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Police and Protesters Clash Over New Missouri Death; Sony Releases "The Interview" for Christmas; College Stunner as UNLV Tops Arizona; Top Ten Sports Stories of 2014

Aired December 24, 2014 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: We're also joined by Boyce Watkins. He is the founder of yourblackworld.com.

Good morning to both of you.

Marc, let me start with you here. Based on what we know so far, did the officer react the way that he was supposed to, given the circumstances?

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, again, with limited information that can be confirmed, it's hard to say. If there was a weapon, that changes the conversation. I think the concern for many is that there are people who say there was no weapon and the body cameras, which we expected to be a kind of light into darkness as it were, wasn't on, which again is -- not just a limitation of the system of body cameras, but a limitation of this particular case in terms of our investigation. We don't know enough to say who was right and who's wrong, but there are certainly questions to be raised, particularly in light of what we've seen for the last few months in that area in particular.

KAYE: Yes, I mean certainly people are saying there wasn't a weapon, but it looks as though, again, we weren't there, but it certainly looks as though, from the security camera video, we're waiting for a closer shot of that security camera video to be released to us as well, looks as though the suspect did raise a weapon.

Boyce, let me ask you, I mean the police chief said the officer wasn't --

HILL: Yes, and if he did, then that's a different -- then that's a game changer.

KAYE: Right. Right.

Boyce, the police chief does say, speaking of the body cameras, that the officer wasn't wearing a body camera. Do you think that this shows the police department's need to be more strict about making the officers wear them, if they are going to be distributed?

BOYCE WATKINS, FOUNDER, YOURBLACKWORLD.COM: Well, absolutely. You know, they're very strict with the citizens with which they deal. You're talking about life or death situations. And I would argue that an officer who doesn't wear a body camera should be punished for not doing so, if that is something that he's expected to do.

And the other issue is that, remember, these cameras don't just protect citizens, they also protect officers so that you don't have the speculation. Because, right now, the distrust between citizens and the police is really at an all-time high. So you really don't want to go into situations where someone's life has been lost and you don't have any evidence. You've only got what has been -- historically been the benefit of the doubt being given to the police department. And the truth is that they haven't earned the benefit of the doubt, and that's a problem.

KAYE: Let's talk about some of the protests, Marc. I mean do you think that we're going to see protests like the ones we saw over the Michael Brown shooting, or if indeed this victim was armed, does it -- does it change things?

HILL: Absolutely. I don't think the crowds in Ferguson or the crowds in New York or the crowds that have really grown internationally have been unreasonable. I don't think anyone has said that if you -- if a weapon is pulled on an officer, the officer doesn't have a right to defend him or herself. I think everyone is -- 99.9 percent of the people are reasonable in that regard. I think that people will continue to protest police brutality. I think they'll continue to protest, you know, the kind of -- almost -- the overly aggressive policing of our neighborhoods and they'll be making policy demands, yes, but I don't think they'll be protesting this particular case if this case proves to be wrong.

KAYE: And earlier this morning, Boyce, the police chief said that some protesters who had gathered at the gas station threw bricks at police. We saw this incredible video earlier of this smoking object explode there at the gas station after the shooting. How do police officers, Boyce, try and maintain the peace? I mean when the protests get so tense, like what we're seeing right there?

WATKINS: Well, I think that the police maintain the peace the way they always have. And that's the problem that you see in places like Ferguson is that there really isn't as much accountability for officers as there should be. You know, as Marc mentioned, most protesters are reasonable. And the fundamental issue here in all of these protests is that people are not against officers, but people are against cops who think that they're above the law, or who abuse their authority. And people are getting sick and tired of police terror, which has really left law-abiding citizens in fear of the police and that's really their problem. So what officers are really seeing is of their own doing. The public distrust exists because they have not made themselves trustworthy and they have to accept that or continue to deal with this kind of thing.

