I just don’t like his perceived ignorance of not knowing the consequences of his actions. There is a price to pay when you stand up for Black People in this country. Not just this country, you can go back to Moses in the Bible and find out that after years of leading and fighting on the behalf of Black folks, he still didn’t make it to the promised land. Fighting for the freedom of Black People is a task that cannot be done half-heartedly. Knowing this, or not knowing this is where I lose sympathy for Kapernick. Once he made that decision to take that knee on behalf of justice, equality, and freedom for Blacks, it was over. The checks, spotlight, fans, and fame were gone.
The cool thing about Kaepernick’s situation was that he wasn’t crucified by the public as much as athletes and other freedom fighters before him. Yes, he did get criticism from then-President Donald Trump and so-called patriotic people who labeled his stance as being anti-American. However, for the most part, he was applauded for his courage. He didn’t lose his endorsement deal with Nike. The NFL gave a somewhat apology, by saying that their position on social justice issues was done incorrectly. They hired JAY Z and even gave Kaepernick a severance package in 2019 that said they colluded to keep him out of the league.
In many ways, Kaepernick became a winner, he got more recognition off the field than he ever got on the field. He has been widely regarded as a hero, and to a lesser degree by some people a revolutionary. The problem is, he wants his cake and eats it also. (I never understood why that saying has stood the test of time because once you get your cake, you definitely want to eat it.) But the point is just like Jussie Smollett wanted to be the “gay 2Pac”, Kaepernick wants to be the sports 2Pac. He hasn’t quite said this, but how can you explain his efforts to get back into the NFL?