Friday, September 2, 2016

"Colin Kaepernick: I'm not anti-American, will donate $1 million"

"After hearing loud and sustained boos directed at him during the San Francisco 49ers’ preseason game against the San Diego Chargers on Thursday night, Colin Kaepernick called the crowd’s negative reaction a “misunderstanding.”"
Kaepernick, the 49ers quarterback, said the reason he refuses to stand for the national anthem has been distorted. He also said he will donate $1 million to groups that help people affected by the issues he is trying to spotlight — such as racial inequality and police brutality — with his continued protest.

“The media painted this as I’m anti-American, anti-men-and-women of the military and that’s not the case at all,’’ Kaepernick said after playing the first half of the 49ers’ 31-21 victory over the Chargers. “I realize that men and women of the military go out and sacrifice their lives and put themselves in harm’s way for my freedom of speech and my freedoms in this country and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee so I have the utmost respect for them.

“I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way.’’
After the game...
Abdisahman Bool of San Diego squeezed his way to the front of the pack, close enough to tell Kaepernick, “You’re the voice for all of us.’’

Yet moments later, as a 49ers team official pulled Kaepernick away from the fans and into the tunnel, a man snidely insinuated Thursday night’s game would be Kaepernick’s last. He suggested the 49ers will cut Kaepernick and free up the quarterback to focus all his attention on drawing attention to himself.

Kaepernick frowned.

“It’s not for me,’’ he said before ducking into the tunnel and heading to the locker room.
Should this protest continue and perhaps even grow, will the NFL consider dropping the anthem all together?

47 comments:

Trooper York said...

Drop the Anthem? What are you a communist?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

What does the anthem have to do with police brutality?

The anthem is just the anthem. Stand. Don't stand. Wear stupid socks. People are gonna boo you, buddy.

kaepernick is a dim bulb. Still! what we should be focusing on are his absolute correct opinions on Hillary. He thinks that anyone else who did what she did, they would be in prison.

Media? - *crickets*

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Drop the Anthem? What are you a communist?

They need to nip this in the bud pronto.

Before we have an anthem protest on every corner of America.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

This could almost make Troop a hockey fan!

chickelit said...

Likewise, George Soros was heard to say "I'm not anti-American. I'm going to give billion$ to charities and good causes that will change America."

As far as eliminating the anthem, how about eliminating the countless divas who breathlessly warble the anthem trying to get attention. Just give me a straight-up Lady Gaga version if we must.

chickelit said...

They need to nip this in the bud pronto.

Before we have an anthem protest on every corner of America.


What's really needed is a way for fans to express their displeasure w/o lining the pockets of the likes of Kaepernick and his NFL enablers.

chickelit said...

It's really a racket on the part of Kaepernick: In effect he says "you will watch me say 'fuck you, I won't do what you tell me' to millions and millions of people. And you will pay me handsomely to do so."

I don't see this ending well.

Rabel said...

This is not a free speech issue. "Professional football player" is a subset of the employment classification "professional entertainer." The pregame festivities are as much a part of the "show" as is the game itself. It is well within the discretion of the owners or the league itself to require that players stand for the anthem as a part of their role in the performance, just as any actor can be required to play a part as written as a condition of employment.

Nip it, Roger, nip it in the bud.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I'm just throwing a suggestion out there.

edutcher said...

chickelit said...

What's really needed is a way for fans to express their displeasure w/o lining the pockets of the likes of Kaepernick and his NFL enablers.

It's called don't go, don't watch.

Hit the owners in the pocketbook.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Nice legal argument Rabel.

Not sure Ruth Bader buys it, but I like it.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

You know, that reminds me. The NFL has a contract with the military. Could the military sue the NFL for a breach of contract?

As soon as I thought of that, I remembered who is the commander in chief.

chickelit said...

It's called don't go, don't watch.

Oh, I agree edutcher. That's what I do. I don't think hardcore fans will budge though.

chickelit said...

As soon as I thought of that, I remembered who is the commander in chief.

He's the one who started it all back in '08 by cupping his nuts during the pledge.

Rabel said...

"I don't think hardcore fans will budge though."

No, we won't. However, as this is shaping up to be a grocery bag year in the Superdome, I could reconsider.

Rabel said...

And speaking of football, my condolences in advance to the Wisconsinians for the asswhoooping they will endure in historic Lambert field this Saturday afternoon.

Trooper York said...

I think we need a Yankee Stadium response.