KAYE: In New York here, I mean the distrust is, you know, it's really out of control. I mean when you look at places like New York, the protesters, they refused to pause on these demonstrations, despite the request from the mayor to wait until these two officers, who were killed over the weekend, are buried.

Marc, if you had the ear of Mayor Bill de Blasio here in New York, I mean what would be your advice in terms of how he can build a better relationship with the community, with the protesters, and even, quite frankly, with the NYPD?

HILL: Well, with regard to the protesters, I think you don't make demands that they stop protesting. I think that that's a non-starter for people. Black and brown lives matter, blue lives matter, all lives matter. But black lives are the ones that hang in the balance every single day in these streets and are oftentimes the recipients of state violence. And so, you know, while the tragedy of those officers is considerable, and my heart goes out to their families, I hope that their families find some peace in this absurd tragedy, it was an awful thing that happened to them, we don't stop protesting, we don't stop demanding justice. And to ask people to do that will always put you at odds with the community.

The mayor has his own responsibility to the NYPD. He has to make sure that they're protected. But he also has to have tough language for them and honest language for them. I think, so far, Bill de Blasio has tried to strike that balance in a responsible way. I think clearly he upset the NYPD by allowing and enabling, in their minds, a certain kind of protest culture over the last few weeks. But I think he -- I think he did the right thing in that regard

KAYE: Boyce, very quickly, you want to weigh in there?

WATKINS: Yes, absolutely. I would remind Mayor de Blasio that, look, you work for the citizens of New York. You don't just work for the NYPD. You know, my dad was a cop for 25 years. I've seen the blue wall up close. It's not going to come down easy. Effectively, right now, what you have is, you have an idiosyncratic tragedy that's been politicized. The deaths of these officers are being used by the NYPD --

HILL: Right.

WATKINS: To try to make this into a political issue. No, no, it's a tragedy that stands on its own. And the fact is that de Blasio is being a very brave politician right now. And I would encourage him to stand strong because the people of New York need you to protect them. And that's as simple as it gets.

KAYE: All right, Boyce Watkins, Marc Lamont Hill, nice to see you both. Have a nice holiday as well.

WATKINS: A pleasure.

HILL: You, too.

WATKINS: You, too.

KAYE: Still to come, "The Interview." The movie is getting its Christmas Day premiere, it turns out, in some theaters, but it could also be headed to a living room near you. We'll talk about a possible on demand release coming next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: Welcome back.

There may be another gift from Sony in Santa's bag this Christmas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a gift for you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, oh, the dog is killing me in its cuteness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a crazy (ph) cute.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: All right, it's not an adorable little puppy like that one, but Sony hopes that you like it anyway. The studio is reportedly considering an on-demand release of "The Interview." That is good news, of course, for anyone who can't make it to one of the just 263 theaters showing the movie on Christmas Day, and good news for Sony as it tries to make money off its controversial film.

To discuss, I'm joined by CNN'S senior media correspondent and host of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Brian Stelter.

Good morning to you.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

KAYE: So what are you hearing about all this?

STELTER: I think this online distribution plan will come later today. The talks are still going on as we speak. But we know of at least 263 theaters now, that's the new number, where this movie will be shown tomorrow. And then it will open a little more widely on January 1st into another 80 or so.

KAYE: And there's some political reaction as well this morning?

STELTER: Yes, we've actually found something that brings the Democrats and Republicans together. Can you believe it?

KAYE: No.

STELTER: President Obama praised the decision yesterday.

KAYE: Nothing like a good hack to bring everybody together.

STELTER: Seriously, around the holiday decision, too. The president praised this decision. You know, Sony's been in touch with the White House for days now about this. And the Republican National Committee is also coming out saying this is the right decision. Over the weekend, the chair of the RNC sent a letter to all the major theater owners encouraging them, urging them to show the movie, to take a stand against these hackers. And here's the statement we just got from the chair of the RNC saying, "this was the right decision. Anything else would set a horrible precedent and allow our freedom to be ceded to the whims of a totalitarian regime," referring to North Korea there. And then it goes on to say, "it's important that American families are given the freedom to attend the movies or otherwise enjoy time with family and friends in any way they choose."

