6 chapters across the catalog
The episode concludes with a reminder to visit MoFax.com and MoFundMe.com to support the show. The hosts sign off, and the program ends with Frank Sinatra's "My Way," which is jokingly referred to as the "national anthem" for the episode. The lyrics emphasize living life without exemption and taking the blows while doing it "my way."
The discussion addresses the NFL's decision to play "Lift Every Voice and Sing," known as the Black National Anthem, during the first week of the season. Mo'fax criticizes the negotiation that resulted in only a one-week performance rather than a full season commitment. He compares the symbolic gesture to inadequate reparations and notes the song's nostalgic roots in black church vacation Bible schools.
Colin Kaepernick began protesting police brutality and racial oppression by sitting during the national anthem during the 2016 NFL preseason. A timeline of his career shows he signed a $126 million extension in 2014 but was benched in November 2015 before the protests began. Photographer Jennifer Lee Chan captured the first viral image of him sitting on the bench, which some observers initially interpreted as the behavior of a disgruntled player rather than a political statement.
Former Green Beret Nate Boyer met with Colin Kaepernick to discuss the national anthem protests and suggested kneeling as a more respectful alternative to sitting. Boyer argued that kneeling is a gesture used to pray or honor fallen soldiers, which Kaepernick adopted to show respect for the military while continuing his protest. This meeting is identified as a pivotal moment that changed the visual nature of the movement.
President Donald Trump escalated the national anthem controversy during a 2017 rally in Alabama by calling for protesting players to be fired, using the phrase "get that son of a bitch off the field." This sparked a league-wide wave of solidarity protests involving players and owners. The discussion suggests Trump used the controversy as a political deflection during the Roy Moore special election and as a way to attack a league he had long-standing personal grievances against.
The NBA's current panic over Daryl Morey's tweet is contrasted with its previous support for athletes speaking out on social issues, a brand identity it cultivated during the NFL's Colin Kaepernick controversy. While the NBA marketed itself as the more progressive league, it actually maintains a rule requiring players to stand for the national anthem. This discrepancy highlights a strategy of taking "safe" political stances that do not threaten the bottom line.
