Kaepernick unemployment

[call_me_ishmael]

He's clearly being blackballed and rightfully so. What rich, white business owner would want to be seen as aligning their franchise to this person who took some very public, very bold anti-American stances? The NFL knows who pays their bills, and it is some of the most patriotic, blue collar folks out there. It is well within the owners rights not to sign him so long as their isn't a league level collusion. I doubt there is.

No further discussion needed. He made his bed, now he's gotta lay in it. No denying he has talent, but he did something dumb and will pay for it.

[run pMc]

I don't know. He's been very upfront about his reasons, and I think blackballing him for it is pretty extreme.

http://www.sbnation.com/2016/9/11/12869726/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-protest-seahawks-brandon-marshall-nfl

I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That’s not happening.

I could see guys like Greg Hardy, Ray Rice, or AP not getting signed, and Vick getting back in the league had me gobsmacked. Protesting like this -- and others joined him, mind you -- isn't illegal. The concept of "blackballing" makes me instantly think of ol' Sen. McCarthy by the way.


That part of it aside, he has enough talent to at least be a backup or spot starter for a game or two. I don't know how invested he is in the game; I think he's more interested in social justice than football, and if your QB is your leader he has to be 100% committed.
He would also need a lot of QB development -- he's not done learning the position at the pro level, and may never learn it. He may not want to be a backup either...some guys still think they can/should be the starter. You'd think losing out to Blaine Gabbert would have changed that, however.

[pbmax]

I have a hard time with a guy who is expressing his opinion getting this treatment. Employers can do what they wish, its their business if they like to be worse off and claim a PR victory by avoiding talent. In this case its dumb, but its their choice. Same as Robert Kraft can avoid those with domestic assault charges, they can hire whom they wish.

Fans are another thing. The vets' sacrifice that the public is so eager throw in CK's face seem to have been made in order for people to be free enough to engage in exactly this kind of protest. There were more than a few vets speaking out for his right to protest when this broke last season.

I think its idiotic to make the Anthem or Pledge compulsory. The NBA's stance on this is problematic*. Mandatory standing at attention for either flies in the face of the very values those expressions are trying to celebrate.


*Anyone remember why they did it?

[Joemailman]

Teams have every right to not hire a player if they feel their off-field activities would have a detrimental effect on the team. This happens every year in the draft. Some teams take a player entirely off their draft board because of off-field activities.

It is worth pointing out though, that there is no television video of Kaepernick not standing that I have seen during the national anthem. That is because the networks habitually (except for some national telecasts) do not broadcast the playing of the national anthem so they can get in another beer commercial. Is the habit of the networks cutting away from the national anthem to make more advertising dollars any more disrespectful than what Kaepernick did? Should the NFL insist that the networks broadcast the national anthem?

[pbmax]

Its just me and Harbaugh.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/06/12/jim-harbaugh-reiterates-his-belief-colin-kaepernick-will-win-championships/

Gonna be very uncomfortable at the meeting.

[mraynrand]

Its just me and Harbaugh.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/06/12/jim-harbaugh-reiterates-his-belief-colin-kaepernick-will-win-championships/

Gonna be very uncomfortable at the meeting.

You think Kap will win championship(s)? Really? I suppose if he returns to a great situation. I do think he'll play again. There aren't 32 starting QBs in the NFL right now.

[pbmax]

You think Kap will win championship(s)? Really? I suppose if he returns to a great situation. I do think he'll play again. There aren't 32 starting QBs in the NFL right now.

Probably not. Harbaugh is still nuttier than I am.

[gbgary]

"But he won't stay in the pocket and run my offense..."

Good! Especially if you are Chip Kelly.

my comment was about the read-option scheme. he's got skills but as i mentioned before baggage/noise (and perhaps $) is keeping him out...for now. someone will get needy later.

[Patler]

This is not about an individual expressing his point of view, this is about an employee using his place of work as his podium to provide greater exposure for that expression. How many of us have worked for an employer that would allow that, especially when used in a blatant and unpopular manner?

I suspect that if he had expressed the same points on his own time in places away from the team, he might be unpopular with some fans, but the owners would not care all that much, because they are quite accustomed to dealing with players who have public image issues and/or are not well-liked among the general population or even their teammates.

I also would not be surprised if much of the current reluctance to hire him is of his own doing. He probably knows that he can get a cheap, short-term offer at just about anytime, so his demands might be pushing the limits on what teams are willing to pay for a player they view as a stopgap or backup who maybe still can resurrect a career as a starter. However, he might be one injury away from having a much higher value for one of those teams than he does right now, so why sign a "prove-it" contract now when he can always do it in a month or two?

If he really does still want to play (realistically, we do not know what his desire really is) I suspect he will sign somewhere by the time the start of the season rolls around. Even Packer fans would be much more accepting if the unthinkable were to happen in training camp.

[pbmax]

This is not about an individual expressing his point of view, this is about an employee using his place of work as his podium to provide greater exposure for that expression. How many of us have worked for an employer that would allow that, especially when used in a blatant and unpopular manner?

Maybe its different where you work, but we do not stand, pledge or sing at my place of business. We also don't sell tickets to the public to attend inside a city owned park.

When the team decides it wants to invite patriotic displays (whether its the Anthem, Kate Smith or generous donations from the DoD for flag unfurling and a color guard) into its event, the whole panoply of people's patriotic feelings and interpretation of duty comes into play.

Could they rule against such a display by their employee? Probably. I suspect it would withstand legal challenges and stand like the NBA's rule. But if they did, the patriotic display becomes quite hollow.

[Tony Oday]

In the end fuck this second rate QB and his anti cop, anti American stance.

[Patler]

When the team decides it wants to invite patriotic displays (whether its the Anthem, Kate Smith or generous donations from the DoD for flag unfurling and a color guard) into its event, the whole panoply of people's patriotic feelings and interpretation of duty comes into play.

Could they rule against such a display by their employee? Probably. I suspect it would withstand legal challenges and stand like the NBA's rule. But if they did, the patriotic display becomes quite hollow.

It's not about if they could prevent it or not; if it is illegal or not. The point is that he used that podium to express an opinion in an unpopular way. He used the owners' places of conducting their business, where and how their income is generated. Of course he will pay consequences for it.

Maybe its different where you work, but we do not stand, pledge or sing at my place of business. We also don't sell tickets to the public to attend inside a city owned park.

I see absolutely no relevance to whether tickets are sold, whether it is on public property or any of the issues such as standing or singing. In some people's mind the flag, national anthem, etc. are "special" as targets for protest; but really, they are not. What has been decided is these are not "special" items of protection against such protests.

[Upnorth]

I still think there is a big difference between what contract he has been offered and what contract he expects. Once a team is desperate then he will be signed

[swede]

Maybe its different where you work, but we do not stand, pledge or sing at my place of business.

Oh we stand, and we pledge, and we sing at my place of work. And any deviation from expected behaviors results in a loss of free agency on the playground.

[mraynrand]

we do not stand, pledge or sing at my place of business.

There is no joy in Mudville