And that's the point we've heard from others as well. It's not as if everybody has got to go rush out and see this movie now for some patriotic reason.

KAYE: Right.

STELTER: It's just that we should have the option, we just should have the right to see it. We shouldn't be concerned about seeing it or unable to see it because of these hackers' threats.

KAYE: Yes. Brian, stick around, because I want to bring in our next guest here, because we're also hearing from law enforcement source this morning that FBI officers are being asked to reach out to theaters that do plan on showing "The Interview" because of potential threats they may face, including possible hack attacks even. So, joining our discussion now is Paul Brown, who owns the Terrace Theater, which is going to show "The Interview."

Paul, good morning to you. So, have you been in contact with the FBI at all?

PAUL BROWN, OWNER, TERRACE THEATER: Not as of yet, no. But we've taken our own precautions and, you know, we -- ever since the Aurora incident, and even before that, we've, you know, the security at movie theaters has changed, and we feel confident that all will be in place and all will be safe. It's always been a safe theater, it's always been a safe environment and we're confident that that will continue.

KAYE: Brian and I were talking earlier about the film and this on demand release that's being talked about. I mean would you worry about that cutting into your ticket sales at all?

BROWN: You know, we've released movies at our theater that have also been on demand movies and, frankly, you know, people still love to gather and watch movies and nothing is better to gather than a comedy. Nothing lays flatter than a comedy watching by yourself and nothing, you know, excels more than a comedy that's in a group of people. So the laughter's infectious and that stuff doesn't bother us at all.

KAYE: But, Brian, you say -- I mean some of the on demand release could bother some of the bigger chains, right?

STELTER: Yes, some of the bigger chains like AMC and Regal. They've been opposed to this idea for years and that's why there's never been a big movie release in theaters and in living rooms at the same time. This could be the first, if it happens, tomorrow. The concern, of course, is it would hurt ticket sales. That it wouldn't be, as Paul is saying, a special experience anymore to go to the movies. But I think it's probably inevitable. It's just a matter of when it happens. And as one of the theater owner -- one of the big chain owners said to me yesterday, at the end of the day it's just business. You know, if they can make it work financially, they will do it. KAYE: So, Paul, I guess we're both a little curious about your ticket

sales. I mean how are things looking for?

BROWN: I had to hide the phone in the drawer here so it wouldn't stop ringing so we could get a clearer signal for you guys. It's been crazy for the last -- you know, we're a small theater. We're five screens, screens are, you know, a small, intimate staff and we're just trying to handle all the calls and the online sales. It's been great. It's been crazy.

STELTER: Does that mean sold out? Is it sold out?

BROWN: I think, as of this morning, one of the -- we have five shows on Christmas Day. One of them will be sold out. It's in our biggest auditorium. But at least 200 or 300 seats sold yesterday, at least, or if not more, and then, you know, who knows what happened overnight online and all that stuff. I haven't had a chance yet to check it out.

KAYE: Yes.

STELTER: I hope people like it. I mean it's gotten some pretty lousy reviews. So I hope people actually enjoy it.

BROWN: Yes, comedies and stellar reviews sometimes don't go hand in hand. And comedies --

KAYE: That is --

BROWN: Generally sort of low-brow comedies, no offense to the people making the movie, this looks kind of funny and -- but, you know, "Naked Gun" didn't get great reviews or those that are kind of whacky, spoofy movies, they didn't get -- they don't get -- they don't make the movies for the reviewers. They make them for audiences. And what could be better than to gather with sort of like a heightened sense of it, it would be great.

KAYE: That is true. But Sony, of course, obviously, Brian, I mean still concerned about making some money on this film, right? Could it still be profitable given this limited release?

