Last NFL season felt like it was going to be like any other. Yet on August 26, 2016, Colin Kaepernick, then the backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, refused to stand for the playing of the American national anthem prior to an exhibition game. As one can imagine, this had far-reaching repercussions, both immediately and as the protest continued.
The part of the protest that made it so polarizing was that his basis resonated with a lot of people. He said after the game in question, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."
Within days, the National Football League's TV ratings had plummeted. During the first half of the regular season and beyond, many people were outraged with Kaepernick for various reasons. To me, it just seemed perplexing. The national anthem has nothing to do with race relations, and Kaepernick, as it seemed, was just promoting division. I thought it may have been an attention grab as he was no longer considered a star. And to me, an unabashed 49ers fan, I was annoyed that he was creating the distraction.
The 49ers had a final record of two wins and fourteen losses in 2016. In the grand scheme of things, our season will probably only be remembered for this fiasco. And to be fair, there are good arguments for both sides. Some people felt that Kaepernick was disrespecting our armed servicemen (yet he said it had nothing to do with them). Then again, provided many of these people voted for Donald Trump, who called war hero John McCain a loser, how honest can they be? One really has to look at the protest in its context.
A statement from the 49ers read as such: "The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem."
However, the issue goes deeper than Kaepernick's freedom of expression. I am not saying that Kaepernick should be prosecuted for his actions, and I believe it would be un-American (for lack of a better word) to do so. Rather, I am saying that Kaepernick's then-employer (he is no longer with the 49ers) should also have the right to respond as they see fit.
The NFL is a business. Since Kaepernick opted out of his contract two months ago, he has not signed with any other team. Some people have theorized that teams do not want him as he is a distraction. Whether or not that is true, shouldn't that be the teams' right under collective bargaining principles? The NFL has its own rules in place for these matters, and nowhere does it say that every player has the right to a team.
While standing up for social justice is always a good thing, I believe one must consider two things: whether his motives for doing so are selfless and whether it is worth the potential repercussions. I believe that in Kaepernick's case, the answer is no. Now I am not Colin Kaepernick, and I do not know what is on his mind. However, I think that he knows, and I could be very, very wrong, that he could have had a new job in the NFL had he not decided to draw attention to himself by causing a national controversy.
Furthermore, I did not think this was that big of a deal, and I still watched most of the 49ers games. I respect people who think it was a big enough deal to not watch the games and to be fair, they didn't miss much (I am saying that as a lifelong fan).
While I personally don't agree with his protest, I respect his right to act the way he did, and I respect the right of everyone else to react, whether in support or opposition, including the NFL.
