Colin Kaepernick Sits Through National Anthem Last Night

I saw this today re Kaepernick's charitable giving:

-60 Tons of food to Somalia
-$1Million to #BLM
-$50K to Meals on Wheels
-$50K to #StandingRock

I'll take him over pretty much every GOP politician out there. (I still respect a few of them, mostly ones who themselves were swept out of office in the Tea Party and populist frenzy.)

regdog said:

Typical of the NFL. Manziel beat his girlfriend, rupturing her eardrum and threatening her life, but hey, let's portray him as the victim.

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And, just for fun, today's NFL news features a rumor that the New Orleans Saints are considering signing Manziel as a backup quarterback for their star, Drew Brees. The very concept that Manziel could be considered over Kaepernick is a complete joke, if only for straightforward talent reasons. Add Manziel's history of personal behavior, and it becomes a very very bad joke.

caw

I don't know much about sports, but I'm thinking Kaepernick would do better to find another line of work, one where he'd be better appreciated; he's clearly not the kind of thug the NFL wants in a helmet.

regdog said:

Typical of the NFL. Manziel beat his girlfriend, rupturing her eardrum and threatening her life, but hey, let's portray him as the victim.

Link

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blacbird said:

And, just for fun, today's NFL news features a rumor that the New Orleans Saints are considering signing Manziel as a backup quarterback for their star, Drew Brees. The very concept that Manziel could be considered over Kaepernick is a complete joke, if only for straightforward talent reasons. Add Manziel's history of personal behavior, and it becomes a very very bad joke.

caw

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Yeah, but it's a joke where scrubs like Mark Sanchez, Mike Glennon, Brian Hoyer, E.J. Manuel, Geno Smith and Josh McCown will be playing in the NFL while Colin Kaepernick is not. They can't even pretend it's because he's a cancer in the locker room or he didn't put up better numbers than those guys or name brands like Eli Manning.







That's how blackballing a player works. They don't even have to try and hide it.

Heh...

Colin Kaepernick has been named one of the world's most influential people.

Time magazine placed the quarterback on its prestigious list of the planet's 100 most influential individuals of 2017, which was revealed Thursday. Kaepernick, who sparked a national conversation about race, social inequality and activism through his decision not to stand during the playing of the national anthem during NFL games, was placed in the Icons subcategory alongside names like U.S. Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons and pioneering actress Viola Davis.

Kaepernick's magazine blurb was written by his former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who stated Kaepernick "boldly and courageously confronted perceived inequalities in our social-justice system." He credited Kaepernick with standing alone in his endeavor at first when the vitriol was at its height.

"How lucky for us all and for our country to have among our citizens someone as remarkable as Colin Kaepernick," Harbaugh wrote.

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Being named one of Most Influential People in the world is a nice honor, but it won't land Kaepernick a NFL job the way it has so many others, but that's the way it in a league where killers, gang-bangers, rapists, women-beaters, thieves, gamblers, alcoholics, and other flotsam and jetsam are welcomed with open arms, but an Afrolicious QB who took a knee is too offensive for the delicate psyches of the NFL.

I keep hoping the Seahawks will pick him up. He's still wanting starter money, but we don't have a back up now that ours has been arrested twice for old warrants. I hope he'll decide to take less for a year or two. I think he'd fit in the locker room, even though he kicked our asses as The Enemy more than once. We have some pretty outspoken players who backed his protest--Michael Bennett most of all--who would pave his way, I think, and Pete Carroll has a way of letting the guys be themselves. I'm rooting for him, and I never thought I would.

ElaineA said:

I keep hoping the Seahawks will pick him up. He's still wanting starter money, but we don't have a back up now that ours has been arrested twice for old warrants. I hope he'll decide to take less for a year or two. I think he'd fit in the locker room, even though he kicked our asses as The Enemy more than once. We have some pretty outspoken players who backed his protest--Michael Bennett most of all--who would pave his way, I think, and Pete Carroll has a way of letting the guys be themselves. I'm rooting for him, and I never thought I would.

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As am I, and I'm also rooting for Kaepernick to land with the Seahawks. I think he would be a good fit in their system and his skill set is similar to Russel Wilson, though not as developed. Kap wouldn't be a starter there, but he'd be a capable backup and get the bonus of sticking it to the 49ers twice a season. What's not to like?