STELTER: Yes, that's why they're not putting it online for free. I mean they could have streamed it on YouTube or on their own website Crackle if they really just wanted to release it any way. They do want to make some money off of this. They'll make at least a few million dollars in these theaters this weekend. And that can start to help recoup the $44 million they spent on it. I think some people will like it, though, even though it's gotten some lousy reviews. The one person we know won't like it is Kim Jong-un.

KAYE: Yes, absolutely. He's not going to be one sitting there with a bowl of popcorn. But, Paul, it sounds like you better make some extra popcorn with five showings and your phone ringing off the hook.

BROWN: Yes, absolutely.

KAYE: So, good luck -- good luck tomorrow. BROWN: A busy Christmas.

KAYE: Good luck tomorrow and Merry Christmas to you.

BROWN: Hope to speak to you afterwards. Thank you.

KAYE: All right, thanks. Paul Brown and Brian Stelter, thank you to you.

Still to come, 2014, the year when sports made bigger headlines off the field. The NFL shield tarnished by scandals, just one of our top ten stories, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Well, we had a stunner in the college basketball world last night, one that included just a little bit of controversy. Brian McFayden has more in this morning's Bleacher Report. Good morning, Brian.

BRIAN MCFAYDEN, BLEACHER REPORT: Good morning, and Merry Christmas, Randi.

Unrarnked UNLV wasn't supposed to hang around with undefeated Arizona, but the Rebels must not have gotten the memo. UNLV traded blows back and forth with third-ranked Wildcats to the very end. And you see this right here -- with nine seconds left, Arizona has the ball. Brandon Ashley misses the three, the three-pointer that would have tied the game. Take another look. Is that goaltending by UNLV's Jelan Kendrick? Doesn't matter. The refs didn't call it. UNLV gets the major upset, 71-67, and the home crowd, they love it.

The University of Michigan football program needs a new coach and current 49ers coach and former Michigan man Jim Harbaugh, well, he is the biggest name being floated around. So what's Michigan's ace in the hole to lure Harbaugh back to Ann Arbor? How about a birthday card? Michigan tweeted out this pic yesterday to their favorite son, wishing him a happy birthday. Will it work? Well, it can't hurt. Harbaugh is reportedly out as the 49ers head coach after this weekend.

These are my favorite type of stories this time of year. NBA star Anthony Davis along Pelicans teammates took 75 kids on a shopping spree at Toys'R'Us in New Orleans. But it didn't take long for the competitive juices to start flowing. You got to see this, Davis, he gets posterized with a mini hoop dunk by a youngster. But Davis, he had his fair share of blocks like this one and that one. Looks like a whole lot of fun for all those that are involved.

And do yourself a favor, don't forget, lots of NBA action tomorrow on Christmas Day. Check out our sister station TNT: they have the Lakers and Bulls at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, followed by Warriors and Clippers at 10:30. Randi?

KAYE: Well, that was a nice little story there. Good block, too, I must say. All right, there you go. Brian, thank you very much. Have a great day. The 2014 sports year will be remembered not just for highlights on the

field but lowlights off it as well. CNN sports anchor Rachel Nichols counts down the top ten stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: This year, sports seemed to touch nearly every corner of American society, dealing with issues way beyond the playing field -- domestic violence, racism, feminism, gay rights. Everywhere you turned, sports was part of the national conversation. Of course, the games were pretty good, too.

(on camera): A 13-year-old Little Leaguer who changed what it means to throw like a girl. Mo'ne Davis became a sensation in August. She's the first girl to ever pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series and the first Little Leaguer of any stripe to make the cover of "Sports Illustrated".

Seattle Seahawks corner Richard Sherman unleashed some legendary trash talk after the NFC championship game, but a backlash, strongly tinged by racism, soon followed.

RICHARD SHERMAN, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS CORNER: For the people who did react that way, and throw the racial slurs and things like that out there, it was really sad. I'm not out there beating on people or committing crimes or getting arrested; I'm playing a football game at a high level.

NICHOLS: But it was Sherman who had the last laugh. The attention earned him millions in new endorsements.

