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Colin Kaepernick Thread and related anthem kneeling issues/news (11 Viewers)

Listening to NFL Radio they think Kappy hurt his chances with his actions and antics yesterday and his statement at the end.  Like he really does not want to play again but only make another Nike commercial.

Steven A. Smith rips Kappy.

This man wanted a chance. Twenty-five teams show up in Georgia at the Atlanta Falcons practice facility … And what does Colin Kaepernick do?” Smith said, in part. “Not Tuesday, when he found out about it. Not Wednesday, not Thursday, not Friday, Saturday, three hours before the workout, because of some issue with a liability waiver, Colin Kaepernick wants to change the venue. Colin Kaepernick wants his own receivers. Colin Kaepernick wants to video things himself. Colin Kaepernick wants the media … He don’t want to play. He wants to be a martyr.”

 
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Listening to NFL Radio they think Kappy hurt his chances with his actions and antics yesterday and his statement at the end.  Like he really does not want to play again but only make another Nike commercial.
If Nike was impressed by his antics yesterday that’s pretty sad. 

 
I am going to repeat what I’ve written many times before: he is good enough to be an NFL quarterback. The only reason he is not one is because of his political actions. Any argument otherwise is false and always has been. 
I find it amusing how many people dont really understand what is involved with being an NFL qb. 

There is far more to it than just being fast and having a strong arm. Colin isnt the first qb with some physical talents that didnt get another gig. He wont be the last. Jeff George says hi. 

Arguing that he is one of the best 96 qbs in the league is a fake argument. In essence you have to argue that he is one of the best 32 qbs in the league and even then you have to argue also that he is a fit. It is a losing argument to say that Colin has exhibited the traits of a good backup QB. Since they actually do have far more on their plates than just being ready if a guy gets hurt. 

This is the first time since he has been out that I actually think the situation has legit presented itself. The Bears should sign him. Trubisky is awful. Just awful. The team chemistry is falling apart. Nagy's current dumbed down system would be easy for him to pick up and it suits his skill set. His lower ceiling doesnt matter since they just need a qb with a higher floor since their defense is great. 

But even there him not getting signed has 1000 times more to do with Ryan Pace not wanting to admit he made a terrible pick in Trubisky. And that he traded a ton to move up one spot to get him. 

Kaepernick's antics yesterday were that of a prima dona star, not an out of the league guy that should be happy to get any sniff of any tryout he could. Jonas Gray missed a team meeting and was pretty much given the boot when he had just had 200 yards and 4tds. He isnt even a qb, so needless to say, lower expectations. Look how hard Kurt warner had to fight to get his shot. 

He can say whatever he wants about wanting to be treated like everybody else, but thats a lie. He wants to be treated special. No other qb in this world that truly wanted to play would even dream of making demands like that. I mean come on. He asked if he could film a commercial for crying out loud. 

Nothing says i am serious about trying out for the NFL like bringing a stage crew and a makeup artist.

 
Full disclosure, I found this link rooting around for info on the Damien Williams situation  but I thought it was interesting football-wise. Still not worth a TSP discussion because ordinarily no one would want to talk about the Jets doing a looksie at a possible backup to Darnold & Fales. It's literally not football significant. Anyway, this is a pretty good summary:

Jason La Canfora has the word that the Kansas City Chiefs were just one of seven teams, according to him, that attended the workout. The others include the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers, the Tennessee Titans, the Washington Redskins, the New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. Reporter Matt Derrick later identified the scout in attendance from the Chiefs as scouting assistant Ricky Seale.
This is ancient history but I've always found the backup situation in the NFL pretty fascinating stuff, how some really truly awful QBs end up as starters due to injury and how it's almost inconceivable Team X couldn't find a better QB. I think I actually did a full ranking of backups in the SP one year, which I enjoyed doing. This comes in really handy for DST matchups especially late in the year.

