vote. In an important election year, I’m eager to join the CNN family and share my perspective as a regular contributor,” Jenkins told Steinberg.

Jenkins later addressed the news himself publicly, writing from his official Twitter account:

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Watch: Tracy Walker joins CNN to discuss change in the NFL

Detroit Lions safety Tracy Walker joined CNN’s Chris Cuomo to discuss change in the NFL and remembering his cousin Ahmaud Arbery.

Detroit Lions safety Tracy Walker joined CNN’s Chris Cuomo to discuss change in the NFL and remembering his cousin Ahmaud Arbery.

“It definitely means a lot,” Walker said of Roger Goodell’s video condemning racism and the systematic oppression of black people, “because that’s the first step, I feel like. Us all uniting as one to accomplish the common goal we are trying to reach — which is equality.”

When asked if he interpreted Goodell’s message as allowing players to protest on the sidelines of an NFL game, Walker pointed to the message indicating that collectively “we all need to be better”.

“We need change and we all see that,” Walker continued. “We all see that we’ve got to come together and basically unite as one. And like I said, if we don’t buy-in and unite as one, we’re going to continue to still go through this and so I feel like that’s kinda the step we’re taking right now.”

Walker wrapped up the interview talking about his cousin Arbery, focusing on the positives and remembering the person he was instead of how he died.

You can watch the entire interview in the Twitter clip from Cuomo’s show below:

Watch: Demario Davis reacts to Drew Brees’ apology on CNN

New Orelans Saints linebacker Demario Davis thanked Drew Brees for admitting he was wrong in an apology for comments on peaceful protests.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees stepped into a minefield during a Wednesday interview with Yahoo Finance, criticizing possible peaceful protests during the national anthem as an affront to the American flag and armed forces. The reaction from his peers, teammates, and fans was fiery enough that Brees issued a follow-up apology on Thursday, which you can read here.

One important leader on the team was quick to thank Brees for the gesture. Linebacker Demario Davis was in the process of sharing an on-air interview with CNN when Brees’ statement went up, and he was grateful to see Brees admit that he was in the wrong. It also earned appreciation from defensive end Cameron Jordan.

Still, there’s a lot of work to be done before Brees can solve the division he created in the Saints locker room and the NFL at large. Much of that can be accomplished during the offseason through conversations with his teammates, but actions will speak louder. Like Brees, Davis has been a leader of the team — so much so that he took over for Brees in delivering pregame speeches while the quarterback was on the mend last year. His influence could do a lot to help everyone find common ground.

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Jaylen Brown appears on CNN to talk restarting the 2019-20 NBA season

Boston Celtics star shooting guard Jaylen Brown appeared on CNN Wednesday to talk about the potential restart of the 2019-20 NBA season.

Boston Celtics star shooting guard Jaylen Brown appeared on CNN today to talk about the potential of restarting the NBA season after two months of suspension resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

With league activities suspended since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus on March 11th, the league has been slowly working on finding a way to complete the NBA season if possible.

Plans and chatter regarding such an eventuality have been picking up steam in the last week or so, with “bubble” options for a one-site location to house all participating teams for a restart to the 2019-20 NBA season — or at least some sort of postseason to crown a champion — starting to take shape.

“A lot of the guys want to play,” noted Brown via Forbes’ Chris Grenham.

The NBA hosted a call Friday for players to be in conversation with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Executive Director Michele Roberts and NBPA President Chris Paul on the topic of restarting the season, which seemed to have broad support.

“The most influential players that were on that call that we speak of, a lot of those guys want to continue the season and that’s very important to us,” he added.

“Everything is moving in the right [direction], we just want to make sure that the NBA represents and is the estimate for a lot of society. We don’t want to come back too early and [make] people feel like things are okay — and things are not, and potentially dangerous.”

“All of us want to play, players want to proceed to play, we just want to ensure that it’s safe, and as the NBA has a brand, we want to make sure that we’re on par with the science and the research that’s being done,” finished Brown.

While there is still much to be determined so far as whether a resumption of NBA activities is even possible, it’s good to hear caution and safety among the chief concerns coming from the player side of the equation.

How any such restart to the season would play out depends on a host of factors too complex list in entirety, but include complex logistical, financial, and public relations concerns that will have to be able to react to changing situations on the ground regarding the pandemic to succeed.

It’s a tall order, but for now at least, there is optimism.

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