Pop music is a staple in mainstream American culture. What many may not know is it's level of importance globally. Being an international pop star supersedes almost any level of celebrity that we know of today. While it may not necessarily equate to some of the astronomical annual salaries of some athletes, the fame is very comparable. These stars for many years have been heard time and again on our radios, Walkmans, iPods, and MP3 players. They've graced our television sets and stages of some of our favorite events such as the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star game. What we may not know is the number of people involved in making them great, or the extent of the greatness behind them. Max Martin is one of the behind the scenes guys who's worked with the likes of many of pop music's biggest acts over the last 19 years.

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There's been a lot of discussion about whether or not it's an athlete's place to stand up for sociopolitical issues. Some people feel it's not their place, while others feel it's their obligation given the fact that their platform allows them to be able to reach the masses unlike the average citizen. There's been talks of possibly tainting their legacy, but taking a look at history, the athletes who did fight for issues particularly black athletes, they're often held on a higher pedestal. From Jim Brown, to Bill Russell, To Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, their stance arguably made them more important historical figures. The same can be said for John Carlos and Tommie Smith who's black leather gloved fists remain one of the Olympics most memorable moments. And of course we remember the late great Muhammad Ali and his refusal to fight in Vietnam, and being incarcerated in his prime because of that. This football season, in addition to all of the eagerness to watch what's happening on the field and keeping track of your fantasy stats, there will be more attention than usual placed on a few guys while still on the sidelines. One of which is Colin Kaepernick.

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