But anyhow, look at these teams. Who really has a conceivable backup situation needing fixing such that CK could really practically step in this year? KC> No, Moore and Henne wouldn't be stepped over. Titans with Mariota? No. Redskins with Keenum? No. Eagles passing over McCown & Sudfeld? I don't believe it. The 9ers with two really promising backups they have been developing and who are arguably decent trade bait next spring? No.

Who's left here? The Jets are an abject disaster behind Darnold and the Lions have Driskel behind Stafford but really not anything else (Blough?). It's really amazing that a team in the market that the Jets are could have trotted out such incompetence behind their starter but, again, this has been a regular feature in the NFL for decades. Why do they do it? Money and likely not wanting to shake up a prized young starter with any hint of competition. I think the Jets have already chosen that road regardless.

guess maybe Stafford might have a more serious problem with his back than is really being discussed now. Honestly it sounds serious to me but the noise is that supposedly Stafford should play again soon, yet at least, if Stafford goes out for the year, that situation might make sense, maybe, but it's the only one I can think of.

 
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Owners are presumably concerned with controversy and distraction. What happened yesterday: protesters showed up (not his fault), he chose a warm-up shirt that sparked controversy, abandoned a workout arranged by NFL with help from one team, and implied potential employers were acting scared. This may help his off-field agenda, but I don's see how it moves him closer to an NFL job.

 
Owners are presumably concerned with controversy and distraction. What happened yesterday: protesters showed up (not his fault), he chose a warm-up shirt that sparked controversy, abandoned a workout arranged by NFL with help from one team, and implied potential employers were acting scared. This may help his off-field agenda, but I don's see how it moves him closer to an NFL job.
Supposedly the NFL had arranged a football and just football only workout with no media, and that's what CK & his rep disagreed with so they moved it to a high school field. And the rep tried to paint NFL owners as scared as the reason for not showing up or for showing up and not offering a contract. This all seems like a dumb way to go about things for someone who says he just wants a job.

 
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 And the rep tried to paint NFL owners as scared as the reason for not showing up or for showing up and not offering a contract. 
Yes, it's hard to know what to believe from each side. I didn't know the rep said that but there are multiple reports that Colin said  to the Jets/Chiefs/Redskins scouts "Tell your owners not to be scared" He also said to  media "“we’re waiting for the owners and Commissioner Goodell to stop running from the truth.”

 
Don't what? I'm not allowed to have an opinion on him wearing a ridiculous racist shirt. I'm tired if people praising this guy like he has done anything in this world.  But ok, I will keep my mouth shut. 
I had no idea that ####a Kinte would draw such a visceral reaction, Nat Turner sure, but I had no idea ####a Kinte was a controversial figure to some

 
I had no idea that ####a Kinte would draw such a visceral reaction, Nat Turner sure, but I had no idea ####a Kinte was a controversial figure to some
I don't think it was much of a reaction for most. But part of the bigger picture. 

I'll be honest, overall it sort of surprised me too. I thought he was more interested in playing again. 

@Ditkaless Wonders summed it well.

The actions yesterday tell me that Kaepernick is about himself, not about the league, or a team, or about integrating into a system.  It is about standing out.  This when he is trying to make a good impression, or ought to be.  The impression he choose to make is that he will continue to be himself at any cost.  That's fine, admirable even, but then pay the cost which is not getting back into the league and not getting back onto the gravy boat.  The league and any one team has no obligation to accommodate him, to restructure for him.  If he wants in he has to fit in.  That is not unique to the NFL, that is life.

That window closing, it sounds like a ticking clock, counting down time.

 
The Bears did have people that showed up for the original workout at the falcons place but they did not go to the high school. 

They were actually mum on whether they were sending anybody and were not in the 25 team count. Anybody that was on the fence was obviously jumping off after the switcharoo. 

 
I had no idea that ####a Kinte would draw such a visceral reaction, Nat Turner sure, but I had no idea ####a Kinte was a controversial figure to some
I have not watched many tryouts but do FA players usually tryout in ####a Kinte gear?

