Kaepernick enjoying post Super Bowl celebrity

Colin Kaepernick still doesn’t have a job and there’s only one man to blame, Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick is a free agent quarterback who last played for the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers drafted Kaepernick back in 2011 out of the University of Nevada. The height of Kaepernick’s run as the Niners quarterback came in the 2012 NFL season when he led his team to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.  The team fell short of its championship goal, losing 31-34 to the Baltimore Ravens but Kaepernick put the world on notice that he was a rising star.  Even after receiving all the attention a super bowl appearance brings about, Kaepernick’s profile was raised to new heights during the 2016 NFL season when he decided to initiate a protest that would grab the attention of not only sports fans but America as a whole. 

During the 2016 NFL season, Kaepernick decided to kneel during the playing of the national anthem that takes place prior to every game. The anthem pre-game ceremony has been a staple at sporting events for as long as I can remember. In fact, you can find betting odds on how long the singer will take to belt out the star-spangled banner. When asked why Kaepernick decided not to stand he said “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder”. Colin was referencing a number of police involved shootings across the country that received national attention for their sketchy details. Colin’s protest became a national topic of discussion and understandably so. The United States flag and national anthem are sacred symbols to so many. Many view Kaepernick’s actions as disrespectful to the country and its military. One NFL executive was quoted as calling Kap “a traitor”. Kaepernick went on to protest throughout the 2016 season. In March 2017, Kaepernick said he would no longer protest the national anthem because he believes the protest did its job by sparking a national discussion about social inequality. Kaepernick also opted out of his contract with the 49ers and decided to become a free agent.

Its June 2017, most viable NFL free agents have signed new contracts except Colin Kaepernick and I believe he is solely to blame for that discrepancy. Colin Kaepernick has been a middling quarterback over the last few years. Sporadically starting games here and there, doing a decent job but nothing like what was projected of him after that 2012 super bowl appearance. Now, you want a team to take on an average quarterback who has a legion of detractors, that wouldn’t be wise of a team to do. First and foremost, the NFL is a business, a business that is in place to make money. There are fans threatening to boycott teams if they sign this quarterback to their roster. Its possible that behind closed doors sponsors are making the same threats. Had Kaepernick’s talents and success on the field been irresistible, a team would be willing to weather the storm that comes with his acquisition but unfortunately his play has not been worthy of such an exception. No team wants a backup quarterback who has more critics than career passing yards. Let’s be clear, on talent alone, Kaepernick deserves to be in the NFL. There are 32 NFL teams, most have three quarterbacks. Colin Kaepernick is definitely a top 96 qb in this world, he’s probably closer to top 15 to top 30 but life isn’t fair. It’s about business, an owner is pondering if the Kaepernick payoff is worth the investment and right now that answer is no. Teams are better off taking a slightly less talented quarterback but who comes with a lot less infamy. Like Seahawks great Michael Bennett, many have spoken out in the media and accused the NFL of blackballing Kaepernick. I don’t think the NFL called a meeting and said let’s keep this kid out at all cost. No, I think it was 32 individual owners looking at the numbers and seeing that bringing Kap in just doesn’t add up. From increased security for the protestors to devising public relations campaigns that would help soften the fan base on Kaepernick’s presence, it just doesn’t make sense.

This is where my frustration lies with Colin. When going against the established norm you have to make sure all your ducks are in a row or else you are left vulnerable, left in the position you are now, hoping someone throws you a lifeline. America has a deep dark secret and it’s not our history of sexism or racism. It’s our penchant for money and the power that comes along with it. If Kaepernick was a top-notch quarterback who these owners thought could help them acquire the spoils of victory, Kaepernick would have a job regardless of his history of protest. Those owners would find a way to sell that fan base on bringing the polarizing quarterback on board. Humans are selfish people and Kaepernick would be catering to that owner’s self-interest, which is winning. Muhammed Ali was exiled from the sport of boxing for challenging the US Government’s military draft rules. He even converted to a religion that was not accepted by main stream America yet still found himself back a top the sporting world. Ali was able to recapture the heavyweight title after it was stripped of him and regain the attention and cooperation of fans, arenas, networks, promoters and sponsors because his skills demanded it. No one danced under those bright lights like he did. He gave America no choice but to have all eyes on him. That’s the penchant for money I spoke of. I’m positive the powers that be didn’t agree with all Ali’s moves but their desire to be in the lucrative winner’s circle trumped whatever biases they had. Colin forgot to be great and demand that the NFL put him on a roster.