Speaking of outspoken players, one Seahawk who Kapernick has done a lot to make a superstar by tossing interceptions his way, Richard Sherman, has his own take on why this nemesis doesn't have a job.

Richard Sherman believes that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is being blackballed by NFL teams during free agency, according to ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia.

Sherman was asked if he believed that was the case on ESPN's First Take.

"I'm sure he is," Sherman said. "It's difficult to see because he's played at such a high level, and you see guys, quarterbacks, who have never played at a high level being signed by teams. So it's difficult to understand. Obviously he's going to be in a backup role at this point. But you see quarterbacks, there was a year Matt Schaub had a pretty rough year and got signed the next year. So it has nothing to do with football. You can see that. They signed guys who have had off years before."

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To underscore Sherman's point, Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall flat out declared, "He's (Kaepernick) better than every QB that got signed in free agency."

Among the quarterbacks signed in the NFL's free agent period are game-changing superstars such as Mike Glennon, Brian Hoyer, Geno Smith, Josh McCown, Nick Foles, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray, Matt McGloin, and Matt Barkley, and I'd say that pretty much makes Marshall and Sherman's case.

Major League Baseball needs someone like Colin Kaepernick, not to protest "The National Anthem," but the redundant, often badly sung versions of "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch. I have two objections to "God Bless America." First, it's a throwback to the 9/11 mindset. Second, the ritual glorifies the military state. I am all for helping veterans with medical and other necessary items such as housing, but the obligatory "thank you for your service"--extended through "God Bless America"--sets apart the military from other segments of American Societ. Why should military personnel serving at home and abroad be honored more than others--doctors, nurces, teachers, police, fire fighters, the person who checks out our groceries, or waits on our table at our favorite restaurant. In short, everyone (including stay-at-home moms and pops) provides a service.

I had hoped "God Bless America" would disappear with the retirement of Commissioner Bud Seelig, but alas it was not to be.

The aticle linked below, is a year old, but the case it makes for retirement of "God Bless America" is still valid. It's a new baseball season with the same worn thin seventh inning stretch.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...ly-retire-god-bless-america-article-1.2693228

Kaepernick was reported to be "working out" for the Seattle Seahawks, but apparently he was only "visiting" the team. Yeah, whatever.

Meanwhile, Saints QB Drew Brees is sure there is no blackballing of Kaeperinick.

"He is certainly good enough," Brees said Friday, according to FanSided's Mark Carman. "I don't think it's a situation where he is being blackballed. I'm sure there are offers being made to him. It's just a matter of him choosing the right opportunity."

Brees also said he would have no issue with the Saints bringing Kaepernick aboard if the front office decided he could help the team.

"Whatever decisions our team makes, those are in the best interest of the team, so if that was the case, then yeah, I would embrace it," he said.

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This has all been one big sham on the part of the NFL.

Mike Florio is a hack. I haven't seen him post an accurate piece on Seattle in years. There isn't an intact coaching staff or front office that knows Kaepernick better than Seattle's. They don't have to put him through his paces. They have been burned by his upsides and exploited his downsides for years. Carroll probably knew what Kaep was up to in college, too.

An interesting side-plot. The Seattle Times ran a poll of who "fans" think should be the back up, and Kaepernick won overwhelmingly. Effectively 56% of the vote. Next closest was 17%. Totally unscientific and self-selected, but still interesting. I've seen a lot of pushback about the Hawks signing Kaep on social media, most of it relating to his "disrespect," little of it related to his limitations as a QB, so the poll results caught me by surprise.

nighttimer said:

Kaepernick was reported to be "working out" for the Seattle Seahawks, but apparently he was only "visiting" the team. Yeah, whatever.

Meanwhile, Saints QB Drew Brees is sure there is no blackballing of Kaeperinick.

This has all been one big sham on the part of the NFL.

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It's a dual situation.

No team is eager to deal with Kaepernick's political activism, that's for sure. But if he were a Tom Brady or even a Drew Brees, you can bet that teams would be calling.

He could have put his girlfriend in the hospital or run over somebody while driving drunk, and they'd still scramble to get someone they thought could put them in the Super Bowl.

It's not just that he's an activist. He's an activist who has not demonstrated his ability to significantly improve a team. Superstars get to say anything they want. Backup players – not so much.