Pig socks, Castro shirts,  there is a little bit of a "Look at me" pattern here.  I was actually hoping the Lions would give him a good look, not so much now. Steven A and Wiley both had him pegged a long time ago as a "Martyr" who really does not want to play in the NFL again. They may be correct..

 
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Did he do any timed drills? I assume NFL teams would be very interested in what his current 40 time is. Even if they modified it and made it a 50 or 60 to better suit Colin and his long strides that would have been of extreme interest. 

 
I have not watched many tryouts but do FA players usually tryout in ####a Kinte gear?

Pig socks, Castro shirts,  there is a little bit of a "Look at me" pattern here.  I was actually hoping the Lions would give him a good look, not so much now. Steven A and Wiley both had him pegged a long time ago as a "Martyr" who really does not want to play in the NFL again. They may be correct..
Your “look at me” comment seems weird to me. Aren’t all workouts/tryouts about “look at me”?

Like I said I had no idea that ####a Kinte was seen as a controversial figure (Nat Turner I was aware of)

Also, why does ####a get picked up the language filter?

 
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Your “look at me” comment seems weird to me. Aren’t all workouts/tryouts about “look at me”?

Like I said I had no idea that ####a Kinte was seen as a controversial figure (Nat Turner I was aware of)

Also, why does ####a get picked up the language filter?
Variation of the C word

 
Yenrub said:
I had no idea that ####a Kinte would draw such a visceral reaction,
It’s not the character that caused the reaction, it’s Kaepernick’s decision to publicly identify with that character. 

After all, who is Kinte? Per the book and TV show Roots he is a native of The Gambia who was captured by white slavers around the year 1767, suffered through the Middle Passage, sold as a slave in Virginia. He tried to run away three times and the third time his foot was chopped off. He kept enough of his Gambian  identity to proudly tell his daughter, who passed on through several generations until in the 1970s Alex Haley traced his roots to Kinte’s village in The Gambia and wrote the book. 

So what is this story supposed to tell us about Kaepernick? That he too is a slave? That the NFL is the equivalent of slave catchers and they mean to chop off his foot? That’s just dumb and offensive. 

 
I do question (with the context of the waiver) whether or not it really was a legitimate workout.  It was probably the most legitimate one he is going to get.  He turned it into another controversial publicity stunt, which is on him and him alone. 

 
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Excoriating and denigrating a potential employer is certainly an interesting way to go about a job interview. 
Not if you don`t want the job.  What has happened now is Kappy`s charade has turned many who supported him against him.

After listening to him speak I now know why he only give statements and not interviews.

 
Steven A. Smith rips Kappy.

This man wanted a chance. Twenty-five teams show up in Georgia at the Atlanta Falcons practice facility … And what does Colin Kaepernick do?” Smith said, in part. “Not Tuesday, when he found out about it. Not Wednesday, not Thursday, not Friday, Saturday, three hours before the workout, because of some issue with a liability waiver, Colin Kaepernick wants to change the venue. Colin Kaepernick wants his own receivers. Colin Kaepernick wants to video things himself. Colin Kaepernick wants the media … He don’t want to play. He wants to be a martyr.”
From all accounts this seems to be accurate.

There is far more to it than just being fast and having a strong arm. Colin isnt the first qb with some physical talents that didnt get another gig. He wont be the last. Jeff George says hi. 
:yes:

Am I the only one who remembers how awful Kaep was in the last number of games he played?  At the time he deserved to be benched.  

And  :lmao:  at Jeff George.  Loved that guy.  Tight coverage?  Throw it hard.  Triple covered? Throw it harder!  Dude did have maybe the strongest arm I've ever seen, but he lacked most everything else.

 
How does Colin fit in with the Nike image of Just Do It?

These actions run counter to the longstanding image of famous Nike athletes paying their dues, working hard and grinding out victory in their choice of sport and playing surface.

It is a fair interpretation that he just now wants attention for all things outside of the game, he is the "M-E" in T-E-A-M, desiring more to throw together a propaganda video (waaaaah, that he couldn't shoot directly) under the guise of a workout that he sabotaged and that a lot of people made efforts to set up, support and attend.