SHERMAN: I love it.

NICHOLS: And a couple weeks later, in the first cold weather outdoor Super Bowl, he and the Seahawks thrashed Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

(on camera): There has been plenty of gay athletes in the four major American sports, but none who has been out while still playing. That changed this year. SEC Defensive Player of the Year Michael Sam came out before the NFL draft. Sam was taken by the Rams. And openly gay basketball player Jason Collins signed with the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets made it to the second round of the playoffs. And then Collins retired.

(voice-over): Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston started his year of an a high note, leading his team to a comeback victory over Auburn in the national championship game. But off the field Winston was a lightning rod for controversy. He was cited for shoplifting crab legs from a grocery store and suspended one game for publicly shouting vulgar language. In December, Winston was the subject of a student conduct hearing investigating allegations he'd sexually assaulted a fellow student two years ago, but the investigation did not find enough evidence to punish Winston.

(on camera): Olympics are not usually known by a hashtag, but even before this year's opening ceremonies, #Sochiproblems became shorthand for everything from shoddy construction to housing shortages to security concerns for Russia's first ever winter games. In the end, the event came off without any big issues, highlighted by a big hockey win for Team USA over Russia.

(voice-over): It had been 29 years since the Kansas City Royals even made the playoffs. With this ball, a scrappy post-season run took them all the way to game seven of the World Series. Unfortunately for Kansas City fans, the only thing hotter than their team was Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, whose legendary performance clinched the championship.

The tapes released by TMZ were shocking -- Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist remarks about his own players as well as NBA legend Magic Johnson. It was a baptism by fire for new Commissioner Adam Silver, but his response was swift and significant, banning Sterling from the league for life and announcing his intention to force Sterling to sell. Sterling fired back.

DONALD STERLING, FORMER LA CLIPPERS OWNER: I think you have more of a plantation mentality than I do. You know, I think you're more of a racist than I am.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: How so?

STERLING: Because I'm not a racist and I've never been a racist and I'll never be a racist.

NICHOLS (voice-over): But the final move belonged to Sterling's estranged wife, Shelley, who sold the team for a record $2 billion.

(on camera): The World Cup stormed into Brazil and while the event was peppered with criticism over construction costs and dismay over the host country's on-field collapse, it was also rife with thrills. Germany was mechanical in its title-winning domination, and Team USA ignited a rarely seen level of soccer fever across the States, advancing out of the Group of Death and making a star out of goaltender Tim Howard.

(voice-over): This was the year of the return of the king. LeBron James came home to Cleveland, the place where just four years earlier fans had been burning his jersey. This time, James was greeted as a hero.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: LBJ is back, baby.

LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: I had dreams about going back home. It's where I bled, it's where I sweat, it's where I cried, it's where I laughed. Still, not even was -- it's right now.

I love you. I'm back.

NICHOLS (voice-over): The NFL spent much of this year fighting to regain its credibility after a series of scandals, after Commissioner Roger Goodell only suspended Ravens running back Ray Rice two games for knocking his wife unconscious. A backlash started to build, exploding after TMZ released an elevator tape of Rice's punch. Goodell's handling of the incident put the commissioner under fire.

ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: I got it wrong in the handling of the Ray Rice matter. And I'm sorry for that.

NICHOLS (voice-over): And then there was the case of Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Again, the league was slow to act after a Texas grand jury indicted Peterson on child abuse charges for his heavy discipline of his four-year-old son.

(on camera): Of course, as the calendar turns to 2015 and the NFL kicks off its playoffs, despite all that's happened, fans will likely still follow each pass, each scramble, with their usual gusto. After all, that's the promise of sports. Even after a difficult stretch, or an exciting stretch, after the highs, the lows, the moments we'll never forget, there's always still a next game, a next quarter, a next year. And we'll all be watching.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And you can catch the "TOP TEN OF 2014" special on CNN Sunday evening at 6:30 Eastern Time.

Well, the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM begins after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)