Colin Kaepernick: Hypocrisy and Injustice in One of America's Most Wealthy Industries
It's the one thing that no one wants to talk about, but it's our biggest problem.
On August 14th and 20th of 2016, Colin Kaepernick, then-quarterback for San Francisco sits during the national anthem. In this first silent protest, he does not garner any attention because he does not dress or play in either game. On August 26th he continues to sit on the bench during the anthem, this time, however, a photo is taken of the sideline during the anthem. After the game, when questioned by reporters about his motivation to stay seated during the anthem, Colin responded saying,
"I'm going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me, this is something that has to change. When there's significant change and I feel that flag represents what it's supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it's supposed to, I'll stand."
This triggered a firestorm of coverage directed at the 49ers quarterback as well as a heated debate over the nature of his protest. While some lauded Colin for using his notoriety to bring attention to a marginalized group of people, others called his actions "unpatriotic" or "disrespectful". In response this criticism, Colin sought the help of former Green Beret and Seattle Seahawks long snapper Chris Boyer. After their meeting, Colin began kneeling during the anthem, rather than sitting on the bench, out of respect for the veterans and current military personnel.
This conversation about responsibility as a figurehead and race in America continued throughout the season and into the postseason when Kaepernick decided to decline San Francisco's contract offer in favor of becoming a free agent. Similar protests inspired by Colin continued into the 2017 season even after Colin remain controversially unsigned by any team in the NFL (even though many would find themselves in dire need of a serviceable quarterback as the injury-filled season progressed).
For much of the season, these demonstrations didn't spur as much conflict or conversation as the previous season's, until the President of the United States, Donald Trump, came after the athletes who were kneeling or sitting during the anthem. President Trump even went as far as calling out NFL owners, demanding that when they see a demonstration during the anthem, "to get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he's fired." This garnered a huge response by NFL owners and players the next Sunday when multiple teams decided that they would lock arms during the anthem or stay in the locker room during the anthem.
While teams stood in solidarity against the president's comments, the original message of Colin Kaepernick's protest was lost.
Though NFL team ownership finally started to take action alongside their players, it was for the wrong reason. Kaepernick didn't kneel in protest of the anthem or the flag or the President. He knelt because of the disproportionate amount of unarmed people of color being shot and killed in the United States. That's the conversation no one wants to have. It has never been about the flag, the anthem, or the military, yet some remain willfully ignorant about Colin's true intentions The conversation was changed into something it is not and Colin remained vigilant and continued to kneel despite criticism and uncertainty with his job.
The season has passed with the Super Bowl looming in the near future and Kaepernick still remains unsigned, seemingly exiled from the league. As quarterback openings continue to be filled by players of a much lower statistical caliber than Colin, it becomes increasingly difficult to characterize the decision-making of NFL ownership as anything other than politically and socially motivated.
Back in July, after Baltimore Raven's head coach John Harbaugh floated the former-49ers quarterback as the organization's leading choice to replace the then-injured Flacco, it seemed like Colin might actually find a roster spot before the 2017 season began. However, the suspicions of many, as of yet unconfirmed by closed-door dealings, were validated when it was reported that Steve Bisciotti, the owner of the team, had blocked the deal. Some in the ownership of Baltimore and beyond say that Kaepernick remains jobless this year because he is a "distraction", Ray Rice blames his girlfriend's Twitter account, and Michael Vick thinks it's because he "Needs to get a haircut".
The fact is, NFL owners do not want Colin Kaepernick on their roster, even though he is demonstrably better than most backup quarterbacks and some starters. It is abundantly clear that NFL owners have not prioritized winning over their own personal image or ticket sales when dealing with Colin. I find it personally insulting, as a fan of the sport, to see the business leaders of the NFL and even the president, try to silence a player speaking out on something he believes is important. The owners even while appearing to show solidarity with their players this season have successfully changed the subject, with the help of politicized media, into a conversation about respecting the flag when it is not.
They fooled their players into thinking they were supported when they all knelt or stood with locked arms for one week.
One week later the 32 owners made it very clear again, this league is about the NFL brand and the sponsors, and not about the players. Just one week after their powerful display of solidarity, each NFL owner fell in lockstep with the sentiment of the president's comments. Even Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, has objected to Colin playing on the grounds of morality, after allowing abusers like Greg Hardy to take the field. Many owners, including Jones, threatened to bench players that protested police violence by kneeling during the anthem. By doing so, they validated the comments from a president who calls an NFL player a son of a bitch as easily as he calls a group of Charlottesville white supremacists protesters "that were very fine people". It's unsurprising that most of the billionaire owners in sports identify more with the uber-rich Commander-in-Chief than those fighting for accountability in law enforcement. What is surprising is that these same owners will happily accept praise for kneeling next to players that they will excoriate on radio programs the very next day.
Colin's situation has shown that injustices reach everyone regardless of wealth or status. He should be praised for the work he has done in his community through charity and has sacrificed everything for something he believes in. President Trump, Jerry Jones, and others who hold powerful positions and extensive wealth should consider being more like Colin Kaepernick: be thankful for all that you have, but use your fortune to help those who are less fortunate. Hopefully, through time the NFL owners will rise to the challenge and take on racial injustice instead of hiding behing sponsers and money.
Illustration by Cameron Frazier
