Kaepernick

Bold Tone

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/how-history-informs-colin-kaepernick-s-national-anthem-protest-n639366

Strange for me to start this thread when i know very little about this guy so i'm hoping others can educate me but it seems very brave for a person in his standing in what is America's most popular sport.
From across the pond it seems to have come from the heart which is noble.
I find myself being reminded of this.

Am i wrong?

Jens

Kaepernick was regarded as the next superstar quarterback a couple of years ago when he took the 49ers to the SuperBowl. Since then he has played poorly and is no longer a starter for his team. So he is not relevant as a player at the moment but he is still a big name.

Anyway he definitely has a point and good on him for speaking out, not surprisingly he is catching a lot of flak from fans for this. I'm not breaking any new ground by saying American sporting events and football games in particular are very patriotic, (for lack of a better word), and even in meaningless pre-season games there are pop stars singing the national anthem while fighter jets fly over the stadium, the whole nine yards. So something like this will be noticed.

Bold Tone

http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2016/08/cops-want-kaepernick-to-apologize-to-them-for-him-wanting-to-end-police-brutality/
:john:

Klaus

I'm mostly surprised it doesn't happen on a more regular basis, but credit and respect to the man for taking a stand. There's a patriotic element in sport in general (and in American sport in particular) that becomes very ugly when it's mandatory. I wish we'd praise athleticism above nationalism.

Bryant

Jens is right, Kaepernick has become a mediocre QB that's paid $11 million dollars a year. Here's what some fans think of his comments: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/08/27/kaepernick-refuses-to-show-pride-in-a-country-that-oppresses-black-people/

Bold Tone

I couldn't care less if he was a superstar or some homeless junkie.
If anything, his low standing in the public eye makes it all the more powerful.
A few weeks ago 4 superstar basketball players did something much more explicit and, for me, it didn't register as powerfully as this.

Rex

This isn't new in American sports. Timing is important though.

Bold Tone

"But the code was first drawn up only in 1923 under the auspices of the American Legion, and only became law when the US was at war, in 1942."

"The Flag Code covers all aspects of etiquette in relation to the Stars and Stripes, including how to behave when the anthem is played. The code is never enforced, however, and there is no punishment for breaching it."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37208404

I think Kaepernick and Gabby Douglas may disagree on the "no punishment" bit.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/rio-2016-gabby-douglas-national-anthem-twitter-gymnastics-hand-on-heart-criticism-a7182451.html

e: Even the POTUS is not immune and that's why it's incredible that an irrelevance like a washed up back-up quarterback can create such a ripple in as massive a country as the USA!

"President Barack Obama famously neglected to put his hand over his heart during the 2008 election campaign. He explained his mistake by saying his grandfather taught him to do this only during the pledge, and to only sing during the anthem."

Qwiss

Fair play to him. People who complain about people disrespecting an anthem are morons.

Bryant

http://fusion.net/story/341512/mahmoud-abdul-rauf-colin-kaepernick/

Nba parallel 20 years ago.

banduan

https://theintercept.com/2016/08/28/colin-kaepernick-is-righter-than-you-know-the-national-anthem-is-a-celebration-of-slavery/

[size=medium][font=SwiftNeueLTW01, Georgia, serif]So when Key penned “No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,” he was taking great satisfaction in the death of slaves who’d freed themselves. His perspective may have been affected by the fact he owned several slaves himself.[/font][/size]

Bold Tone

the donald wades in.
"Je suis un imbécile"

Bryant

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/09/01/colin-kaepernick-my-pig-socks-were-a-statement-on-rogue-cops/

goon

Silly boy. That being said, the comments section is absolutely shocking, as is the way he's being targeted in general. Probably says more about America than the police shootings.

Meatwad

i'll call him silly for the pig socks when these race soldiers stop walking around like this:

and this Philly pig's dog is named Rommel

the best thing about these actions from Kaep is that it's revealing some black people for the cowards that they are like scam newton. he's changed since the super bowl, disgusting. i can't wait until white people start shitting on him again, he'll see that he's alone because black folks will ride for you no matter what until you reveal yourself to be a coon and then it's like fuck you go back to your master.

Coombs

Pig as a slur...ffs. It's an insult for what they do, not who they are.

Cannon

I am not the most informed person when it comes to NFL etc, but in the broader context i think he is doing a great job. I also think he is making a lot of noise because of his place in society as his actions lead to a direct visual and unavoidable impact on people.Top level sports is too 'nationalistic' and people take it too far when patriotism/nationalism are tied to it. I agree with Klaus that end of the day it is a 'athletic' competition and should be viewed more so.

I don't even see him as 'black' person but more like an american protesting police brutality. I wish more Americans viewed it like that. Good on him!

Meatwad

he's an NFL player.

Bold Tone

Is etc not specific enough?

Burnwinter

Haven't really been following the Kaepernick story, but if it involves a black man in the US pointing out a good number of white cops are racists, and that the rate of black death by cop is an abomination … good?