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The kneeling was noticeable quickly enough. To some, the raised fists seem almost ominous.On the first week of the NFL season there was almost as much going on during the national anthem as there was on the field. Players were making statements, and they didnt seem afraid of disrupting the highly choreographed spectacle that is an NFL game.At some point the league may have to find a way to deal with the newfound social consciousness of some of its employees. Theres no upside for the NFL if images of players holding clenched fists aloft during the national anthem begin to overshadow those of men colliding with each other on the field of play.So far that hasnt happened, though the season is young. Still, the sight of players making silent protests during the national anthem has to be disconcerting to a league that has always demanded conformity and blind obedience from its workers.It barely qualified as an NFL issue before Colin Kaepernick took a knee during an exhibition game. Now Commissioner Roger Goodell walks a fine line, voicing support for the right of players to speak out while in the same breath saying he wants them to respect the flag and most everyone who has ever put on a uniform.Goodell has so far been relatively restrained, and he has reason to tread lightly. The league he heads has profited greatly over the years, in no small part because it wraps itself around the flag and embraces the military and police at every opportunity.But two-thirds of its players are black. And they -- fueled by the constant feedback from social media -- are finding their voice about things they see wrong in the communities they grew up in.And sports may never be the same.I think weve come to a point in the history of sports that really for the first time in my lifetime -- and Ive spent 50 years doing this -- youre seeing athletes getting involved in social justice issues, said Richard Lapchick, director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. You had the occasional heroic athlete stand up in the `60s or `70s, but they were very few and far between and they paid the price for it.Some may pay the price for this, too. Denvers Brandon Marshall quickly lost two endorsements after he took a knee before last weeks opener. The outcry against Kaepernick and others on social media has been ugly at times.And in a league where players are desperate to make rosters, it wouldnt be a surprise if taking a stand meant a greater chance of being told to hit the road.That wasnt an issue when LeBron James and fellow members of the Miami Heat donned hoodies in 2012 for a team picture in support of slain Miami teen-ager Trayvon Martin. Too much star power there, and the NBA is a little more socially aware than the NFL.Lapchick points to the hoodie protest as the start of a new generation of athletes becoming socially active. Some WNBA members also took a stand, wearing warmup shirts on behalf of Black Lives Matter this summer.The handling of that by the WNBA was botched a bit, and surely the NFL learned lessons from that. Goodell has said all the right things so far, but its still early in the game.Its an issue that sports is going to have to make an informed decision on how they are going to treat it, Lapchick said. This isnt something that is going to go away, whether its in the form of the national anthem or wearing T-shirts or other paraphernalia. From my viewpoint its here into the indefinite future.That may worry some, but it pleases Lapchick to no end. Hes not only crusaded for civil rights his entire life, but paid the price for it himself.Lapchick was a 5-year-old when he looked out his bedroom window in New York to see men hanging an image of his father. Joe Lapchick was the coach of the New York Knicks, and his crime was to sign Nat Sweetwater Clifton, the first black player in the NBA in 1950.Years later, as an anti-apartheid activist, Lapchick was attacked by two men in a library at Virginia Wesleyan College, who held him down and carved the N-word into his stomach.Hell be watching closely as Goodell navigates his way through uncharted waters. Well all be watching to see how a commissioner who fancies himself to be a disciplinarian deals with things that discipline cant solve.The way the NFL handles anthem protests may turn out to be as significant in the long run as the protests themselves.----Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org or http://twitter.com/timdahlberg Custom Wild Jersey China . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. Eric Staal Jersey Large . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. http://www.customwildjersey.com/ . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. Custom Wild Jerseys . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Custom Wild Jersey China . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall posted on social media a racist, threatening letter that denounced him for taking a knee during the national anthem earlier this season. He said he wanted to expose the racism that exists in society.Marshall said he received the letter a couple of weeks ago and turned it over to the teams security department, which has been in contact with the NFL and local law enforcement.Marshall posted the letter written on front and back in block lettering, on his social media accounts alongside his caption, which read: The hatred by some against people of color is one of the reasons we are where were at in the world today, and they wonder why we feel the way we do and take the stances that we take. He also noted, I received this letter at work.I just wanted to expose that racism still exists, Marshall told reporters in the locker room Friday about an hour after posting the letter. I wanted expose that people still hate each other. We still hate each other, whether its because of your belief system or the color of your skin, whatever the case may be.Marshall said he quickly received hundreds of messages of support, although one detractor suggested he shouldnt have posted it because it gave voice to the author.No, I did the right thing because it needs to be seen, Marshall countered.Marshall showed photos of the envelope and letter he snapped on his iPhone before turning them over to team security.The letter came in an envelope purporting to be from Mrs. Jacksons sixth-grade class in Denver and scribbled on the back were the words We love you, Mr. Marshall.That was designed to make sure he read the letter, said Marshall, adding he suspects it was actually written by an adult.The return address listed aa middle school and address, which dont match any middle schools in Colorado.ddddddddddddMarshall has received both positive and negative feedback for following college teammate Colin Kaepernick `s lead in protesting social and racial injustice by taking a knee during the national anthem over the first half of the season.He ended his protest by saying he would go on a police drive-along and participate in a police shoot-or-dont-shoot simulator while also increasing his charitable endeavors. Coach Gary Kubiak stood next to him when he ended his protest at Oakland in Week 9, saying he was proud of the way Marshall had handled the situation.Marshall, who lost endorsements over his actions , has received a lot of hate mail for kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner. But he said he publicized this particular letter because it threatened him with bodily harm and was especially vitriolic.He said he didnt fear for his safety, though.Marshall, who wont play this weekend when the Broncos (8-4) visit Tennessee (6-6) because of a pulled left hamstring, said he discovered the letter while catching up on a stack of fan mail in his locker. When he came across this one, he passed it around to teammates before turning it over to team security.It was disgusting, linebacker Shane Ray said.We were appalled by it, added linebacker Corey Nelson, who will start in Marshalls place Sunday. We told him dont worry about it, dont let that get into your head or get into your heart.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton ' ' '