See you at the next Courage awards I guess.

 
It’s not the character that caused the reaction, it’s Kaepernick’s decision to publicly identify with that character. 

After all, who is Kinte? Per the book and TV show Roots he is a native of The Gambia who was captured by white slavers around the year 1767, suffered through the Middle Passage, sold as a slave in Virginia. He tried to run away three times and the third time his foot was chopped off. He kept enough of his Gambian  identity to proudly tell his daughter, who passed on through several generations until in the 1970s Alex Haley traced his roots to Kinte’s village in The Gambia and wrote the book. 

So what is this story supposed to tell us about Kaepernick? That he too is a slave? That the NFL is the equivalent of slave catchers and they mean to chop off his foot? That’s just dumb and offensive. 
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't CKs birth mom white?

 
The complaints about the short notice from Colin's team are absurd. Teams lose players to injury or cut them for crappy performance on mondays and have people working out for them the next day. That's the life of a midseason NFL free agent. 

 
Yes, but what does that have to do with anything? Being of mixed race is not relevant to the legitimacy of a protest against racial discrimination or treatment of racial minorities. 
It is relevant to a guy trying to identify as a slave. He was raised by white parents, grew up in a suburb, and went on to become a millionaire. 

 
It is relevant to a guy trying to identify as a slave. He was raised by white parents, grew up in a suburb, and went on to become a millionaire. 
Completely irrelevant to the legitimacy of anyone protesting racial discrimination and disenfranchisement of racial minorities.  A lot of white people in the 60s who marched for civil rights with Dr. King were raised by white parents, grew up in a suburb and went on to become successful (that didn't disqualify them from participating in the civil rights protests). 

And not everyone who wears a K. Kinte T-shirt are trying to identify as a slave. 

 
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And not everyone who wears a K. Kinte T-shirt are trying to identify as a slave. 
Even if you give him the benefit of the doubt that it wasn't intentionally sending a message,   most people trying to get a job-esp. when controversy is a concern- would get that it could be taken that way and was a bad choice. Fits with the history of the Dolphins Kaep and pig socks.

eta- I'll leave it, but "Dolphins Kaep" was a total slip. Wasn't trying to pun.  :lol:  

 
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Even if you give him the benefit of the doubt that it wasn't intentionally sending a message,   most people trying to get a job-esp. when controversy is a concern- would get that it could be taken that way and was a bad choice. Fits with the history of the Dolphins Kaep and pig socks.
Absolutely 

 
I am DONE with Kaep.  I've supported him overall - never thought it was the right forum to make his protest, but I respect that he felt otherwise. It in no way disrupted anything, and the vitriol he received in response was, without question, to a large (not total, and not from everyone) degree racially charged.  The league was embarrassing in how they essentially blackballed him.

THAT SAID, this latest display was a pathetic joke.  He took a legit workout and thumbed his nose at the very employer with whom he was seeking to gain an employment opportunity.  He deserves nothing from the NFL nor any of its teams at this point.

And please, don't give me any BS about the T Shirt being some innocent message.  He went to an interview.  Demanded that the interview not be held at the place designated by the employer, with significant resources on behalf of that employer and a number of teams/interviewers.  Then he has to make a political message - when there is a legit concern that his goal is NOT football, and that he WOULD be a distraction as such - rather than focus on the task at hand.

Lost a lot of respect for Kaep with this stunt. And that is, 100%, what it is.  Worst yet, he hurts his very cause by acting insolent and as if he is more important than anyone else - the scouts, and his cause included.  Had he been PROFESSIONAL and not a media seeking message forwarding sideshow (the main show was supposed to be football, and this wasnt even a game or highly publicized/attended event ala Sunday or a playoff game etc), he'd have a far greater platform to do good.

He's now done more damage than good, imo.  Unless I see a mea culpa (unlikely), he's done to me and his message (not the content, but the mouthpiece) is of no worth nor value anymore.

