By Ken Reed
Is the NFL completely morally bankrupt?
This is the league that runs phony, shameful campaigns to salute military soldiers and veterans.
This is the league that tried to hide evidence that brain trauma was leading to CTE.
This is the league that asks prospective players inappropriate interview questions
That’s a short list for starters.
But my focus today is a question: How can the NFL justify signing the likes of Richie Incognito and Nick Bosa while blackballing for life Colin Kaepernick?
Incognito has a long record of bad behavior and run-ins with the law. He was a key leader in a bullying scandal with the Miami Dolphins in 2013. He was arrested as recently as last year, after threatening to shoot the employees at a funeral home. Nevertheless, the Oakland Raiders have signed him to be a part of their squad for the upcoming season.
Nick Bosa, the overall #2 draft pick in this year’s draft, is a San Francisco 49er. Bosa has filled social media with controversial conservative political rants. He has also ripped African-American celebrities like Beyonce, Jay-Z, Draymond Green and Kaepernick. He also has followed and liked accounts that express support and sympathy for white nationalists. (Fearing these posts might hurt his draft status, as well as his status as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, he has deleted these accounts, including “likes” of posts involving homophobia and the n-word.) The dude doesn’t even have the guts to stand up for his beliefs.
Meanwhile, Kaepernick, who doesn’t have a criminal record, or record of drug or domestic abuse, was blackballed from the league for protesting racism, social injustice and police brutality toward minorities in this country. Kaepernick said he had nothing against military soldiers or veterans, and in fact, said he was grateful for their service. He said he was protesting because — in his view — the United States wasn’t living up to its values and ideals, such as “justice for all.”
As Rob Tornoe wrote for Forbes:
“Colin Kaepernick didn’t commit a crime. He didn’t punch his fiancée in the face or try to cover up a murder. He didn’t run a secret dogfighting ring, or violently throw his girlfriend onto a bed of weapons.
“No, Kaepernick’s only crime is that he offered an opinion while being black. And for that heinous act, NFL owners don’t want any part of him.”
So, here we are. Incognito and Bosa play on in the NFL, while Kaepernick’s career is over. He reached a settlement with the NFL back in February for allegedly being blackballed by NFL owners.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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