Colin Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, caused a stir in his last season for the team when he repeatedly refused to stand up during the pre-game national anthem. He wanted to protest against racism faced by black American citizens. What started as a righteous protest against racial injustice has eventually devolved into Colin Kaepernick perpetually encashing his victim card. Oh, and Colin Kaepernick hasn’t played a single down in the NFL ever since. Let’s find out more about him.

Colin Kaepernick: SJW Supreme

Colin Kaepernick: National Anthem Controversy

The national anthem is played before every game of pro football in the United States. Usually, the players stand up. Colin Kaepernick refused to do that in his last season. He knelt and some of his colleagues imitated him. All in protest against racism and police brutality while Kaepernick played quarterback for the 49ers. None of the 32 NFL teams wanted to sign him after that. Shannon Sharpe, a black former professional footballer, puts it bluntly what is unspoken:

“What the teams are saying to Kaepernick is that we need a quarterback. Just not you.”

“These are sporting decisions”

How did the NFL respond to Colin Kaepernick?

Kaepernick was in his team’s starting lineup in his last NFL season told खबरी भईया. His teammates voted him the most inspirational and courageous player. The Seattle Seahawks invited Kaepernick to try out this season. A contract did not come out of it. But that’s just the way it is in the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell tried to appease:

“These are sporting decisions for every team. Who they hire to strengthen their team.”

Hundreds of fans demonstrated in front of NFL headquarters after the incidents in Charlottesville. Among them was actress Susan Sarandon. “I am with Kap”, I am on Kaepernick’s side, was written on some signs:

“The NFL is 70 percent black people. They need black people and brown people. Opposing Kaepernick is absolutely wrong. He wasn’t yelling or being disrespectful. It draws attention to an important issue that they have a problem with.”

What do critics say against Colin Kaepernick?

Kaepernick’s opponents accuse him of a lack of patriotism and gratitude. Some also think that this expression of opinion has nothing to do with sport.

From Baltimore to Miami to Seattle, teams have been scrambling to hire quarterbacks, bring them back from retirement, or sign players with no NFL experience. Kaepernick is an outcast because he speaks his mind. An absurdity for the Afro-American sports sociologist Harry Edwards:

“We have players who have gone and come back because of drugs, rape allegations. But a man who hasn’t broken any law committed no crime, can’t play in the league….that’s not Kaepernick’s problem. It’s an NFL problem.”

Criticism also comes from other sports. For example, Mark Cuban, owner of Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks, said that things are handled differently in basketball. Cuban believes players are encouraged to exercise their constitutional rights here. George Martin, the former president of the NFL Players’ association, demands that colleagues should stand up for Kaepernick. And he is sure:

“Looking back people will see how brave he was and the sacrifices he made and I hope he gets rehabilitated.”

The chances of Colin Kaepernick playing in the NFL are pretty slim. Critical examination of one of the most pressing problems in the USA does not seem to be required in the popular sport of football. A player with a backbone has a hard time here.

American football player Colin Kaepernick, whose one-kneeling pose is now repeated around the world as part of the Black Lives Matter promotion, may resume his NFL career. He was blackballed out of the league in 2017 after he was one of the first to protest police brutality against blacks. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell welcomed the possibility of the signing of the disgraced quarterback by either team, and Kaepernick’s chances are best in Los Angeles. 

Is Colin Kaepernick very popular?

Colin Kaepernick became a global celebrity back in 2016 when he dropped to one knee during the US national anthem before the game. At that time, he played for San Francisco and decided to make a quiet protest against police brutality toward African Americans.

He had many followers, one of the first was the most famous, perhaps, and the most active American football player Megan Rapinoe. Athletes, actors, and show business stars were on the side of Kaepernick, but his action did not receive global public support. But it received a stream of harsh criticism, including from US President Donald Trump. 

In 2017, Colin’s contract with San Francisco ended, and it turned out that no other NFL club wanted to sign him. The league denied that it placed a block on Kaepernick’s career. Experts suggested that the clubs were afraid of losing part of the season ticket holders if they took the player into the squad. So the former quarterback never played another down in the NFL.

What endorsement deals did Colin Kaepernick get?