However, he might get some love from Seattle Coach Pete Carroll. Carroll was a critic of the prosecution of the Iraq war, is no fan of government, and has been sympathetic at least to the 9/11 truther movement. Kaepernick might be the perfect fit for him.

ElaineA said:

Mike Florio is a hack. I haven't seen him post an accurate piece on Seattle in years. There isn't an intact coaching staff or front office that knows Kaepernick better than Seattle's. They don't have to put him through his paces. They have been burned by his upsides and exploited his downsides for years. Carroll probably knew what Kaep was up to in college, too.

An interesting side-plot. The Seattle Times ran a poll of who "fans" think should be the back up, and Kaepernick won overwhelmingly. Effectively 56% of the vote. Next closest was 17%. Totally unscientific and self-selected, but still interesting. I've seen a lot of pushback about the Hawks signing Kaep on social media, most of it relating to his "disrespect," little of it related to his limitations as a QB, so the poll results caught me by surprise.

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Mike Florio is a hack, but his site, Pro Football Talk, has been beating a loud drum with articles promoting Colin Kaepernick continued employment in the NFL, so I'll give Florio credit for being on the right side of history.

As far as "social" media goes on whether or not the Seahawks should sign Kap, I tend not to waste my beautiful mind reading the comments posted by trolls, bigots, alt-Right types, morons and fools. Social media and comment section attract those low-lives like cow pies attract flies.

rugcat said:

It's a dual situation.

No team is eager to deal with Kaepernick's political activism, that's for sure. But if he were a Tom Brady or even a Drew Brees, you can bet that teams would be calling.

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Yes, but there aren't that many Brady or Brees types to begin with because if there were those two guys wouldn't still be starting quarterbacks as they creep up on their fourth decade of life.

rugcat said:

He could have put his girlfriend in the hospital or run over somebody while driving drunk, and they'd still scramble to get someone they thought could put them in the Super Bowl.

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Oh, to be sure. Because taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem in an act of peaceful protest against police brutality is so much more unforgivable than punching out a woman and breaking her jaw.

rugcat said:

It's not just that he's an activist. He's an activist who has not demonstrated his ability to significantly improve a team. Superstars get to say anything they want. Backup players – not so much.

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Superstars you say? Mike Glennon will receive $45 million for the next three seasons to quarterback the hapless Chicago Bears and takes home $16 million this season guaranteed. Glennon, a backup for Jameis Winston, (another player with a history of assault and bad behavior) has thrown 11 passes in the last two seasons.

Glennon replaces both Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley, two career scrubs who will now be leading the San Francisco 49ers to another losing season, but they're both gainfully employed in the NFL. Same as Nick Foles, Josh McCown, Landry Jones, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Josh Johnson, E.J. Manuel, Kellen Moore, Aaron Murray, Chase Daniel, Case Keenum, David Fales, T.J. Yates, Matt McGloin, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Blaine Fucking Gabbert, last season's starter for the 49ers who lost his job to one Colin Rand Kaepernick.

As a starter, none of those guys have even sniffed a Super Bowl as a starter or won an NFC Championship. The truth of the matter is, Kaepernick performed pretty well in 2016 on a dogshit team with it's third head coach in as many years, throwing footballs to receiving zeroes like Rod Streater, Quinton Patton and Jerome Kerley.

Pardon my analysis, but a quarterback whose interception ratio was among the lowest in 2016, right up there with Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, and has career numbers of 12,271 yards to go along with 72 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions, and rushed for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns has a place somewhere among the 64 starting and backup QB's in the NFL.

The only reason Kaepernick doesn't have a job in a talent-starved league is because he dared to act uppity and take a stand on something more important than pro football and putting Black lives ahead of green money is an unforgivable sin in the NFL.

rugcat said:

However, he might get some love from Seattle Coach Pete Carroll. Carroll was a critic of the prosecution of the Iraq war, is no fan of government, and has been sympathetic at least to the 9/11 truther movement. Kaepernick might be the perfect fit for him.

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That's possible, but the best reason why Kaepernick might be the perfect fit for Pete Carroll is his preference for athletic quarterbacks who work well in Seattle's system and the current dope with the job was arrested twice within two weeks.

Wanna talk about Kaepernick's criminal record?



Wanna talk about it some more?

