Hill’s Almost No-Hitter, Rally Outside NFL HQ In Support Of Kaepernick
BASEBALL
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Rich Hill mesmerized the crowd on Wednesday night with an almost perfect game. Unfortunately for Hill fans, he lost his incredible moment when the Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison hit a homer in the 10th inning causing Hill to be the first pitcher since 1906 “to lose a decision despite throwing at least nine innings with one or fewer hits and no walks allowed” (according to the Elias Sports Bureau).  Hill’s story is one of perseverance and tragedy, which is why his almost no-hitter was so disappointing to his fans. Hill was taken in the 4th round of the MLB draft in 2002 (out of the University of Michigan) then 8 teams later and a 2014 devastatingly tragic loss of his infant son due to medical complications shaped Hill’s determination and perseverance.  Hill was characteristically classy in complimenting his teammates after the game and said, “I try to keep everything as simple as possible and don’t think of it as bigger than it is.”
FOOTBALL
“United We Stand” organized a rally outside the NFL headquarters to demand a meeting with the NFL prior to September 7th, the start of the season, in order to discuss protecting players who are socially active. The crowd voiced their grievances about the treatment of Colin Kaepernick and his inability to get hired by any team in the NFL. Among the 500 people gathered was Stephen A. Green of the People’s Consortium who stated, “We have come today to assert to the NFL that we are demanding that you enact a policy that will protect the freedom of expression of the players to be able to speak about the issues of social justice that matter to them. We are demanding that they be safeguarded from humiliation, from ostracization and from exclusion — so much so that if they find themselves in a predicament that they can fine the NFL. We want to make sure that they continue to speak up for the lives of black and brown people in this country.” NFL Vice President of communication, Brian McCarthy responded to the group by trying to set up a meeting in the coming weeks, but, according to McCarthy, the group declined.
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