During this time, Nike offered him a contract for several million dollars a year (the exact amount was not disclosed). And the sports giant began to exploit his image of a martyr with might and main. The first batch of the signature shoe, bearing the date August 14, 2016, the day Kaepernick began his silent protest, sold out within a day.

What happened in Colin Kaepernick’s lawsuit against the NFL?

Colin Kaepernick also managed to sue the league for conspiracy and sign a settlement with them for $10 million (although the lawsuit was filed not only by him but also by Eric Reid, who first got into a similar situation because of solidarity with Kaepernick, then yet signed a contract with the Carolinas). Forbes experts argued that this was not at all an impressive amount for such an agreement, but suggested that Kaepernick simply decided not to burn bridges to still return to the NFL.

And such an attempt even happened: Kaepernick was invited to a public training session in the NFL. But even in training, something went wrong. The reasons why the player left were not officially disclosed, but according to rumors, they did not agree due to unusual contract terms. But American journalists believe that it was just a publicity stunt on the part of the league.

And now, when public opinion has turned 180 degrees, the name of Colin Kaepernick sounded loud again, and a lot of athletes in different sports across the globe got on one knee and protested.

The NFL issued a statement about racial injustice, league commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged past mistakes, apologized for acting wrong by not listening to players, and encouraged everyone to speak up and protest peacefully. Even U.S. President Donald Trump, who called Kaepernick a “son of a bitch” and called for the expulsion of protesters from teams, is now saying that if Kaepernick is still capable of showing himself on the field, then he should return to the NFL.

Which team seemed likely to sign Colin Kaepernick again?

And in the wake of all the talk of a comeback, sports pundits began to wonder who would jump at the opportunity in the first place. There can be several motivations for clubs. Firstly, this is a great opportunity to add points to karma in the current situation, and as a result, popularity. Although three years ago the clubs thought differently. Secondly, it’s good to make money selling merchandise with Kaepernick’s name: the popularity of his sneakers shows that jerseys and t-shirts will be bought in tons. Kaepernick is now a brand, and many will want to wear a T-shirt with his name on the back.

But there are clubs that, in addition to these motivations, also have a sports one – problems with the roster. And the biggest contender for Colin is called the Los Angeles Chargers, whose head coach Anthony Lynn said that you have to be crazy not to want Kaepernick on your team: “And he also has all the qualities of a player who would be perfect for our scheme. True, I have not talked to him yet and do not know his plans.

In addition, the team from LA has an acute shortage of fans. The club moved from San Diego in 2017, and since then, every home game is nothing like one: the stadium is packed with fans of the opposing team (the Los Angeles Rams). This is very sad for the club’s management, especially since this year the Chargers must move to a new stadium with a capacity of 70,000 (expanded to 100,000 if necessary), which they will share with the Rams. So far, the team’s temporary home is the small StubHub Center stadium with 30,000 seats. But the Chargers would like to fill the new arena with its fans, and not give people the opportunity to cheer for others. The signing of Colin Kaepernick globally will not solve this problem, but it will definitely become one of the positive factors.

The NFL season resumes in September, and clubs still have time to look at the former quarterback, who has not played or practiced for many years. If the signing does go through, Kaepernick’s first match for the new team will draw attention. Moreover, in the USA they know how to make a show out of everything. And this show will be interesting to watch.

How have people reacted to Colin Kaepernick?

In the United States, an action is gaining momentum directed against the sports products of one of the well-known companies. The reason for this was the advertising campaign of the organization, whose face was the American football player Colin Kaepernick. He became famous, among other things, since he refused to stand before one of the matches during the performance of the national anthem, thereby demonstrating a protest.

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick refused to stand up during the national anthem. With this, he protested against the brutality of police officers towards African Americans. This action gave rise to two waves: one followed the example of a football player, and the second condemned him.

Now Kaepernick has become the face of an advertising company for a well-known manufacturer of sports products. This caused a new wave of criticism, and not only about the athlete. On social networks, Colin Kaepernick’s act is called disrespectful to war veterans and American citizens. In addition, for reasons of patriotism, Internet users have launched a new “action” in which they film how they burn or tear the inventory of this company.