Jackson Free Press

The first weekend of college-football action begins on Thursday, Sept. 1, with five games kicking off at 6 p.m. and streaming on ESPN3. None of those games are worth rushing home for, unless you’re a big fan of Tulane University, as the Greenwave faces Wake Forest University.

Thursday doesn’t really have any marquee matchups. The best game of the night could be watching Vanderbilt University at home against the University of South Carolina at 7 p.m. on ESPN, while you wait for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to begin at 9 p.m. against Jackson State University.

If the Commodores and Gamecocks don’t keep your attention, watch Oregon State University at Indiana University, Bloomington. Overall, there’s a good bit of football on Thursday night, but if the team you root for isn’t playing, there are not really any games between top teams.

Friday begins with four games at 6 p.m. on ESPN3, including Mississippi Valley State University on the road against Eastern Michigan University. Two games on TV also begin at 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network and Big Ten Network.

Neither game on the BTN or CBSN is going to keep you up late if you miss any part of them. While most of Friday night is like Thursday, a trio of games could be interesting.

Colorado State University faces the University of Colorado, Boulder at 7 p.m. on ESPN in a big in-state rivalry game. Two games kickoff at 8 p.m., with Kansas State University at Stanford University on FS1 and the University of Toledo at Arkansas State University on ESPNU.

Saturday is the day you have waited for to start this season. You can begin early with a 6:30 a.m. kickoff between Georgia Tech and Boston College from Dublin, Ireland.

After knocking off a pot of coffee to stay awake during the early kickoff, a real good game kicks off at 11 a.m. on ABC. That’s when No. 3 University of Oklahoma starts the season on the road against No. 15 University of Houston.

This game could be Houston’s audition for Big 12 membership. The Sooners are one of the few teams with a chance to make a statement on opening weekend.

Mississippi State University and the University of South Alabama also kickoff at 11 a.m. on the SEC Network. Boise State University, with an 11 a.m. start against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is interesting, with the Broncos getting the early kickoff.

The University of Missouri at West Virginia University on FS1 at 11 a.m. is an intringing out-of-conference game. None of the other 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. games look to be worth keeping an eye on, unless an out-of-the-blue upset starts brewing.

Get ready to work your remote starting at 2:30 p.m., with two good games kicking off. On CBS, Texas A&M University will host the University of Los Angeles, and on ABC, Louisiana State University faces Wisconsin from Lambeau Field.

While …

News this weekend was like reliving 1996 again. That summer Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf caught the eye of the nation and media when people found out that he would stay in the locker room or stretch on the sideline during the national anthem.

Abdul-Rauf, whose birth name is Chris Jackson, converted to Islam in 1991. He changed his name in 1993. He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1990 and could light up the scoreboard in the NBA on any given night.

Born in Gulfport, Miss., Abdul-Rauf became one of the most highly recruited basketball players in the history of the state. When he was known as Chris Jackson, Abdul-Rauf was a standout player at Gulfport High School and Louisiana State University.

Abdul-Rauf was a smooth guard in high school and college and could score with the best in the country. He was a two-time Mr. Basketball in Mississippi and played in the McDonald’s All-American game.

He was also one of the best free-throw shooters in NBA history. Maybe, if not for the national-anthem firestorm, he could have earned the best free-throw percentage in league history.

Abdul-Rauf called the American flag “a symbol of oppression, of tyranny” when asked why he didn’t join his teammates during the national anthem. Fans, media, fellow players and more were divided on how to respond to him.

In June 1996, Abdul-Rauf was traded to Sacramento Kings, where he spent the next two years as mainly a reserve. He played overseas before resurfacing from 2000 to 2001 to play with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Abdul-Rauf didn’t play another minute in the NBA after his single season with the Grizzlies. He finished his career playing overseas in several countries.

Injuries played a part in Abdul-Rauf’s fall from the NBA, but the national anthem controversy without a doubt played a part in his exit from the league.

Fast-forward 20 years, and we are nearly at the same moment once again.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the focus of a ton of media and social media attention this weekend for not standing for the national anthem.

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. "To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

The quarterback is entering his sixth year in the league, and there is a chance that his decision could cause him to not make the final roster. There are a few reasons he could make the team, but this would be his final year.

Just a couple of seasons ago, Kaepernick looked like he was going to be one of the