Kaepernick Gives Up

[4everwarriors]

Couldn't happen ta a more deservin' ass hole. Karma's a bitch, ai na?

[rocket surgeon]

shoulda learned from the experts, eyyn'er?

[reinko]

Couldn't happen ta a more deservin' ass hole. Karma's a bitch, ai na?

Just so I have this right, you have held this high of standard for every professional athlete that has drove drunk or high or beat up his significant other

Ain't tryin to break the rules on the board, but the fact he kneeled during a National Anthem is quote more detrimental to his "stock" than if beat up a woman or drove a car wasted is a sad sad statement on our country.

(cue some folks replying with the fact that during one practice Kapernik work socks that had pigs in cops uniforms on them, oh know the horror... But, the dozens of NFL of players who have documented histories of beating women, just guys being dudes getting sacks and touchdowns.)

[4everwarriors]

Nah man, ya got dis all wrong. I tink they're all trash, knot just Colin. Athletes, actors, etc. should just thank their lucky stars they can make da kinda bread they do in dis country for watt they do and its insignificance to mankind. Ta be totally disrepectful is unacceptible and its pleasin' dat no team needs his distraction so much as to give him a job, hey?

[GGGG]

Nah man, ya got dis all wrong. I tink they're all trash,

Yet this is the only one you have commented on if my recollection is correct.

[4everwarriors]

I'm not a fan of disrespect. There is a time and place for peaceful protest and in my opinion, this was neither. For the record, I have commented, on several occasions, that those who seemingly have the world by the tail, find it necessary to screw up prosperity.

[jesmu84]

I'm not a fan of disrespect. There is a time and place for peaceful protest and in my opinion, this was neither. For the record, I have commented, on several occasions, that those who seemingly have the world by the tail, find it necessary to screw up prosperity.

Appropriate time and place?

[GGGG]

I just never found his actions during the anthem that disrespectful.  I mean, we have had multiple people here on Scoop praising Gary Brell who did pretty much the same thing as Kap when he played for Marquette.

[rocket surgeon]

I just never found his actions during the anthem that disrespectful.  I mean, we have had multiple people here on Scoop praising Gary Brell who did pretty much the same thing as Kap when he played for Marquette.

  no one picked up gary brell after his stint with MU either, ein'er?

[naginiF]

Appropriate time and place?

Perfect!

In the moment we shouldn't take the protest as offensive as some see it.  With the benefit of time we can look back and see how poignant and relevant it was. 

[GGGG]

  no one picked up gary brell after his stint with MU either, ein'er?

OK. That was funny.

[StillAWarrior]

My feeling about Kaepernick - and I've never been a fan - is that he took the exact same position that a lot of other athletes have taken, but had the balls to really put himself out there to make a point. And he's paying dearly for it. I don't necessarily agree with some of what he has done or said, but I have great respect for him. It's easy for these guys to spout some platitudes in a presser or interview. It's another thing entirely to put yourself out there like Kaepernick did. I respect his conviction and think it's unfortunate what's happening to him.

[Pakuni]

Nah man, ya got dis all wrong. I tink they're all trash, knot just Colin. Athletes, actors, etc. should just thank their lucky stars they can make da kinda bread they do in dis country for watt they do and its insignificance to mankind. Ta be totally disrepectful is unacceptible and its pleasin' dat no team needs his distraction so much as to give him a job, hey?

[Golden Avalanche]

I'm not a fan of disrespect. There is a time and place for peaceful protest and in my opinion, this was neither. For the record, I have commented, on several occasions, that those who seemingly have the world by the tail, find it necessary to screw up prosperity.

He didn't disrespect anything. Quite the opposite. By exercising the freedom that the flag symbolizes the person did far more for its importance than fake arbiters who allow the threads of the flag on their pole to remain torn and shredded for weeks on end seeing as they are too cheap to spend $49.99 on their unbridled patriotism.

Also, it's laughable you're smug about other people's prosperity. Not very Christian to covet your neighbor's lot (or lack thereof) in life.

