So, now that we have social activism on our minds, who are the NFL's answers to LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul?

Who are their versions of Tommie Smith and John Carlos? Their versions of Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor?

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These are nearly 50 years’ worth of examples, but the stands they took are still fresh in our minds — especially those last month at the ESPYs by the very best players in the NBA. With no disrespect intended to Colin Kaepernick at all, he is not at the very pinnacle of his league, one of the faces of his sport, and thus can't carry the message as far as they did or have the platform they did.

But Cam Newton can.

So can Von Miller.

And Tom Brady. And J.J. Watt. (Before any assumptions are made about who is obligated to mount that platform, and who is not.)

The distractions and deflections have been stripped away, about Kaepernick's motivations and his method of protest … although, no doubt, others will replace them, and already have. We’re all clear that what Kaepernick is saying has nothing to do with respect for the military or their sacrifices. The hashtag #VeteransForKaerpnick pretty much cleared that up.

Also, despite what some league executives were too timid to say with their names behind it, this is not about Kaepernick turning into a “traitor.”

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His issue is still what it was the first time he told it: the oppression of African Americans like himself in this country, and the worst manifestation of it, police brutality. A bunch of players have weighed in. None so far have committed to joining him in his protest or to throw their complete, public, outspoken support behind him.

At least not yet Cam Newton, or Von Miller, or Tom Brady or J.J. Watt.

There’s no doubt the entire tone of the conversation would change if they did. Their careers are not hanging by a thread. Their jobs, wealth and visibility are secure. They sell the product like no one else in the NFL. The reigning MVP, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, the reigning defensive MVP and … you know, Tom Brady.

There’s also no doubt that they have stayed nearly completely silent.

Newton is the lone exception, and his words, in a brief video posted to ESPN Thursday, were as measured and non-commital as possible. He acknowledged the truth of the problem Kaepernick illumionated, then added: "But who am I to say, 'Colin, you’re wrong'? And who am I to say, 'bro, you’re right'? We all have the right to think whatever we want to think, and I respect that by everybody."

For what it's worth, at least one of the other players mentioned might have a debt to pay. Here is Kaepernick last year, when a certain quarterbacking counterpart was fighting tooth-and-nail with the league over deflated footballs:

No football in the world is going to help you win by 38! Let it go and let Tom be great! On to the 2015 season #7tormsComing — Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) May 8, 2015

Hmmm.

Their past and present counterparts in theirs and other sports did not stay silent. They now have legacies in American history that extend beyond sports — yes, even LeBron and Co., who until last month were pretty much your conventional superstars in terms of their reach on social issues. Basically, they had none.

Not unlike their hero growing up, Michael Jordan, who found his voice more than a decade after his retirement ... after the youngsters had used theirs.

Now they at least can sit in on the conversation involving Ali, Smith, Carlos, Brown, Russell, Alcindor and others.

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It took some measure of sacrifice for the NBA players to stick their necks out. A lot of fans have stopped looking at them the same way, and not for the better. A lot of people, as they do with Kaepernick now, prefer that their stars, especially their black stars, just shut up and be grateful for their riches.

They said no, they wouldn’t.

They also decided they wouldn't let the weight be borne by the most vulnerable and powerless among them. The world-class, world-renowned stars took that weight for them.

But so far, no weight by Newton, or Miller, or Watt or Brady, or any other genuine, certifiable NFL star yet.

Just Kaepernick, who's been the one told by the Republican nominee for president to just leave the country if he thinks things are so bad. You can say that to the backup quarterback for a 5-11 team easier than you can to someone with hardware.

The guys with the hardware aren't talking. They’re not in the conversation. Not this one about Kaepernick, and not the one with Ali, Smith and Carlos and the rest.

They're not required to talk, of course. You know, the way we know players are not required to stand for the national anthem.

But they’re encouraged to.

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If they don’t, they’re still the faces of the league. Just so they understand, though — they could be the faces of something much, much bigger.

It's their choice.