Second Thoughts

Dickerson: Can't please everybody

Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson weighed in on the NFL’s new national anthem policy, saying he’s OK with it.
Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson weighed in on the NFL’s new national anthem policy, saying he’s OK with it.

Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson said he is fine with the NFL's new national anthem policy, telling TMZ Sports "everybody has a right to do what they want to do" and adding he liked that players will have the option to remain in the locker room if they so choose.

"You can't please everybody. By saying this, you know somebody's not going to like it," he said. "It is what it is. It's like religion and raising your kids: Nobody's going to agree with you all the time.

"Everybody has a disagreement on how you raise your kids, religion, politics. So my thing is that I stood when we played. And I would still stand."

The NFL's new anthem policy requires players to stand for its playing if they choose to be on the field at that time, though they can also remain in the locker room. Players who protest during the anthem, however--many players have taken a knee to protest racial inequality and police brutality in the past two seasons--will subject their teams to fines from the league office.

Additionally, teams may fine players or personnel who do not stand during the anthem.

"We want people to be respectful of the national anthem," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday. "We want people to stand -- that's all personnel -- and make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That's something we think we owe. [But] we were also very sensitive to give players choices."

Deer on a roof? Hmmm

Two University of Illinois football players, linebackers James Marchese and Drew Murtaugh, were arrested earlier this month for allegedly stealing a deer sculpture and taking it home with them to put on their rooftop.

The sculpture, which is titled Startled, is located in the Champaign Park District, which is in the heart of Champaign, where the university is located.

According to the Champaign News-Gazette, the city took to Facebook to ask if anyone knew of the whereabouts of the sculpture.

On May 5, Champaign police received a tip that it was on the roof of the apartment complex where the two men lived, just across the street from the park to the west.

Officers went there that day and spoke to several residents, including Marchese and Murtaugh.

Marchese told police that he and Murtaugh were walking home April 29 when they saw the statue lying on the ground and took it to the roof of their building. Murtaugh gave the same basic statement, according to a police report.

Park District Director Joe DeLuce said the donated sculpture, valued at $5,000, has since been reinstalled in the park.

The newspaper adds that each of the players, who have been charged with a single count of theft between $500 and $10,000, are due in court June 12. After the sculpture was retrieved, an artist touched it up some and made it more secure.

Murtaugh is a redshirt sophomore, and Marchese is a junior who's played in 19 games for the Fighting Illini. Illinois Sports Information Director Kent Brown told the newspaper that Coach Lovie Smith is aware of the incident, but no action has been taken at this time.

QUIZ

How many touchdowns did Eric Dickerson run for in his NFL career?

ANSWER

Dickerson ran for 90 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons.

Sports on 05/28/2018

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