By Anthony McClean, Editor In Chief Emeritus

NEW HAVEN — History, whether it be sports, politics, or entertainment, always has a way of repeating itself. For better or worse, what seems to be new to one person is really the same thing packaged just a bit differently.

For example, let’s step in the way back machine and go to November of 1992.

Charles “Cal” Levy, a former marketing director for the Cincinnati Reds, stated in a deposition for Tim Sabo, a former employee who was suing the team, that he’d heard managing general partner Marge Schott refer to then-Reds outfielders Eric Davis and Dave Parker as her “million-dollar niggers”.

Sabo alleged that his firing a year earlier was due to testifying against Schott in another lawsuit brought against her by several limited partners and because he opposed the club’s alleged unwritten policy of not hiring blacks.

Schott stated that the comment was made in jest. But it didn’t end there.

During the same season, a former Oakland A’s executive assistant, Sharon Jones, was quoted by the New York Times as having overheard Schott state: “I would never hire another nigger. I’d rather have a trained monkey working for me than a nigger,” before the start of an owners’ conference call.

By the beginning of the 1999 season and following two suspensions and facing a third, Schott agreed to sell her controlling interest in the Reds for $67 million. She still remained as a minority partner.

What’s the point of all this you ask? Simple. What eventually got Schott kicked out of the billion-dollar boys (and girls) club was their one steadfast rule — “What’s done here, what’s said here, stays here!!”

Which brings me to this weekend’s happenings surrounding the comments of our Twitterer In Chief, Donald J. Drumpf.

I’m sure you already know about his little impromptu Klan gathering in Alabama along with his latest streams of unconsciousness regarding Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the NFL, and his pseudo non-invite to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors

The backlash to Drumpf’s latest diatribe received the usual fits of outrage and hand-wringing that’s become a standard operating procedure during this administration’s all too annoying short tenure.

I was going to say standard operating bullshit (Get it? S.O.B.?), but I digress.

However, much like an M. Night Shyamalan movie, there was a slight and sudden twist.

Several NFL owners, as well as Commissioner Roger Goodell, would clap back on Drumpf by releasing statements praising the players for what they called “the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities regarding the amazing response from them to the terrible natural disasters we’ve experienced over the last month”.

In fact, some of these same owners went so far as to lock arms with their players over the weekend as they protested Drumpf’s latest hissy fit. Now mind you, these are the same owners who’ve all but blackballed the aforementioned Kaepernick from the league this season.

And they’re also among a large group of owners from the NFL, NBA, and various other pro sports leagues who’ve openly and financially endorsed Drumpf’s campaign, inauguration, or anything else related to it.

But before you call me a liar, take a gander at this list.

For example:

Contributions to Trump’s inaugural committee

Cleveland Browns: Jimmy Haslam, $100,000. Pilot Travel Centers LLC, of which Haslam is CEO, $300,000.

Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones (contribution made by Glenstone Limited Partnership, of which Jones is president), $1 million.

Houston Texans: Robert McNair, $1 million.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Shahid Khan, $1 million.

Los Angeles Rams: Stan Kroenke, $1 million.

New England Patriots: Robert Kraft (contribution made by Kraft Group LLC, of which Kraft is chairman and CEO), $1 million.

New York Jets: Woody Johnson, $1 million.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Edward Glazer, $250,000.

Washington Redskins: Daniel Snyder, $1 million.

Contributions to Trump’s 2016 campaign (2015-16 reporting period)

Houston Texans: Robert McNair

► $5,400 to Donald J. Trump For President;

► $449,000 to Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee involving Trump’s campaign.

New York Jets: Woody Johnson

► $5,400 to Donald J. Trump For President;

► $100,000 to Trump Victory.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Edward Glazer

► $5,400 to Donald J. Trump For President;

► $50,000 to Trump Victory.

Contributions to current Trump campaign (2017 reporting)

Washington Redskins: Daniel Snyder

► $100,000 to Trump Victory.

Source: Federal Election Commission 

So did the owners suddenly have a come to Jesus moment? No!!

Did they realize the error of their ways? No!!

If you really wanna know what “Pick A Side Sunday” really meant, it was merely the NFL owners and hand puppet Goodell speaking to Drumpf in full rich, arrogant white man speak disguised as a false flag of “solidarity with the players”.

Again, I refer to the previously mentioned million-dollar boys (and girls) club stuff — with a small dose of buyer’s remorse along with a healthy dose of CYA.  Allow me to translate what Goodell and the owners are really saying to 45.

“Hey, Donald!!  You don’t go after OUR NEGROS in public. That’s our job, dammit!!!!”

It was like watching a bad sequel to “Django: Unchained” on a sleepy Sunday afternoon. Now I can’t figure out who had the lead role, but I definitely know who was auditioning for Samuel L. Jackson’s role of “Stephen”.

I’m not mentioning any names, but he’s a former All-Pro linebacker, two-time Super Bowl champion, and the author of one of the worst dances this side of the Mason-Dixon by way of Maryland.

FOR CHRISSAKES, ONE KNEE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH, RAY!!!!!

On a serious note, the real tragedy of this weekend was the original message of Kaepernick’s protest being lost by many of those involved. While the NFL and their lackeys in mainstream media have tried to distort this an anti-military, anti-national anthem protest, Kaepernick’s initial message has never wavered.

It has always been about the rise of police brutality against black people and racism.

While the endless antics of Drumpf, his brothers in arms in the owners’ offices, and media misdirections have worked overtime to push the “nothing to see here” narrative, they’ve indirectly shot themselves in the foot in doing so.

Many within the NFL intelligencia thought once Kaepernick was released by the Niners, it was game, set, and match. Thankfully, Kaepernick’s message and subsequent charitable deeds and social activism have made No. 7 and his brave stand loom even larger each day he remains off an NFL roster.

There’s a prevailing thought by some that if and when Kaepernick is signed by an NFL team then he’ll “win”. In my opinion, whether he gets signed or not, he’s already emerged as a winner.

There are many, many other issues that the NFL needs to address besides the Kaepernick affair. Between their blatant negligence of CTE issues, the shabby treatment of the former players regarding that, and a general nasty arrogance towards their loyal fanbase, the NFL has got some work to do despite their popularity.

One of the most important things Kaepernick’s stance has done is start a much-needed dialogue. Sadly, many folks want to run away from it, ignore it, or play the “stick to sports, not politics” card.

Sorry, folks. That bus left several years ago. Just ask Jesse Owens, or Joe Louis, or Jackie Robinson, or Muhammed Ali, or Tommie Smith and John Carlos, as well as countless other athletes and similar incidents.

And please don’t forget Mr. Drumpf’s ignorance/arrogance for adding another chapter.

In closing, the more and more I think about it, the late great singer/poet Gil Scott-Heron was partly right. Indeed, the revolution may not be televised. But it sure as hell will be LIVE!!

anthonymcclean@basnnewsroom.com