# Antonio Brown v.s. Colin Kaepernick **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 3, 2020, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606 "2020-11-03T02:15:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/1 "2020-11-03T02:15:55Z")
Watching MNF on ESPN. They’re falling all over each other to explain why Brown’s SUCH a quality man and asset to a team and how strongly he feels about giving his all to his team and blah blah fucking blah. As the ONE female on the broadcast team just said, the league is watching the civil suit VERY carefully. If he’s found to have raped the woman he is accused of raping, well- they will revisit their decision. Meanwhile, remind me of what felony crime Colin Kaepernick committed that caused him to lose his career? Oh. Right. Exercising Freedom of Speech while Black. Copy that. Fucking ass-backward National Football League. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/2 "2020-11-03T02:57:22Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Fucking ass-backward National Football League. Don’t you mean _Nationalist Football League_? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/3 "2020-11-03T03:28:45Z")
Umm no. Kaepernick was a circus show, a backup who was a system QB who wanted starter money. Not worth any team’s headache. He’s made plenty and helped Nike regain their reputation ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/4 "2020-11-03T05:20:32Z")
I’m sorry, but in a world where Geno Smith is paid to be a backup qb there’s room for Kaepernick. As a Pats fan I was hoping they would pick him up but it was hard to criticize them after the signed Newton. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/5 "2020-11-03T21:04:13Z")
It’s a mistake to ascribe any racial or political motive to NFL owners’ actions regarding Brown and Kaepernick. It’s really just as simple as money. They blackballed Kaepernick because they knew fans might stop watching games and buying merchandise if he were suited up, and the contributions he was likely to make as a player were too meager to risk those losses. They’re willing to take Brown back because his return may entice fans into watching, buying merchandise and betting on fantasy sports. And they can always ban him if he fucks up again. If Kaepernick were great and Brown mediocre, the stories would be reversed, and the ESPN guys would be singing Kaepernick’s praises. I’m not saying this is right. It’s despicable. It’s especially despicable that so more NFL fans are willing to boycott a sideline-kneeler but not an accused rapist. But for ESPN and the NFL, it’s just about money. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/6 "2020-11-03T23:06:10Z")
Pandering to someone’s racism is still racist. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/7 "2020-11-03T23:27:16Z")
Brown is Black, too. (Now _there’s_ a weird statement.) ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/8 "2020-11-04T00:21:20Z")
Sure, but the reason that fans might boycott Kaepernick is due to racism. It’s not because Kap himself is black, but because he thinks the lives of black people are more important than a patriotism ritual. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2020, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/9 "2020-11-04T00:41:59Z")
as numerous people forget, the First Amendment ONLY applies to gov’t action; private sector is not covered ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/10 "2020-11-04T01:41:10Z")
> [@fedman1](#): > > as numerous people forget, the First Amendment ONLY applies to gov’t action Such as the President demanding that Kaep not be hired? This blindingly obvious violation of rights aside, the owners are very much pandering to the racism of their fans. They are allowed to do so, it doesn’t violate the law, but we can also criticize them for it. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/11 "2020-11-06T22:08:30Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I’m sorry, but in a world where Geno Smith is paid to be a backup qb there’s room for Kaepernick. As a Pats fan I was hoping they would pick him up but it was hard to criticize them after the signed Newton That is a weird one. Pete Carroll seems to really like Colin, and has a good relationship with him, even talked with him about where he should go with his career. Colin tried out with the Seahawks but Pete indicated that he was worried if he signed him as a backup he’d lose the opportunity to sign as a starter elsewhere. He now says he regrets not signing him back then. Geno Smith is the QB in Seattle instead. > **[Carroll: Team called Seahawks to ask about Kap](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29299283/seahawks-pete-carroll-says-regrets-not-signing-colin-kaepernick-2017)** > > Pete Carroll said Thursday that he regrets not signing Colin Kaepernick after he visited the team in 2017 and that an unnamed team called Seattle on Thursday asking about the still-unsigned QB. I don’t think they passed on Colin for political purposes. If any team doesn’t care about that stuff, it’s Seattle. They had people kneeling and players were very open about their feelings on police brutality. Duane Brown left Texas for Seattle in part because he was tired of a suppressive culture that didn’t let people express their feelings. I’m pretty sure that we don’t know the real reason that Colin didn’t sign. My personal opinion is that Colin wanted more money than a backup QB would normally get and Seattle wasn’t willing to meet his price tag. ETA: Forgot to link the story. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/12 "2020-11-06T22:35:56Z")
In 2018? He wouldn’t commit to not kneeling. So, yes, political. From the more or less defunct Kap thread: > [@Were you surprised by the backlash from Kaepernick, other athletes kneeling vs. the public](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/300): > > How so? As far as I can tell, none of these are true. The Seahawks expressed interest in 2017 - they were the only team to publicly do so - and backed out. That’s coming from Pete Carroll himself. Anybody who signed with Seattle would know Russell Wilson was the QB and any spot would be a backup. And he told them [he’d be comfortable as a backup](https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/867751074840674304) himself. The Seahawks pitiful excuse for a reason was they thought he was [too good](https://twitter.com/BradyHenderson/status/1271197901096534016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1271197901096534016&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theringer.com%2Fnfl%2F2020%2F6%2F15%2F21289577%2Fcolin-kaepernick-protest-black-lives-matter-nfl-team-excuses) and another team would make him a starter - the “logic” was they wa… > [@Were you surprised by the backlash from Kaepernick, other athletes kneeling vs. the public](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/301): > > Board issues had me miss the edit window but those reasons are even worse in 2020 for other reasons. The Seahawks in 2018 were set to sign him and backed out when they didn’t get a commitment from Kap [not to protest during the anthem](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/23135580/seattle-seahawks-postpone-visit-colin-kaepernick-say-stop-kneeling-anthem). And worse for the “out of the league too long” excuse, in 2017, Bill O’Brien in Houston said he thought Kap hadn’t played recently enough. He then signed Josh Johnson, somebody not nearly as good and who hadn’t been in the NFL since 2011 (!!!). So, Kap, who playe… ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/13 "2020-11-06T23:00:30Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > In 2018? He wouldn’t commit to not kneeling. So, yes, political. And yet Seahawks were kneeling in 2018, so that’s clearly BS. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/14 "2020-11-06T23:06:07Z")
Missed edit window. Did you read the story I linked? Carroll denied that kneeling had anything to do with it, so it’s his word against some unnamed “source” Schefter claimed to have. Schefter was just spreading rumors, which he 's not shy about doing. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/15 "2020-11-07T04:41:26Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > And yet Seahawks were kneeling in 2018, so that’s clearly BS. Except they weren’t. That was 2017. As far as I can tell (and please correct me if I’m wrong), no Seahawks knelt in 2018. That was the year the league announced (and almost immediately took back) a policy that required players to stand or wait in the locker room or face stiff penalties. It mostly died that year across the league and only really came back this season. It’s entirely credible that a team would be worried about bringing that conversation back after it appeared to be dying down. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/antonio-brown-v-s-colin-kaepernick/924606/16 "2020-11-07T05:00:14Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Except they weren’t. That was 2017. > > As far as I can tell (and please correct me if I’m wrong), no Seahawks knelt in 2018. That was the year the league announced (and almost immediately took back) a policy that required players to stand or wait in the locker room or face stiff penalties. > > It mostly died that year across the league and only really came back this season. It’s entirely credible that a team would be worried about bringing that conversation back after it appeared to be dying down. You’re right, 2017 was when they were kneeling. Nobody was kneeling on the field in 2018, like you said.