Throw things at anyone who doesn't stand for the anthem in the hope of permantly injuring them and ending their career.

chickelit said...

Hit the owners in the pocketbook.

The owners are shameless and will never change. A more direct hit would be to target the "proud sponsors" of Kaepernick's game(s). Only they will listen.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Throw things at anyone who doesn't stand for the anthem in the hope of permantly injuring them and ending their career

Scouts will paying close attention for the next undiscovered Doc Gooden.

edutcher said...

chickelit said...

Hit the owners in the pocketbook.

The owners are shameless and will never change. A more direct hit would be to target the "proud sponsors" of Kaepernick's game(s). Only they will listen.


No, owning these teams is a business venture for many as well as an ego stroke. If the franchise revenues drop, they'll do something.

as for the sponsors, they are always nervous.

Trooper York said...

Where's Jack Tatum when you need him?

The Dude said...

My boycott started years ago. The NFL is dead to me. They might as well sing The Internationale or Cop Killer - either of those are more suited to what this country has become.

Roger Goodell is on their side - he is a lifelong communist and the son of a communist, so expecting him to nip it in the bud is downright laughable.

Trooper York said...

The old NFL would never let this happen.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

None of the Giants Jets player would dare try that shit at MetLife.

The Dude said...

Yeah, well the old NFL was made up of American men. Those days and those guys are long gone.

Trooper York said...

They would have wishboned his commie ass.

Mile Curtis. Chuck Howley. Ditka. Conrad Dobler.

Those guys are gone forever.

Rabel said...

“The media painted this as I’m anti-American, anti-men-and-women of the military and that’s not the case at all,’’

Is Colin Kaepernick the AprilApple of the NFL?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I don't know Rable. I thought you were a smart guy until you drank the Trump koolaid. Then it all went to hell.

Amartel said...

Colin the Moron's slide into leftist mediocrity continues. This is what lefties in trouble always do - throw money at the situation, either other peoples' money or "money" that they didn't really earn and/or have no intention of actually giving up and/or will write off.

Want to fix this situation? Stop watching football. Full stop. It's a rigged game anyway. Used to be great, now it's not, so why continue subsidizing it?

Amartel said...

"will the NFL consider dropping the anthem all together?"

There's already (un)think pieces about "why do we even play the national anthem at these events"? This is how it works: someone famous does/says something stupidly leftist, obvious condemnation follows, then the "intellectuals" get into the game with "well, obviously this guy is a moron but otoh he may have a point other than on top of his head," and thus the discussion is kept alive.

Rabel said...

If you use "orange koolaid" instead of "Trump koolaid" it'll keep you true to form.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Cheeto koolaid. A bag of empty calories, with less that 10% real juice!

Leland said...

Anyone here ever watch a futbol game? CONCACAF Cup, Euro Cup, World Cup, maybe just a game during the Olympics? Ever notice that prior to any of those games; each team proudly stands for their national anthem; and outside the United States, that team is like heroes to their entire country.

Go ahead NFL, listen to ESPN and other washed up has beens. Drop the national anthem. You'll be financially ruined by the Superbowl. Nothing like going all in against a million dollar bluff.

Methadras said...

If the NFL dropped the Anthem, they will reap a whirlwind like the which they've never seen in the history of the game. There is a reason why the national anthem is played at each game across multiple sports, even down to the kids sports level and if the NFL sets a precedent by not using it anymore it will be the the beginning of the end of them.

I recognize that Kaperdick is entitled to his little meaningless retarded opinions, but he's wrong and he's wrong for the dumbest of reasons, but it is his right. However, his actions have consequences and he should be made to suffer for them. I hope his activist girlfriend will hang with him after the millions are gone. This fool can't see the forest through the trees. If he's cut from the 9'ers and even if he 'retires' then what will he do after that? Get hired by ESPN? He hasn't even thought that far.

ndspinelli said...

Rabel, I think your Tigers will win by 2 touchdowns..maybe 3.

ndspinelli said...

The folks up here in Minnesota are lamenting losing their QB, Teddy Bridgewater, for the season. He is a good guy w/ strong values as best I can tell. I sometimes have been known to bust balls. I'm telling all these Viking fans they're going to trade for Kaepernick. Even the Minnesota nice flies out the window when they hear that.

ndspinelli said...