There is no lack of purely football-related reasons to justify Kaepernick landing a roster spot. The political ones are important only to those who don't want him to.

Finally, some advice to Colin Kaepernick from someone with a level head on their shoulders.

“First thing we gotta get Colin to do is cut his hair,” Vick said Monday on FS1’s “Speak For Yourself.”

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http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-vick-kaepernick-haircut-20170718-story.html

My own advice to Kaepernick if he wants to get back into the NFL would be to start a rescue shelter for abused fighting dogs.

Somebody Come Get Mike Vick!

Michael Vick giving Colin Kaepernick advice on how to rehab his image is like Donald Trump teaching a class on sexual harassment.

I don't know what happened to make Vick as soft as pudding, but he definitely is playing the shufflin' House Negro role to the hilt.

"The first thing we got to get Colin to do is cut his hair. Listen, I'm not up here to try to be politically correct, but even if he puts cornrows in it, I don't think he should represent himself in that way in terms of just a hairstyle. Just go clean cut. Why not? You're already dealing with a lot of controversy surrounding this issue. What he needs to do is just try to be presentable."

During his final years with the Atlanta Falcons, Vick had his hair in cornrows. When he returned from his two-year prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring, Vick's cornrows were gone. But Vick committed crimes. Kaepernick simply protested a social issue that was important to him.

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If only he'd bust down his 'fro and put on a nice suit and show off dem pearly whites, why Colin would have a NFL gig in a New York minute according to Scratchin' Where I Don't Itch Mike Vick.

A dude who was busted for dog fighting and went to prison for two years is now offering a guy who broke no laws and took a knee to protest police brutality, now has the elephant balls to offer Kaepernick advice? Damn, if only Colin would rape somebody, body slam his girlfriend or throw here out a window, smoke some kush or torture a few pit bulls, he'd have NFL teams lining up to sign him.

Coonin' and sucking up to Massa Goodell ain't gonna get you a job even as a third-string scrub, Mike. Instead of Kaepernick cutting his hair, you should grow a pair.

nighttimer said:

Connin' and sucking up to Massa Goodell ain't gonna get you a job even as a third-string scrub, Mike. Instead of Kaepernick cutting his hair, you should grow a pair.

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Except that it did.

Of course, Michael Vick deserved a second chance. All he did was commit a felony and torture dogs. But he was able to demonstrate he was truly remorseful by cutting his hair and putting on some nice clothes.

Not only will Kaepernick not say he's sorry for the hideous action of kneeling during the national anthem, he's flaunting his disobedience by letting his hair grow.

If NFL players had any guts at all, every quarterback on every team would kneel down during the anthem in solidarity for a member of their club that's getting royally screwed.

Except Tom Brady, of course.

Black hair has long been a problem, but not just for Black people. Some White folks have a problem with it too and some of them own NFL teams.

But as D.L. Hughley said quoting Marvin Gaye, "Who are they to judge us just because our hair is long?"

I hate to keep resurrecting this thread, but I just can't help myself.

Colin Kaepernick is reportedly being considered by the Baltimore Ravens. And after advice from Michael Vick, the latest is from Ray Lewis -- keep quiet.

"The football field is our sanctuary," Lewis said. "If you do nothing else, young man, get back on the football field and let your play speak for itself. And what you do off the field, don't let too many people know, because they gonna judge you anyway, no matter what you do, no matter if it's good or bad."

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http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20220205/ray-lewis-advises-colin-kaepernick-keep-activism-private

And if anyone should know the value of keeping your mouth shut, it's Ray Lewis.

Only Lewis pleaded guilty in relation to the case: for obstruction of justice, a misdemeanor. He originally was charged with two counts of murder but struck a deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony against two of his companions that night, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting.
Lewis never directly linked his two friends to the killings, and they were acquitted. Lewis had testified that Oakley, Sweeting and another man had gone to a sporting goods store the previous day to buy knives. Baker's blood later was found in Lewis' limo. Having fled the crime scene, Lewis told the limo's passengers to "keep their mouths shut."The white suit Lewis was wearing that night — on Super Bowl Sunday — never was found . . .

. . . For his punishment, Lewis received one year of probation and a $250,000 fine by the NFL.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...baltimore-ravens-atlanta-murder-2000/1566198/

Ray Lewis went on to become an icon and a revered figure for many of the Baltimore Raven's fans. The Ravens, figuring the fine levied by the NFL was sufficient punishment, never suspended Lewis for even one game.

