Politics and Sports: When Expression Crosses the Line

in #life7 years ago

I was on Twitter when I found this article on BleacherReport.com. And it spurred my interest. Before reading my opinions, here is the article:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2700218-nfl1000-is-colin-kaepernick-still-starting-quarterback-material-in-the-nfl?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

If you are not interested in reading this rather long article, I will give you a quick synopsis. Doug Farrar, the author of the article, is questioning whether Colin Kaepernick, former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, will ever find another job in the NFL. Is it because he has not shown any potential to be the quarterback the 49ers thought he would be or is it because the owners of the NFL football teams are "blackballing" him because of his kneeling during the nation anthem? The article starts by pointing out that Kaepernick is not a great quarterback. He lacks good judgement, has regressed as a passer, cannot stay in the pocket and his mechanics are questionable.

Then Farrar goes on to to show examples of the strong points of Kaepernick, his strong and accurate arm. He also shows an example of his bad judgement and poor mechanics. He concludes that Kaepernick is a flawed quarterback that needs to be placed in a system that works for him with a good coach that can correct his mechanics and help him with his decision making. The conclusion is that Kaepernick should be picked up on a team and that the NFL owners must be colluding (yes, that's the word he used) to keep Kaepernick out of the league. And this, according to Farrar, shows a flaw, not only with the NFL, but also with America.

Well, I have some thoughts on this.

He Ain't that Good

Kaepernick had half a good season (the year he took them to the Super Bowl and lost). Outside of that, he was not that good. Farrar points out that Kaepernick had 14 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions with 2 more running touchdowns last season. What he failed to mention is that he also had 9 fumbles. That is 16 touchdowns and 13 turnovers (not a great ratio for a "star" starter in his SIXTH year. I guess Farrar forgot to mention that part).

As far as potential, I point to the can't-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks rule. Kaepernick is going to be 30 years old. Kind of old (in football years) to re-make a player. And last I heard, judgement is not something that can be taught. The reason football makes you take a test (Wonderlic test) is to test reason and problem solving. Quarterbacks who do not do so well usually do not pan out (Vince Young to name one).

Collusion by the Owners

I have no doubt Kaepernick's kneeling during the national anthem put a bad taste in the mouths of owners. What made it worse for them is that if any owner did say something, hateful terms like "racist", "biggot", and "slave owner" would litter Twitter (rhyme not intended). But did these guys actually call each other and conspire to keep Kaepernick off the football field? I doubt it. In fact, owners will do anything to win (remember the terrible things Michael Vick did).

More likely, the owners are afraid of the fan's reaction. Football has always been aligned with patriotic fans. The reality is, fans were not pleased with Kaepernick's little rebellion. Attendance was down (though I doubt Kaepernick was the only reason). I did not watch as much football, I admit, because I did not like the political stance the NFL players were taking because of Kaepernick's actions. I think owners were not so much in disagreement with Kaepernick's politics as they do not want to alienate the fans any further.

Remember the main rule of sale (from 7-11 to a candidate for President of the United States): The customer is always right.

Either Way, Only One Should Be At Fault...

The finger of blame should be pointed at Kaepernick himself. Just as he showed poor judgement on the football field, he has shown poor judgement off the football field. I liked Kaepernick when he came on the scene. I had him for two years on my fantasy football team (he killed my stats, by the way). But this just left a really bad taste in my mouth. I, as an American, am aware of the issues here but I still regale this country as a great country. It should be honored and respected. I also have great respect for the freedom of speech. But a football field is not the place for protest. And definitely not during the time players should honor the country and those who sacrificed for it. I watch sports to get away from our problems. When I see someone disrespect as he did, I can taste the bile. What riles me more is that the opportunities of this country made him rich. And for doing so little.

There are so many different ways he could have expressed his beliefs without actually offending the customers who are paying him (even just kneeling for one game would have probably been acceptable, not all sixteen). Maybe he did make the statement and got the attention he wanted. Maybe he is happy that he started the debate that has filled the airways. But with his comments that he was done kneeling during the anthem at the end of the last season (probably because he needed a new contract), I tend to think he knew he may have made a mistake. A mistake that will cost him a lot of money. It probably would have been better to keep his protest off the field.

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abc7chicago.com
fansided.com
pressdemocrat.com
washingtontimes.com
thebiglead.com
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