[Herman Cain]

Couldn't happen ta a more deservin' ass hole. Karma's a bitch, ai na?

I agree with this analysis.

[Jockey]

Perfect!

In the moment we shouldn't take the protest as offensive as some see it.  With the benefit of time we can look back and see how poignant and relevant it was.

You are spot on.

The owner of the NY Giants said he wouldn't sign Colin because of the stand that he took. Yet he had no issue whatsoever to handing out a 4 year contract to a serial abuser of women.

Somehow the NFL is on the wrong side again. Over and over and over again, they give contracts to violent criminals and wife beaters. Rapists like Big Ben and Jameis Winston get to make tens of millions of dollars for themselves and owners without consciences.

But take a peaceful stand and give more money to charity than the orange creep who runs the country? Tough luck, buddy..... but the rapists and creeps can still find employment.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Personally, without ever having met the guy, it seems like there are several reasons to think that Kaepernick is not a good human being. He has been accused of sexual assault before (no idea what the circumstances were), he used a racial slur mid-game, the pig socks thing doesn't bother me that much but it is at very least a non-productive message. IMHO, the flag protest is not one of those reasons. Peaceful protest and the ability to abstain from a political action (like the national anthem) is what our country was founded on.

In conclusion, I'm glad the protest happened. I'm sad that Kaepernick was the face of it.

[mu03eng]

Personally, without ever having met the guy, it seems like there are several reasons to think that Kaepernick is not a good human being. He has been accused of sexual assault before (no idea what the circumstances were), he used a racial slur mid-game, the pig socks thing doesn't bother me that much but it is at very least a non-productive message. IMHO, the flag protest is not one of those reasons. Peaceful protest and the ability to abstain from a political action (like the national anthem) is what our country was founded on.

In conclusion, I'm glad the protest happened. I'm sad that Kaepernick was the face of it.

-For some people, no matter who it was, the protest was going to be unacceptable (IMO those folks are wrong, but free country blah blah blah)
-For some people, the protest is offensive but within boundaries
-For some people, they don't want "politics" any where near their sports
-For some people, it was a rallying cry
-For some people, it didn't go far enough

All of the above was going to be true no matter who did it, it was going to be divisive no matter who delivered the message. However, the fact that it was Colin Kaepernick makes all of it that much harder because now there is so much ammunition for everyone to justify their cynical view.

Fair or unfair, these types of things almost always have to come near flawless characters for them to have any actual power to change.

[Spotcheck Billy]

the price Kaepernick is paying for kneeling will make any others think twice about being that sort of lightning rod

could the NFL teams be colluding to make an example out of him?

[B. McBannerson]

-For some people, no matter who it was, the protest was going to be unacceptable (IMO those folks are wrong, but free country blah blah blah)
-For some people, the protest is offensive but within boundaries
-For some people, they don't want "politics" any where near their sports
-For some people, it was a rallying cry
-For some people, it didn't go far enough

All of the above was going to be true no matter who did it, it was going to be divisive no matter who delivered the message. However, the fact that it was Colin Kaepernick makes all of it that much harder because now there is so much ammunition for everyone to justify their cynical view.

Fair or unfair, these types of things almost always have to come near flawless characters for them to have any actual power to change.

It was more than kneeling, it is also what he said.  Attacking cops isn't a thing many people in this country support.  Accusing them of murder, not going to win many hearts. 

He was also voted most disliked NFL player in the league, so that ties the hands of NFL clubs. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17604958/san-francisco-49ers-qb-colin-kaepernick-most-disliked-player-nfl-according-poll-e-poll-marketing-research?ex_cid=espnfb&sf36614269=1

Who wants to bring that onto a team, especially for a marginal player. What would have been fascinating is if the guy was a stud and made those statements and committed those actions, then what would NFL teams have done?

[mu03eng]

It was more than kneeling, it is also what he said.  Attacking cops isn't a thing many people in this country support.  Accusing them of murder, not going to win many hearts. 

