now this? i think we have ensured that this is the story of the football season. i have no idea the twists and turns, of course none of us do. but there is no doubt that this is one of the biggest sports stories and cultural stories we've seen in some years. again, donald trump just handed it over to us and as journalist w s we need to do our job and move forward with it from here. >> nfl ratings have been down massively -- that's not true. ratings are done modestly. if anything, there's going to be more interest in the games today. do you believe the ratings might increase because of all this interest? >> brian, as a former nfl player, i can say i don't normally believe it. i don't tune in to nfl games too often, i get away from them when i can. but i'll watch today. i want to see who, how many were going to stand up and show support for their fellow players who are standing up against racial and social injustice. look, our country has a rich history of athletes activism.