On June 5, in the wake of pressure from many of the league’s top stars, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a video in which he acknowledged the league he presides over was “wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier, and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.” In addition, Goodell said the phrase “Black Lives Matter” and, in general, it was a step forward for a league that has been rightfully criticized on social issues in the recent past.

However, Goodell’s statement notably omitted any reference to Colin Kaepernick, creating additional questions about how the league would discuss the former 49ers quarterback who has not been signed by a team since the 2016 season after his peaceful protests against police brutality. During ESPN’s “The Return of Sports” special on Monday evening, Goodell reportedly spoke on Kaepernick and, to some degree, expressed support for NFL teams to sign the 32-year-old.

“Well, listen, if he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it’s gonna take a team to make that decision,” Goodell told ESPN’s Mike Greenberg. “But I welcome that, support a club making that decision, and encourage them to do that.”

From there, Goodell continued by inviting Kaepernick to have a part in and around the league, even if not on the field.

“If his efforts are not on the field but continuing to work in this space, we welcome him to that table and to help us, guide us, help us make better decisions about the kinds of things that need to be done in the communities,” Goodell said. “We have invited him in before, and we want to make sure that everybody’s welcome at that table, and trying to help us deal with some very complex, difficult issues, that have been around for a long time… But I hope we’re at a point now where everybody’s committed to making long-term, sustainable change.”

Kaepernick’s lengthy layoff could provide challenges for any return to the league, as the tenor of the argument from those that are against signing him has shifted from “he’s a distraction to “he’s not good enough” to “he’s been out of the league too long.” Should he want to pursue that avenue in 2020, he is still young enough to profile as a valuable player at the NFL’s most important position, and has always had the talent to make the merit-based arguments of his exclusion from the league look a bit ridiculous.

It will be exceptionally interesting to see what kind of weight these comments have from Goodell in terms of practical application. At the very least, though, they represent a significant change from the past and Goodell’s sentiment is noteworthy as a result.

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A cold brew maker, watermelon cutter, sunscreen, and other amazing things that get a lot of fan mail (five-star reviews).

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We’ve all had bad roommates! But sometimes you ARE the bad roommate.

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Are you 50% Rizzo and 50% Marty?

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“I feel like both of your careers are definitely done because you just shot a man for no reason,” a bystander told officers in the moments after Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot.

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Congratulations are in order for Pusha T as he welcomes his baby son with wife Virginia to the world. Pusha, who just two years ago mocked Drake for “hiding a child,” was excited to share the first public photos of his son with his followers on Instagram, revealing the baby’s birthdate and name: Nigel Brixx Thornton was born on June 11, 2020 and apparently shares a lot in common with much of Pusha’s rap material.

Unfortunately for Pusha and Nigel, like Drake’s recent photos of his own son, Adonis, Push’s revelation led to more than a few comments on Twitter cracking wise at his son’s name. “He’s so committed to the coke bars, baby’s middle name is Brixx,” wrote one commenter, while another observed yet another tie between Pusha and his rival: “Nigel Brixx sounds like a character on Top Boy.” Meanwhile, one eager fan of the beef between the two rappers noted that they were already “ready to see Adonis and Nigel Brixx beef.” It looks like hip-hop may have its own version of the Hatfields and the McCoys — that is, if some fans get their way.

Jokes aside, it’s good to see Pusha’s firstborn is healthy and Pusha is so happy to be a dad. Check out the photos and the reactions from the peanut gallery above.

It’s been over a year since we saw Chris Evans’ maiden voyage with the MCU, with Avengers: Endgame giving Captain America a bittersweet farewell. But he’ll likely spend the rest of his life talking about his stint as Steve Rogers. In fact, his head’s still very much in Marvel mode, as he revealed in a new interview that there’s another major Avenger he would have to loved to have played.

“I love Captain America, but Spider-Man was my childhood hero. I would have loved doing scenes like attaching myself to the sides of buildings and trying to spring from one building to the next,” Evans told SCMP (as caught by ComicBook.com).

Alas, there’s one catch: “But I would have hated to wear Spider-Man’s mask. I’m very claustrophobic, and I doubt whether I could have worn that kind of full suit and mask for hours a day on a set. I much prefer my Captain America outfit, which I think is cooler anyway!”

Note, of course, that as Cap, Evans’ headgear was relegated to a helmet, which he eventually ditched entirely, allowing viewers to admire his excellent hair. And of course, Evans as Spidey would have had to happen in another life, as Peter Parker’s quite a bit younger than he is.

But it probably worked out in the end — for his second go as a comic book superhero, Evans got to revive and rework a character who’d previously been seen as a product of older, more jingoistic times, turning someone who was little more than a symbol of American might into one of the franchise’s deepest and most soulful characters. Still, an actor can dream.

(Via SCMP and ComicBook.com)

Tonight, in the barfoid-free With Spandex WWE Raw open discussion thread:

The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever is in the books, and Randy Orton emerged victorious in a physically and emotionally draining battle against his former friend Edge. Now, The Viper will open Monday Night Raw just one night after proving his in-ring supremacy against The Rated-R Superstar.

After last night’s grueling battle, rumors have been swirling that BOTH Superstars sustained injuries in the match.

What condition will both Superstars be in after such a brutal marathon of a match? Will Orton look to close the book on his rivalry with Edge after such a demanding battle? Is there another Superstar that will find himself in The Viper’s path? (via WWE.com)

The post-Backlash edition of Raw has a gloating Randy Orton probably trying to kick Christian’s ass now, Rey Mysterio and Dominick Guerrero returning to confront Seth Rollins, an Asuka vs. Nia Jax championship rematch, Drew McIntyre and R-Truth as a tag team, and more.

As always, +1 your favorite comments from tonight’s open thread and give them a thumbs up and we’ll include 10 of the best in tomorrow’s Best and Worst of Raw column. Make sure to flip your comments to “newest” in the drop down menu under “discussion,” and enjoy the show!