He was also voted most disliked NFL player in the league, so that ties the hands of NFL clubs. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17604958/san-francisco-49ers-qb-colin-kaepernick-most-disliked-player-nfl-according-poll-e-poll-marketing-research?ex_cid=espnfb&sf36614269=1

Who wants to bring that onto a team, especially for a marginal player. What would have been fascinating is if the guy was a stud and made those statements and committed those actions, then what would NFL teams have done?

My point was that the kneeling was only a part, and by the end a small one, of the overall Colin push back. Personally, he lost me with the pig socks and when he said he didn't vote in the presidential election.

[mu03eng]

the price Kaepernick is paying for kneeling will make any others think twice about being that sort of lightning rod

could the NFL teams be colluding to make an example out of him?

He's not ultimately paying a price for kneeling (it started it), but he's paying a price for being a head case AND a bad quarterback.

[GGGG]

It was more than kneeling, it is also what he said.  Attacking cops isn't a thing many people in this country support.  Accusing them of murder, not going to win many hearts. 

He accused some cops of murder.  Which is actually a truthful statement.

[Pakuni]

He's not ultimately paying a price for kneeling (it started it), but he's paying a price for being a head case AND a bad quarterback.

No, no and no.
He's not a bad quarterback, especially not relative to some of the actually bad quarterbacks getting contracts.
And he's not a head case, unless you believe that having unpopular political views makes one a head case. (True story, back in Soviet Russia, people with unpopular political views were often declared head cases and institutionalized ... which probably was a better outcome than the Gulag).
Please consider, from Pro Football Talk:

Kaepernick started 11 games for a horrible team in a new offensive system, generating numbers that were far from horrible.
As a passer, Kaepernick completed nearly 60 percent of his passes, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt and throwing 16 touchdown passes against four interceptions. His passer rating was 90.7 — his highest such number since signing his long-term deal after the 2013 season.
As a runner, Kaepernick averaged 42.5 yards per game and 6.8 yards per attempt. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the leading rusher among quarterbacks in 2016, averaged 38.6 yards per game, in 15 starts.
Speaking of Taylor, his numbers for the year were comparable to Kaepernick’s. Completion percentage: 61.7. Average per attempt: 6.9 yards. Passer rating: 89.7. Touchdowns to interceptions: 17 to 6. Average per rush: 6.1 yards.
Taylor emerged from the season with a two-year, $30.5 million contract to remain with the Bills despite an overhaul to the coaching staff.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/25/joe-thomas-asks-the-key-question-on-kaepernick/

Now, do you really believe that a guy who put up those numbers with a horrid supporting cast (top receivers = Jeremy Kerley and Quinton Patton) isn't better than any of Case Keenum, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Blaine Gabbert, TJ Yates, EJ Manuel, Kellen Moore, David Fales, Aaron Murray and Austin Davis ... all of whom were awarded free-agent deals this spring?

"Kaepernik just isn't good enough" is a false narrative people tell themselves because they're uncomfortable admitting that he's being blackballed. The fact Kaepernick isn't with an NFL team right now has nothing to do with his ability to play football.

[jficke13]

He's not ultimately paying a price for kneeling (it started it), but he's paying a price for being a head case AND a bad quarterback.

The NFL is an incredibly pragmatic league. If you can help a team win, they may put up with off-field issues you might bring along. Of course, the better you are, the more off-field issues teams may tolerate. The opposite is also true.

If I'm a GM of a good team, hiring a talented backup QB who hopefully never plays a meaningful snap isn't worth the off-field headache.

If I'm a GM of a team that's terrible and has no QB, hiring a mediocre, replacement level, starting QB isn't worth the off-field headache because the end gain is maybe a win or two more and a worse draft slot + the ESPN sideshow.

It's a coldly calculating league, and if he were Tom Brady-good, then he could be Louis Farrakahn's right-hand-man (or Bill O'Reilly's) in the off season and still have a job. Too bad for Kap... he's not.