See? Just stick to football and you'll be just fine. I mean, it's not like he did something unforgivable, like kneeling during the national anthem.

Supposedly, despite John Harbaugh (the coach), Ozzie Newsome (the GM) and Terrell Suggs (the team's best player) all saying they would welcome Kaepernick, Steve Biscotti (the owner) isn't sure he wants to pull the trigger and sign the free agent QB despite having nothing but hot garbage as backups to starter Joe Flacco.

How absurd the Blackballing of Colin Kaepernick become? Let's put it this way. There's a former NFL quarterback named Jared Lorenzen. He had a cup of coffee with the Giants as Eli Manning's scrub clipboard carrier. Lorenzen was known as "the Hefty Lefty" and "The Pillsburgy Throwboy."

Jared now weighs over 500 pounds. He wants to drop some of that lard and EVEN NOW, Lorenzen probably has a better shot at playing in the NFL than Kaepernick.

RedRajah said:

https://slate.com/sports/2017/08/co...-cost-him-his-job-but-started-a-movement.html

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An interesting piece, RR. Thanks for sharing.

Here's another interesting development.

NEW YORK (AP) A former New York City police officer, whose claims of police corruption in the 1970s were chronicled in an Al Pacino movie, joined dozens of current and former officers Saturday at a rally in support of getting quarterback Colin Kaepernick a job in the National Football League.

The former San Francisco 49ers player became a controversial figure last year after he refused to stand for the national anthem in what he called a protest against oppression of people of color.

He opted out of his contract in March and became a free agent, but so far, no NFL teams have signed him for the upcoming season.

The gathering in Brooklyn featured about 75 mostly minority officers wearing black T-shirts reading ''(hash)imwithkap.''

One exception was retired officer Frank Serpico, whose exploits were featured in the 1973 film, ''Serpico.''

He admitted not being a football fan, but said he felt it was important to support Kaepernick for his stance.

''He's trying to hold up this government up to our founding fathers,'' said the now 81-year-old Serpico.

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Another article about the rally nighttimer posted above. Serpico only gets a mention in this piece, but more heavily features other officers I would quote if I could ever figure out how to cut and paste from the New York Times.

[h=3]Browns Players Kneel and Pray During National Anthem in Largest Such NFL Protest to Date[/h]

RedRajah said:

Browns Players Kneel and Pray During National Anthem in Largest Such NFL Protest to Date

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What was most noteworthy about the Browns action was these protests have been exclusively Black players engaged in it. Eagles defensive end Chris Long put his hand on the shoulder of teammate Malcolm Jenkins while he raised a clenched fist and a few other White players have made gestures to show solidarity.

Browns tight end Seth DeValve is the first White player to kneel during the national anthem. Shout out to Seth.

Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the NFL's shadow commissioner, ain't digging these protests at all, y'all.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday came out strongly against the continued practice of NFL players protesting the national anthem before games.

“I just feel so strongly that the act of recognizing the flag is a salute to our country and all of the people that have sacrificed so that we can have the liberties we have,” Jones said, as transcribed by The Dallas Morning News. “I feel very strongly that everyone should save that moment for the recognition of the flag in a positive way, so I like the way the Cowboys do it.”


Jones’ stand against anthem protests echoes the opinions expressed last week by Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, who referred to the anthem and the flag as “sacred.”


The Cowboys owner also reinforced his own comments from last season when he referred to the protests as “disappointing.”


The protests of course were spawned by Colin Kaepernick after he began kneeling during “The Star-Spangled Banner” last season. Other players followed suit and the practice has continued this NFL preseason, with players such as Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett and Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch, among others, continuing the trend.


The protest took another step in turning into a full-fledged movement Monday night when 12 Cleveland Browns players knelt during the anthem as five others stood nearby in a show of solidarity ahead of the team’s exhibition match-up against the New York Giants.

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Guess we can cross off Dallas as a potential landing spot for Colin Kaepernick. This despite the fact that Tony Romo is retired and the backup quarterback situation with the Cowboys sucks.

I never seem to run out of reasons to despise Dallas. Thanks, Jerry for making sure of it.

[h=1]"He Doesn’t Fit the System"[/h]