It really doesn’t matter to me how you feel about Colin Kaepernick and the social injustice he protested. I’m beyond trying to make sense of how the vast majority of sports fans I regularly talk to feel there’s nothing wrong with NFL owners and the flag wavers in this country colluding against him.
Let me make myself perfectly clear: I support your right to differ with me, but I feel you couldn’t be more incorrect when you foster a thought process that is both hateful and, in my opinion, borderline criminal. No person should ever be penalized for their beliefs, even when they go against those who dictate policy at the NFL corporate offices in New York. That being said, the most troubling aspect of this debacle is one that nobody is really talking about, and it should leave anyone with an intelligence quotient greater than that of a toaster oven really confused. Where are those who can really help Kaepernick, and why have they chosen to stay silent?
In no particular order and without putting anyone’s face on the side of a milk carton, where are the high-profile NFL players, and why aren’t they speaking up? Fellow quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are MIA, as one of their own twists in the wind. Think they couldn’t get the NFL owners’ attention by speaking up and leading a protest? You’re wrong. Despite the fact it could happen to them too if they “get out of line,” neither has spoken out, for one simple reason: the legal tender. Can’t risk losing a seat on the gravy train of endorsements, commercials, etc. Too much at risk to stand up and talk about how this doesn’t begin to pass the sniff test.
Sure, I chose the two highest profile quarterbacks, but there are a ton of other influential players who could show just a modicum of support and help facilitate some positive change. It’s certainly not limited to the NFL, as Brother Kaepernick would also benefit from a few NBA stalwarts speaking up; Lebron James has a global stage every time he speaks, and so does Michael Jordan. Their profound silence actually speaks volumes. “Can’t mess up my brand by speaking up for Kap” seems to be the battle cry, and that’s sad commentary.
Before you ask who I am to tell others how to feel and what to say, think about the good ol’ boy system in the NFL and what it’s doing to Kaepernick. As long as a player falls in line and makes money for the NFL, it’s OK for him to prosper, as well. Upset that unwritten agreement, and you’ve got yourself in trouble, as evidenced by Kaepernick’s phone not ringing and his remaining unsigned as a number of quarterbacks who cannot begin to measure up to his abilities have found employment in NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s personal playground. It’s beyond apparent and certainly nauseating to think how this has happened, and there seems to be no end in sight. The lack of support from his peers undoubtedly surprised Kaepernick, but he now knows what it’s like to be alone on an island, and to his credit, he hasn’t said a word about the cavalry not arriving in time to help him win the battle.
Unconsionable? Yes, indeed, but very few care at all about the plight of those Kaepernick is attempting to draw attention to, so it’s only logical to see them care even less for the man himself. The NFL thrives on the support of white America and will not tolerate any aspect that temporarily disables the machine in their basement that prints all that cash. Rich people don’t like it when someone threatens their entitlements, and they can’t have a militant African-American quarterback kneeling on the sidelines while Old Glory is waving during the national anthem. Next thing you know, all those beer sponsors will be calling and asking for a rebate on those mammoth checks they write to Goodell and company. After all, that’s light years more important to young African-American people being beaten and gunned down by the police. The nerve of you, Mr. Kaepernick. How could you?
I mean, there’s just no more room in the NFL penalty box for a non-conformist, as it’s occupied with alcoholics, drug addicts, women beaters and assorted other should-be felons. Sorry, Kap; we’re all full right now, so we’ll just ruin your career and teach you a lesson. Don’t you ever disrespect the flag. Got it?
I said from the onset Kaepernick’s only recourse is a collusion lawsuit against the NFL in federal court. He’s been robbed of his right to earn, and that’s not something we can ignore, despite what Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his band of fellow billionaires will tell you over a good glass of bourbon and a Cuban cigar. Jones publicly said he’d cut anyone on his team who didn’t rise for the national anthem. While I know that’s a lie, you get the picture. Until then, Kaepernick will continue to go it alone, and that’s a shame.
Back in 1967, when the late Muhammad Ali mounted a stance against the federal government, he had the support of Jim Brown, Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor. I’m not comparing Ali’s vast civil rights accomplishments to the ordeal Kaepernick is enduring, but there are some parallels one can draw. The starkest difference in the two stories is that Ali had the support of some of the most prominent athletes of that era. Sadly, Kaepernick has none of that same support, and that in itself is as pathetic as what the NFL is doing to this man.
Danny Bridges, who knows collusion when he smells it, can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
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