Kaepernick can't play QB in the NFL. He's not smart enough. He's doing what many failures do, trying to hang onto some fame by getting a Reality TV show. He will start fucking one of those Kardashians and you got a spinoff.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

While we all love giving shit to Kaepernick and for good reason, I do not want to elevate his importance.

He is an over paid QB headcase. The only difference between him and Johnny Manziel, is Manziel self destructed before he managed to score a big contract. This protest (while it may be sincere in his own addled head) is about Kaepernick's insecurities. It makes no sense, other than from his own immature desire to be the center of attention.

If he were a real man, he would dig deep, work out the reason he is not playing well and try to get out of the hole he is in. Even if he didn't do it, at least he would be acting like a man. Posturing about not standing (regardless of his politics) is just a distraction from the business he is hired to be there for.

The Dude said...

He is suffering from ink poisoning.

Rabel said...

"Rabel, I think your Tigers..."

Be careful, buddy. You have made an assumption which has led to a scurrilous and unfounded allegation in a public forum. I'd hate to have to go all Melania on ya. For the record, I do not smell like corndogs.*

As for your prediction, yeah. Unless LSU's QB completely stinks it up that big truck with a number 7 on his back should wear them down and they'll pull away in the second half.

*SEC insider joke. LSU fans are said to smell like corndogs. The reasons for this are lost in the mists of history. They smelly, corndoggy mists (like LSU fans), but it seems to annoy them so it's all good.

Trooper York said...

The history of the National Anthem at sporting events begins before the Star Spangled Banner was even the official national anthem. It had periodically been played at sporting events but the seminal event was directly related as are so many things in baseball with the great Babe Ruth.

In the 1918 World Series between the Babe's Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs of all things they played the Star Spangled Banner during the seventh inning stretch. It was the Babes last game as a member of the inferior team and right during the entrance of America into the First World War. Fred Thomas of the Sox who was on active duty at the time but was loaned out by the War Department for publicity purposes. When the military band struck up the song at the seventh inning Stretch Thomas saluted as the song was being played. The rest of the team spontaneously put their hands over the hearts and the crowd began to sing along.
This proved so popular that they began to play it on holidays and special events and eventually at every game.

Of course that was when America was populated by Americans. Who loved their country. Honored the brave citizens who served them in the Armed Forces.

There were problems at the time. There had been a terrorist attack that very year right there in Chicago when the Wobblies set a bomb off in the Federal Building. Anarchists and socialists and other malcontents were assassinating law enforcement officers and fomenting sedition.

In those days they would have know what to do with someone like Kaperdick. At the very least he would lose his job.

The NFL has jumped the shark.

edutcher said...

Goodell certainly has.

rcocean said...

Kap is anti-American scum. I don't care to sugarcoat it.

A multi-millionaire playing a kids game. A half-white guy, raised by whites in white dominated Nevada. Probably worshiped all his life for being the star athlete.

Now, 100 million dollars later, he's concerned about "Police brutality" and he's wearing a Che T-shirt, insulting socks, and yaking about the "oppression of black America". THe NFL is 66% black and bet at least half of them are millionaires. Yet, he's "oppressed".

I don't really care about that. But when you insult the flag, you're insulting the country all the men and women who've fought and died for it. Why the hell can't you love your country AND be against police brutality?



rcocean said...

I noticed when I googled Kaepernick all I got was websites defending him. Which is odd, because when the NFL would said a nasty thing about Gay Marriage was in the news, all i got from Google was people saying he was a bigot who should be run out of town.

ESPN is just as bad. They're not defending Kap's views you understand, but isn't it noble that he's taken a stand for his beliefs, and what about the 1st Admendment, and doesn't he have the right to speak out?

Whereas with a conservative, ESPN wants to burn them at the stake.

Guildofcannonballs said...

NFL commercials today are celebrating with Motley Crew's "Home Sweet Home" and text saying "The NFL is Family."

They are steps far ahead of you, both the commie bastards on the inside and the public persons listed as owners and administrators.

You are the bud; they nipped you already and you don't even know it kiddos.

William said...

You have to be very subtle and nuanced when denouncing this guy's protests. His protests are covered by the first amendment; yours are considered hate speech and are not within the bounds of decency........Let's hope he doesn't defect to Cuba. That would be a great loss to his team and to America.

FullMoon said...

Police threatening boycott at Levi Stadium. Better way to send a message is to pull over every car and administer breathalyzer test. Or, look for drunk and disorderly in parking lots prior to game. Fans gonna be real upset.