sees Kaepernicks actions in line with Alis protest, Abdul-Jabbar said it depends on

CINCINNATI -- Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer and scouting and player development director Jason McLeod agreed to contract extensions through the 2021 season Friday, mirroring president of baseball operations Theo Epsteins deal two days earlier.The NL Central champions, with the best record in the majors, announced the deals before playing Cincinnati.Hoyer and McLeod joined the franchise on Nov. 1, 2011, and have helped put together a team that has qualified for postseason play in consecutive seasons for just the third time in club history.The Cubs went into the final series of the regular season with a 101-57 record -- just the third team in major league history to win at least 100 games within four years of a 100-loss season.Epstein, Hoyer and McLeod all worked together with the Boston Red Sox, including their World Series championship seasons in 2004 and 2007.Hoyer was the Padres general manager in 2010-11 and McLeod worked with him.It is nice to keep the band together, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Continuity is really, really important. People dont understand that until they really get involved with it or maybe they get in a situation where its not happening.In a statement, Epstein said: Jed and Jason are simply the best at what they do and have played fundamentally important leadership roles in helping the Cubs build a healthy and thriving organization.We feel honored to have the stability and support that we enjoy throughout baseball operations and look forward to many years of working together in Chicago, he said.Hydro Flask Coffee Belgie . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Hydro Flask Rietje . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. http://www.belgiehydroflask.com/hydro-flask-40-oz.html . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. Hydro Flask Bestellen . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Hydro Flask Korting . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg.NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, speaking on SportsCenter Coast to Coast on Thursday, said he hopes Colin Kaepernick utilizes the platform he has established to help solve the issues he has put a spotlight on.At some point in the very near future he needs to figure out a way where he can be a part of the solution, Abdul-Jabbar said, so I would suggest to Mr. Kaepernick that he try to become a bridge between the black community and the police forces.Talking of the San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks refusal to stand for the national anthem, Abdul-Jabbar said, I see it as being patriotic to bring attention to issues that are important and meaningful for the whole country.Abdul-Jabbar said the killing of unarmed individuals is no longer something we can live with. Saying that his father and grandfather were both members of law enforcement, Abdul-Jabbar also said, Police officers are a very vital and necessary part of what democracy is about. We cant do without police.Abdul-Jabbar recounted his experience in 1967, when he and other black athletes, including Jim Brown and Bill Russell, held a summit to show their support for Muhammad Alis ddecision not to fight in the Vietnam War.ddddddddddddAs to whether he sees Kaepernicks actions in line with Alis protest, Abdul-Jabbar said it depends on what Kaepernick does now, and whether he can find a positive way to interact with the people who support him. ... We have to be able to hear the other side.Asked whether Kaepernick should stand for the anthem before Thursday nights preseason game in San Diego, Abdul-Jabbar said Thats up to him. I think he should tailor his protest, or his demonstration, in a way that makes it a positive statement, in a way that opens the doors to dialogue.Kaepernick refused to stand during the national anthem before a game last Friday.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 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. ' ' '