It all started as a leisurely sit on the bench. Gradually, it went on to become a kneel on the sideline. This simple gesture became a something of a shot heard around the world. The person responsible for this (or guilty party in some people’s eyes) would be none other than former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. If you recall, Mr. Kaepernick made a conscious decision before the start of last season to openly protest police brutality and other crimes against Black men by not standing during the pre-game “Star-Spangled Banner” performances. Naturally, the decision to silently and peacefully protest the national anthem created quite stir among the NFL and fans at large.
To some, Colin’s act of protest is viewed as justified and heroic. For some others, it’s viewed as unpatriotic and an act of defiance.
https://twitter.com/LadyDoc4Trump/status/843620095045894145
https://twitter.com/TheMarkRomano/status/843263248375975940
RETWEET if you're glad Colin Kaepernick can't get a job in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/ZEArTCQzcM
— Ben Owen🇺🇸 (@hrkbenowen) March 20, 2017
It’s really easy to talk when one hides behind a keyboard. Tweets like this puzzle me, and to a greater extent bother me. But none more so than this one…
POTUS says NFL teams won't sign Colin Kaepernick because they "don't want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump." https://t.co/vaIZSvLSqP pic.twitter.com/xTp7GdNIfL
— ABC News (@ABC) March 21, 2017
This was the soundbite from President Donald Trump’s rally in Kentucky last Monday night. I don’t want this to turn into anything political, but those words resonated with me. It may or may not be true that NFL owners are afraid of a backlash from the President. But at the same time, why hasn’t he been signed, or at the very least been asked to meet with prospective teams? It’s only been a few years since Kaepernick lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, and yet no one wants to touch him. To me, this sounds like the very definition of being blackballed.
Going back to Donald Trump, this is a guy that has zero shame in what he’s done or is doing. His comments regarding Keapernick were bush league, juvenile, and hypocritical. This was a man who during his campaign vowed to bring more jobs back to the USA and create even more jobs. Yet here he is essentially gloating that a 29 year old quarterback can’t find a job. Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, a former rival of Colin’s, is known for speaking his mind, and he weighed in on the situation earlier this week as well.
Richard Sherman thinks Colin Kaepernick is being treated unfairly by NFL teams.https://t.co/YfESgbP4Z8 pic.twitter.com/zhItPip30J
— ESPN (@espn) March 24, 2017
"At his best, he would be a starter on probably 20 of the teams in this league."
–@RSherman_25 on @Kaepernick7 https://t.co/f86ON2KyOU
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 24, 2017
Now mind you, the last couple of seasons haven’t been great for Colin. This, in my opinion by and large, was due to the departure of former coach Jim Harbaugh, who was Colin’s biggest supporter while he was in San Francisco. But still and all, it speaks volumes that NFL owners continue to give chances to athletes who have proven to be malcontents. Hell, Jerry Jones of all people took a chance on Greg Hardy, and he’s considered by many fans to be as low as you can go. Or how about the chances given to Johnny Manziel before he was finally released?
So #ColinKaepernick is a embarrassment to NFL for exercising his 1st amendment but NFL isn't embarrassed about abused or sexual assault
— Mariaaaaaa (@rembertm98) March 21, 2017
Forgive me for bombarding you with all the tweets. But this couldn’t be made up even if I tried. I’ve stated earlier in the season that I didn’t have a problem with his protest, but in his position maybe would’ve done it differently. But I must be honest, until Colin took the position he took, I was unaware of the rest of the stanza that’s in the “Star-Spangled Banner”. I won’t get into here, but you should look it up, then let me know if you still feel patriotic in regards to its lyrics. Oh, and then there’s the donations that Colin has made to various charities and helping countries like Somalia. Isn’t that something that the NFL prides itself on as well?
Richard Sherman was right in saying that at his best, Colin Kaepernick is better than quite a few of the current starting quarterbacks in the league. Now, I do feel that Colin was hypocritical in saying that he would stand for the anthem next season, and I get it, he wants a job. But it you believe in something with your heart of hearts, then stand by them. Regardless of how you feel about him, this man deserves an opportunity to do what he does, and it’s a damn shame that NFL owners won’t stand up and support his efforts on and off the field. Good luck, Colin, and my hat’s off to you. Hopefully, some NFL team will feel the same.