 
Even if you give him the benefit of the doubt that it wasn't intentionally sending a message,   most people trying to get a job-esp. when controversy is a concern- would get that it could be taken that way and was a bad choice. Fits with the history of the Dolphins Kaep and pig socks.
This was not a typical job interview. It was a farce, a publicity stunt by the NFL to put the controversy about no teams having worked him out to rest, so they could say essentially "We gave him a chance, not our fault no team would sign him."

To recap, the NFL sprung this on him with no advance notice, not giving him the opportunity to be able to work with any of the receivers who would attend and gave him two hours to make a decision (probably hoping he would cancel or turn it down). Not to mention the unprecedented waiver they wanted him to sign. 

As PFT, Rotoworld and other NFL observers/commentators repeatedly pointed out, this was a dog-and-pony show. His wearing of the K. Kinte t-shirt was a joking commentary on his part about this workout that the NFL did not seem to take that seriously (given the rushed and last minute quality about it). 

 
THAT SAID, this latest display was a pathetic joke.  He took a legit workout and thumbed his nose at the very employer with whom he was seeking to gain an employment opportunity.  He deserves nothing from the NFL nor any of its teams at this point.
I disagree this was ever intended as a legit workout, or the NFL would have handled it differently (see my post before this). 

 
I disagree this was ever intended as a legit workout, or the NFL would have handled it differently (see my post before this). 
20+ teams would have been there. I agree it was hardly ideal, and I have been exceptionally harsh on the NFL who is more to blame than ANYone throughout this whole mess.

But Kaep took a tough situation and made it much, much, worse... rendering his opinion just about worthless in my personal estimation.  The NFL handled it poorly.  He handled it worse.  That doesn't help him, and certainly not his case.

I don't like to agree with Stephen A. Smith, but his take on this has been spot on.  Kaep is showing this is more about him than anything. Than football. Than the NFL. Than employment. Than his purported cause.

Just go away already. Sorry.

 
His wearing of the K. Kinte t-shirt was a joking commentary on his part about this workout that the NFL did not seem to take that seriously (given the rushed and last minute quality about it). 
..that does nothing but reinforce concerns and negativity about him and make it harder to ever get an NFL job. Certainly his choice, but choices have consequences.

 
The complaints about the short notice from Colin's team are absurd. Teams lose players to injury or cut them for crappy performance on mondays and have people working out for them the next day. That's the life of a midseason NFL free agent. 
Apparently they had the waiver since Wednesday and didn’t make an issue of it until day of per First Take. More unnecessary drama, exactly what NFL teams don’t want. 

 
So let's say you work for IBM and are pretty darn good at your job.  You are selling software and hardware and bringing in clients.  Then you repetitively do something that costs IBM clients and thus money.  Even if what you did wasn't all that bad and your personal opinion's were stated outside of work, if it continues at some point IBM doesn't want to deal with you anymore.  Maybe other people are doing crappy stuff too like getting drunk at work or spousal abuse at home, but they keep their job.  Not real fair, but hey, what you did actually cost them clients and money.

Now a couple of years later, time has passed and everything has cooled down.  Your old manager wants to you to come interview and maybe get back into IBM.  Maybe you doubt his sincerity and what terms they would offer you for a job in title and money, but well, you're out of work so hey let's show them what you have.

So an hour before your interview, you tell your boss that you can't meet them at the IBM office.  You'd much rather meet at the Panera Bread one hour away.  Now rather than meeting with the HR, then your old boss, then his boss - only your old boss can make it.  Then you show up wearing a Dell T-shirt.  He recognizes you are probably still good at the job, but that you haven't really change all that much.

You telling me it is IBM's fault they don't give you another chance??  You think your old boss wants to lay it on the line to have you on his team.

Because anyone backing Kaepernick in this latest episode doesn't get the golden rule ... he who has the gold, rules.  The NFL has the gold.  Just as do each of our employers and in many respects the clients of our employers.  Step in line or look elsewhere for a job.

