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NEW YORK -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell disagrees with Colin Kaepernicks choice to kneel during the national anthem, but recognizes the quarterbacks right to protest.Asked by The Associated Press about Kaepernicks decision not to stand before games when the national anthem is played, Goodell said in an email Wednesday: I dont necessarily agree with what he is doing.I support our players when they want to see change in society, and we dont live in a perfect society, Goodell added. On the other hand, we believe very strongly in patriotism in the NFL. I personally believe very strongly in that.Goodell added that NFL players have a visible platform for their viewpoints. With that comes responsibility to use those platforms properly.We have to choose respectful ways of doing that so that we can achieve the outcomes we ultimately want and do it with the values and ideals that make our country great, said Goodell, whose late father, Charles, was a U.S. senator.I think its important to have respect for our country, for our flag, for the people who make our country better; for law enforcement; and for our military who are out fighting for our freedoms and our ideals.Kaepernick wouldnt stand for the anthem at his teams preseason games, with San Francisco 49ers teammate Eric Reid and Seattles Jeremy Lane doing the same. Kaepernick has cited racial injustice and police brutality among the many reasons for his actions and said he plans to continue to not stand for the anthem during the regular season.Kaepernick said Wednesday on his Instagram account that he will donate all the money he receives from his jersey sales to charity to thank fans for their support. He said hes pleased his 49ers jersey has become the top seller in the NFL since his protest became public.The 49ers open their season at home against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.Also in reaction to Kaepernicks actions:- U.S. hockey coach John Tortorella said hed bench any player who stays seated during the national anthem. Tortorella, who will coach the United States at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, told ESPN : If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game.Tortorella, who also coaches the Columbus Blue Jackets, talked a bit more about his view Wednesday.I feel very strongly of being able to say what you want to say in your way, about youre upset about things, he said. You have your right to do that, but to bring that flag and anthem into it and drag that down, no way. So I feel strongly both ways.Tortorellas son Nick is an Army Ranger and is deployed in the Middle East.When there are men and women that give their lives for their flag, for their anthem, have given their lives, continue to put themselves on the line with our services for our flag, for our anthem, families that have been disrupted, traumatic physical injuries, traumatic mental injuries for these people that give us the opportunity to do the things we want to do, Tortorella said. Theres no chance an anthem and a flag should come into any type of situation where youre trying to make a point.- New York Jets receiver Brandon Marshall spoke out on WFAN Radio , saying he disagreed with host Boomer Esiason, who had criticized Kaepernick.Marshall also discussed the issue a bit at practice Wednesday.Like it or not, this is a civil rights movement. Its a civil rights issue, Marshall said. Martin Luther King did an amazing job of making sure everyone was at the table. What I mean by that is, he never once went against America. He always said America was an amazing nation. Whether he believed that or not, I dont know, but I say that because if you want to get things done, you have to do it in a way where everyones at the table.- Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin said he has considered joining Lane in not standing for the anthem.`I want to make sure I get all my ducks in a row before I do so, Baldwin said.My grandfather being in the military it hit home for me as well. Its the veterans that have reached out and said thats what they fought for, thats what they sacrificed their lives for was to give people back home under the flag, under this country, the opportunity to stand up or sit for what they believe in. So that was very heartening for me to hear that.Teammate Bobby Wagner believes the Seahawks should act together because thats that the world needs to see.Anything we want to do, its not going to be individual, he added. Its going to be a team thing. The world needs to see people coming together versus being individuals.---AP Sports Writers Tim Booth in Renton, Washington and Dennis Waszak Jr. in Florham Park, New Jersey contributed.AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Chicago Bulls Store . 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LSU athletic director Joe Alleva called the situation concerning the Tigers postponed and later rescheduled game with Florida a joke in behind-the-scenes emails.Alleva also insinuated in emails obtained by ESPN?that members of Floridas athletic department didnt want to play LSU when the original game was postponed due to Hurricane Matthew impacting Gainesville and the northeastern coast of Florida.Officials from both Florida and LSU were already having contentious exchanges over how to make up the Oct. 8 postponement of the game in Gainesville, but Allevas frustrations came to a head when he learned that the Georgia-South Carolina game, which was also affected by the storm, would be moved from Saturday to Sunday of the same weekend. Alleva voiced those frustrations in an email exchange with board of supervisors athletic committee chairman Blake Chatelain.This is a joke, Alleva wrote to Chatelain.Chatelain then replied by asking Alleva if he thought Florida wanted to play as much as LSU did.Would they not ? Chatelain asked in the email.No way if they lost they would lose the east. Their schedule [is] easier than Tennessee[s] if they wanted to play we would be playing here or there, Alleva wrote back.LSU team spokesman Michael Bonnette also called the situation a joke.At the time, Floridas lone SEC loss came to Tennessee, which has since dropped back-to-back league games to Texas A&M and Alabama. Florida was also dealing with injuries at the time, most notably to starting quarterback Luke Del Rio who was recovering from a sprained knee. Backup Austin Appleby was the quarterback during the Gators loss to Tennessee, but Florida coach Jim McElwain later stated that Del Rio would have started if the LSU game had been played on its original date.On the Monday following the postponement, McElwain addressed criticism about whether his team wanted to play LSU that weekend.It shocks me that someone could actually think that way, especially knowing us, McElwain said during his Monday press conference.[There were] 19 deaths [in the United States], 2.5 million people without power. Families in dire needs. Obviously, they dont know me, they dont know the Florrida Gators.dddddddddddd They dont know our players.Dodging the game? Wow.Days later, resolution finally came when the SEC announced that the game would be played in Baton Rouge on Nov. 19. Both schools would buy out the nonconference games already scheduled on that date -- Florida against Presbyterian and LSU against South Alabama. LSU would also have to play at Florida in 2017 and 2018.Even this conclusion didnt come without more conflict from both sides. As options were laid out, Alleva continued to maintain that he would not give up LSUs home game on Nov. 19 or the Tigers bye week before the Nov. 5 game against Alabama.Late in the process, the SEC found an interpretation of the rules within its bylaws that essentially stated that in order for teams to participate in the SEC championship game in Atlanta, they had to play their eight scheduled league games. With that, Florida conceded, but not before outgoing athletic director Jeremy Foley had some choice words with LSU administrators.It was obvious that they were committed to that position and that it was going to be difficult to change that position, and therefore that we felt the only way to escape an even more difficult situation was to make the decision that we did, Foley said. I think it would have been a huge mistake in my opinion, my staffs position and opinion, [Florida president] Dr. [Kent] Fuchs position, for the University of Florida to draw a line in the sand, and then what would happen? And nothing good would have come out of that. At the end of the day, its time to step up and do what you think is right and go play a football game.The 15th ranked Gators (5-1, 3-1 SEC) play East rival Georgia (4-3, 2-3) in Jacksoville, Florida, at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. No. 19 LSU (5-2, 3-1) is on a bye as it prepares to host No. 1 Alabama (8-0, 5-0) on Nov. 5. A time for the rescheduled Florida-LSU game has not been announced, but the league has said that the game will kick no later than 3:30 p.m. ET.Information from ESPNs Mark Schlabach was used in this report. ' ' '