TNT's Ernie Johnson: 'You Can't Use the Flag as a Blindfold': TRAINA THOUGHTS

Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson explains problem with Drew Brees comments.

1. Inside the NBA returned Thursday night with a special edition during which the panel talked about the events of the past week, including the Drew Brees controversy.

Host Ernie Johnson shared some strong words about the flag and people who refuse to understand the reason why Colin Kaepernick and others took a knee during the national anthem. Here's a portion of Johnson's thoughtful comments:

"You can fly the flag at your house. You can salute the flag. You can revere the flag. You can respect the flag. And all of those are fine. What you cannot do is use the flag as a blindfold. You can't use the flag as a blindfold and not see the things you've seen with your very eyes that tell you that what's keeping this country held back is systemic racism. When you see these things happen, you can't be blinded by that."

"You can't use the flag as a blindfold."@TurnerSportsEJ reacts to Drew Brees' statement and apology. pic.twitter.com/0ZvdJ15QiF

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 5, 2020

Johnson's colleague, Shaquille O'Neal, also revealed on the TNT show that he was on Thursday's call with the Saints team when Brees apologized to his teammates.

.@SHAQ joined the @Saints team meeting today and described Drew Brees' apology to his teammates. pic.twitter.com/U9nKtOiydd

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 5, 2020

2. Former NFL wide receiver Nate Burleson shared an emotional and powerful story on Thursday's Good Morning Football about his grandfather being killed by cops and how it connects to Drew Brees's comments and social justice.

.@nateburleson shares a heartbreaking yet thought provoking story in response to @drewbrees.

“Drew Brees isn’t my enemy! ... Zoom out and see life from a different perspective.” pic.twitter.com/oyQhmYf2WI

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) June 4, 2020

3. L.A. Times writer Arash Markazi documented the re-opening of Las Vegas on his Twitter feed. While it was great to see Sin City open, the current state of affairs there is just completely depressing.

Temperature checks at check-in will be the norm at most hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. pic.twitter.com/WuAuiWZynN

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 4, 2020

The rooms at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas come with an amenity kit that includes two masks, hand sanitizer and a stylus pen. There are now disposal plastic cups instead of glass cups in the room. pic.twitter.com/IkqoY7OwSs

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 4, 2020

MGM properties in Las Vegas will have hand washing stations with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer on the casino foor. pic.twitter.com/5woMdP3xwN

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 4, 2020

He said I couldn’t shoot video of him taking my money but here he is before he takes my money. 😂 pic.twitter.com/PT77v0pyb5

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 4, 2020

There’s not a ton of live sports right now but the sports books in Las Vegas are open again. pic.twitter.com/KtOrISufMN

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 4, 2020

4. As if MLB isn't in a big enough mess, now if they even play a season, some stadiums may have fans and some many not, according to one report.

Fairly significant: Sources indicate MLB is inclined to allow Texas-based teams to play with fans in stands, regardless of whether fans can attend in other markets. Talk about your home-state advantages. https://t.co/lVqcGDbPsf

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) June 4, 2020

5. Erin Andrews is the guest on the latest SI Media Podcast. Andrews talked about what it could be like doing sideline reports in empty NFL stadiums, the excitement surrounding the Bucs-Saints Week 1 matchup, Phyllis George's place in sports broadcasting history and dealing with critics. Andrews also told a couple of outstanding stories about Larry David attending her wedding, discussed quarantine life and shared some kitchen disaster stories.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play.

6. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: Thirty-five years ago today, Ferris Bueller took a day off from school so he could head to Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs.

7. SPORTS HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Twitter would lose its collective mind if this run happened today. During a 1982 Falcons-49ers Monday Night Football game, Atlanta running back William Andrews ran over Ronnie Lott and five other San Francisco defenders.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.