Why Colin Kaepernick Can’t Get an NFL Job

I read a good article on Colin Kaepernick by WEEI’s Alex Reimer describing how he is being blackballed by the NFL. While the article is definitely worth the read, and I agree with much of what’s in it, I disagree with the conclusion. I don’t believe that Kaepernick is being blackballed by the NFL. In other words, I don’t think that the NFL owners got together and agreed to have nobody pick up Kaepernick. Let me explain.

Reimer says that “Kaepernick’s message [protesting societal injustice] shouldn’t be all that controversial, anyway.” And, while I agree, it is important to note that the key words in the sentence are “shouldn’t be.” Kaepernick’s message shouldn’t be controversial, especially when you compare his call for social justice to say, Greg Hardy’s horrific domestic violence.[1] Unfortunately, Kaepernick’s message and actions are controversial in the United States today.

My first article for The Lead Sports was about Kaepernick and in it I examined what I thought of Kaepernick’s movement coupled with what the future held for both the QB and said movement. Kaepernick, true to his word as Reimer points out, donated the $1 million to community organizations and continues to do better than good work for society as a whole. His movement is still a work in progress but Kaepernick has shown himself to be a man whose actions are speaking every bit as loudly as his words.

In re-reading my column for The Lead linked above, I also referenced Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. It wasn’t hard to see where this was going with Kaepernick. Abdul-Rauf, an NBA player who famously sat for the national anthem, said, citing his Muslim faith, that he could not be “for God and for oppression” and thus could not stand for the U.S. national anthem. Unsurprisingly, he subsequently was ostracized. His career dwindled to a halt. He received death threats and had his home burned to the ground.

In Mike Freeman’s article, cited by Reimer, Freeman quoted an anonymous AFC General Manager who said that 70% of the NFL owners “genuinely hate [Colin Kaepernick] and can’t stand what he did [in kneeling for the national anthem]. They want nothing to do with him. They won’t move on. They think showing no interest is a form of punishment.” Freeman argues that it is highly unusual that a QB with Kaepernick’s skill-set and resume goes unsigned. And it is. But it is not remotely surprising. And here’s why: The majority of NFL owners are conservative Republicans.

If you’ve watched any Fox News clips or read any Breitbart columns you won’t be surprised to hear that many conservative Republicans HATE what men like Kaepernick represent. They hate Black Lives Matter. They hate public protest from any minority group for that matter. And they really hate it when those movements interfere with their enjoyment of the concussion-inducing hits that the NFL produces. They’re the ones telling you that we live in a post-racial society even though reports like this one from the Justice Department’s investigation into the Chicago Police Department still come out. You know these conservative Republicans. They’re the ones Tweeting  “STICK TO SPORTS YOU [expletive, racist expletive, sexist expletive]” at sports reporters like Freeman. They’re the ones who love words like “snowflake” or “libtard.” Our electorate just voted in President Trump![2] That doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

So, is it so surprising that the NFL owners might feel the same way that a Twitter troll does? No. The difference is that the wealthy owners usually have the sense to keep their mouths shut and speak with their wallets. Speaking of which, to which party do you think the majority of the NFL owners’ monetary contributions have gone in years passed? You guessed it, the Republican party. And you can add one more name to that outdated list of Republican supporters with Kraft having backed Trump.

I keep reading that Kaepernick is being “blackballed.” The term “blackball” would necessarily involve secret collusion by the owners in this case. I just don’t think that the owners got together and secretly agreed that nobody will sign Kaepernick. No, instead it’s as simple as the owners not wanting to sign someone who they don’t think will win them a Super Bowl but who assuredly will protest the very political beliefs that they cling to. If Kaepernick were a top-5 QB, he’d be on a team right now, but he’s not. He’s probably somewhere between top 15-30 at this point in his career, depending on who you ask. To compare, if I were an owner, I wouldn’t hire Rex Ryan given his vocal support of Trump. He may be better than the 32^nd best coach out there, but he’s not exactly Belichick and he’d make my blood boil, so why subject myself to that if I’m not going to win the big one anyway?

Moving forward, does Kaepernick deserve what he’s experiencing? No. Is it a surprise? Also no. Sure, you can find your problems with Kaepernick, be it the Fidel Castro envy or the infamous socks referenced in Reimer’s column. But, based upon all of the good he has done, to paraphrase President Andrew Shepherd (The American President), if you want a character debate, you’d better stick with someone else, because Colin Kaepernick is way out of your league. Being a man of high character was enough for Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. For Kaepernick’s sake, I hope it’s enough for him too.

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[1] Of course Hardy was signed by the Cowboys, even after the details of his vicious attack of his then girlfriend surfaced. The Cowboys faced some flack, but that predictably faded.

[2] For those who immediately want to shout out that Trump lost the popular vote by roughly 3 million votes: 62,984,825 people voted for President Mittens McOrangeface despite how patently unqualified and horrifying he was and is.