New York Giants owner John Mara recently spoke on Kaepernick and acknowledged that his protest was reason for not signing the qb. Mara said “All my years being in the league, I never received more emotional mail from people than I did about that issue. If any of your players ever do that, we are never coming to another Giants game. It wasn’t one or two letters. It was a lot. It’s an emotional, emotional issue for a lot of people, moreso than any other issue I’ve run into.” I found this interesting, the NY Giants had a kicker Josh Brown who they gave a contract extension to after he admitted to the franchise that he abused his wife. I am sure there are fans who threatened to stop attending Giants games if they continued to employ an abuser why didn’t the Giants remove him? I know why, because his talents as a kicker were a rare commodity and the Giants showed us with their action of re-signing him that winning trumped all. Kap forgot to be great and that negligence allows this guy Mara to sit up there and give the impression that he is taking a principled stand and paint Kap out to be something less than a reputable young man.

There are many examples of the NFL buffering my point that being able to produce is the sole factor when it comes to tolerance. In the 2014 season, Ray Rice became a story for hitting his fiancé, Adrian Peterson was tied up in child abuse allegations and Greg Hardy was convicted of abusing his girlfriend which include throwing her on a bed full of machine guns. Now the league faced a great deal of backlash for having these folks in their ranks but were they left on the outside like Kap? No, two made it back in the league. Which two you ask? The two most talented. Adrian Peterson who is still one of the most explosive running backs in the league, will be lining up behind Drew Brees in New Orleans this year. Greg Hardy got back in the league after his fiasco because he was a menacing defensive force who could still get to the quarterback. Ray Rice was the one man left out, the NFL painted it as a moral stand against violence but that wasn’t the case. Ray Rice was no longer a talented player and this was a business in the NFL saying this employee’s production doesn’t outdo his baggage therefore he gets shown the door.

NFL RB Adrian Peterson and images that led to arrest for child abuse

Kaepernick forgot to be great, forget to expose these owners for who they really are, individuals willing to do anything they can to win. Mike Vick made it back to the league after his dog fighting conviction. Animal rights folks are the most zealous, how come their cries to the NFL went unnoticed? How did Vick get another shot you ask? His talent demanded it! Vick was still one of the rarest phenoms ever seen and that possibility of success forced the Philadelphia Eagles and owner Jeffrey Lurie hand and they opted to sign Vick and stomach any public relations nightmare it may cause. 5-time super bowl champion Tom Brady is someone with nothing left to prove in the NFL, yet his continued preparation to be great is well documented. There was a story that came out highlighting how Brady has a set bed time to maximize his body’s recovery potential. Yes, the great Tom Brady has a bedtime, how come no such rumors of Kaepernick’s discipline exist? You hear the stories of Peyton Manning and countless hours of film study he puts in preparing to perform on Sundays. I’ve never heard Kaepernick’s name linked to that level of dedication, have you?

Being from one of those disenfranchised communities Kaepernick was helping to raise awareness about, I was ecstatic to see someone of his magnitude giving voice to those of us who feel voiceless. His silent protest was a clever way to speak volumes and grab the country’s attention. When critics said it was disrespectful to the military, I relished in being able to say not so fast. I am a veteran and he is not disrespecting us. Actually, he is exercising the very right we fought for and I got a platoon of veterans behind me who echo my sentiments. But you know what would have made the protest even more special? Had he been able to do it on Super Bowl Sunday when the whole world was watching but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to lead his team there. He couldn’t even get his team to the playoffs.

I do believe Kaepernick will play in the NFL again. When other quarterbacks get injured, Kap’s stock will start to rise. A team on the cusp of making a playoff run and in need of a quality signal caller will give the free agent quarterback a call. The team will sell us on how he’s reformed and how everyone deserves a second chance. Explanations teams could use now if they wanted to but they aren’t desperate enough yet. I get frustrated by the minority community complaining about what someone isn’t doing for them and what is fair. America isn’t fair and it never claimed to be. America only guarantees the pursuit of happiness not its attainment. It always comes down to performance and what people can use you for. Kaepernick had every opportunity to perform on the field, be a great quarterback and demand a job not be in a position hoping someone gives him one.