A complete disrespect: Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand during the National Anthem
By: HMC(SS/SW) Chris Walker, United States Navy.
The San Francisco 49ers faced their NFC foes the Green Bay Packers in what is known around the league a dress rehearsal for the regular season which ended in a 21-10 loss. In this game (with the exception of the first quarter) the 49ers offense looked lost and pretty much terrible. Friday also marked the return to field for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick entered the game in the second quarter relieving Blaine Gabbert, with a chance to win the starting quarterback job come opening day. However, he looked completely out of sync and was flat out terrible in his one quarter of play. He completed 2-6 passes for only 14 yards. Additionally, he looked uncomfortable with every snap he took. He tried to take off running even though he had a clean pocket to throw from and when he did throw, he threw into coverage and almost got picked off.
Meanwhile, the starter Blaine Gabbert, was efficient in his 3 drives. He was 2-3 for 16 yards and lead the team on it’s only scoring drive. Gabbert’s performance helped him solidify his lock to win the starting job. Now this should be the story coming out of the bay area today; however, it’s not as reports come out over night that not only did Kaepernick have a terrible performance, he also refused to stand up and show respect to this great country of ours during the playing of the National Anthem. NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reported this morning that Kaepernick told him during an interview “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people”.
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Now this is America, the home of the free and the land of the brave and Colin Kaepernick has a God given right that is protected by the Constitution of the United States of America to speak his mind and protest. Which he chose to do Friday night and greatly upset a large number of people and this reporter is one of them.I am a lifelong 49ers fan and have been since the first time I watched the Great Joe Montana throw a pass. I have been a loyal and faithful fan regardless of their record, good or bad. I have bought 49ers merchandise, and tickets for the better part of 30 years. I love my 49ers, sometimes more than anything else. However, I am also a Sailor in the United States Navy and have been for 20 years now, and the actions by a player that I once really rooted for is making me rethink my loyalty and faithfulness to the 49ers.
By Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand and give his respect to this great and mighty country is a complete and utter disrespect to me and the others who serve with me and especially those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world. By not standing up paying respect to those of us in uniform and those of us who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and died for this great land, he has lost all respect from me and countless others. His actions showed the world the kind of person that he truly is and in my opinion does not deserve the privilege of playing in the NFL. He is a disgrace to the 49ers, the NFL, this country and his parents who raised him as their own and should be cut from the team and suspended immediately.
Now as a lifelong 49ers fan this pains me to say, but if Jed York, Trent Baalke and Chip Kelly, don’t do the right thing and cut Kaepernick immediately for his actions, I cannot and will no cheer or root for the 49ers ever again. I will not associate myself with an organization that disrespects everything that I have given my life too over the past 20 years to protect. I will not root for a team that has a player on it that spits on the months and years that I have sacrificed away from my family while being deployed protecting him and his family. I will not root for a team that has a player on it that disrespects whose who I have served with who paid with their lives to protect our country. I will not and I cannot do that.
With that I hope and pray that Jed, Trent and Chip do the right thing and cut ties with Kaepernick. He is a cancer in the locker room and there is no place from him on the team. I also pray for Colin. I am not sure what has changed in his life over the past few years from the good God loving kid who had a bright smile on his face. I hope that one day that he can find that person in himself again, but I just don’t know if that is possible.
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