The year began with a FOX News host telling the best basketball player on the planet to "shut up and dribble". That...didn't happen. Instead, LeBron James launched a school, a production company, and a documentary series entitled "Shut Up And Dribble". He also found time to tell CNN that Donald Trump was using race to divide the country and in general became perhaps the most politically outspoken MVP athlete in history.
Meanwhile, Colin Kaepernick couldn't find an NFL job but his advocacy on issues of police brutality landed him a huge Nike endorsement deal anyway. Daniel Carcillo spoke out about the abuse and hazing he suffered. American gymnasts told horrific stories of sexual assault by Larry Nassar and other athletes from other leagues shared their beliefs and experiences in ways we're not used to seeing from stars of their calibre. Something has shifted in sports, the question now is where does it go next?
GUEST: Donnovan Bennett, Sportsnet.ca