ETA - And I think this was 100% a publicity stunt by Kaep.  I'd love to see the guy play again.  But it's not happening when this is how he goes about it.

 
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This was not a typical job interview. It was a farce, a publicity stunt by the NFL to put the controversy about no teams having worked him out to rest, so they could say essentially "We gave him a chance, not our fault no team would sign him."

To recap, the NFL sprung this on him with no advance notice, not giving him the opportunity to be able to work with any of the receivers who would attend and gave him two hours to make a decision (probably hoping he would cancel or turn it down). Not to mention the unprecedented waiver they wanted him to sign. 

As PFT, Rotoworld and other NFL observers/commentators repeatedly pointed out, this was a dog-and-pony show. His wearing of the K. Kinte t-shirt was a joking commentary on his part about this workout that the NFL did not seem to take that seriously (given the rushed and last minute quality about it). 
Totally disagree.  FAs are worked out every week in the NFL on one day notice. They get the call and are on a plane that day at times. FA QBs have to come into town on a days notice and throw to whoever is on hand when they get there.

The gave Kappy 5 days notice and for a player who says he is in the best shape of his life that is not enough time?  Why would a FA QB who has not played in 3 years get special treatment over and other FA QB who tries out? Jerry Jones said it was a circus, Pete Carroll had a scout ready to watch until Kappy moved the venue.  So basically  he went from 24 teams watching to 8. And he only worked out for 40 minutes anyway.

 
I disagree this was ever intended as a legit workout, or the NFL would have handled it differently (see my post before this). 
It doesn't matter if it was or wasn't.  It was his chance to show his skills.  If he really wanted back in the NFL he would have shown up looking the part, been respectful, and maybe even asked the scouts what they'd like to see beforehand.  Everything he did was the opposite.  He doesn't want anyone to hire him.  He likes the role of a martyr.

 
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Totally disagree.  FAs are worked out every week in the NFL on one day notice. They get the call and are on a plane that day at times. FA QBs have to come into town on a days notice and throw to whoever is on hand when they get there.

The gave Kappy 5 days notice and for a player who says he is in the best shape of his life that is not enough time?  Why would a FA QB who has not played in 3 years get special treatment over and other FA QB who tries out? Jerry Jones said it was a circus, Pete Carroll had a scout ready to watch until Kappy moved the venue.  So basically  he went from 24 teams watching to 8. And he only worked out for 40 minutes anyway.
To analogize this to a typical FA workout is absurd, IMO. Kaepernick's situation is unlike any other FA workout in the the history of the NFL. And he had not been given a FA workout by any team since he has been a free agent and any of those teams could have called him at any before this to get on plane that day and he probably would have done it (but they didn't).

 
It doesn't matter if it was or wasn't.  It was his chance to show his skills.  If he really wanted back in the NFL he would have shown up looking the part, been respectful, and maybe even asked the scouts what they'd like to see beforehand.  Everything he did was the opposite.  He doesn't want anyone to hire him.  He likes the role of a martyr.
Sorry, but I don't accept any of your characterizations about Kaep's motivations and actions, as to how you perceive what he does or does not want or what he likes or does not like. We will have to agree to disagree.

 
Completely irrelevant to the legitimacy of anyone protesting racial discrimination and disenfranchisement of racial minorities.  A lot of white people in the 60s who marched for civil rights and with Dr. King were raised by white parents, grew up in a suburb and went on to become successful (that didn't disqualify them from participating in the civil rights protests). 

And not everyone who wears a K. Kinte T-shirt are trying to identify as a slave. 
 True, but Colin is.

Unless of course we should just ignore that his GF already made the slave/owner comparison or that colin compared the police to slave patrols and how Lebron made the "modern day slavery" comparisons regarding the NFL and of course all the talk about not using the term "owner" anymore.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

And the concept of a guy with a white birth mom, that grew up in a mostly white suburb with a middle class white family, and became a millionaire for playing a game comparing himself to a slave is really, really stupid. Especially while claiming he wants a job.

 
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