# Were you surprised by the backlash from Kaepernick, other athletes kneeling vs. the public **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 22, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146 "2019-10-22T17:20:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/261 "2020-06-12T20:21:35Z")
It [is](https://twitter.com/Newsweek/status/1271513981145022464) a parody. ---
**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:** [June 12, 2020, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/262 "2020-06-12T23:02:04Z")
^If nothing else clued you in that he’s mocking the morons, this bit should have: > [@](#): > > What on flat Earth is going on? \*I think I got that quote correct. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/263 "2020-06-13T01:54:08Z")
One more. I think I’ll create a thread for this guy, I think he is going to be all over soon. Don’t know whether to put it in Cafe Society or Politics and Elections. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/B5WkOsmhsew/maxresdefault.jpg "Open Up Vegas") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5WkOsmhsew) ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/264 "2020-06-15T17:41:17Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Don Cherry is a fired Canadian dinosaur. Know one knows who John Krupinsky is. The NHL and the players have come out pretty solidly in favor of Black Lives Matter so far. Your hero John Tortorella has done a 180 and now is fine with players kneeling for the anthem. > > [https://www.tmz.com/2020/06/10/nhl-john-tortorella-changes-stance-on-anthem-protests-columbus-blue-jackets/](https://www.tmz.com/2020/06/10/nhl-john-tortorella-changes-stance-on-anthem-protests-columbus-blue-jackets/) I like Tortorella’s passion for the game, not his stance on the anthem originally in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/265 "2020-06-15T17:48:37Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So which is it? Did you not care for kneeling? Or did you not see it as a big deal? Because I don’t think both can be true at the same time. And who the fuck cares what Boomer Esiason thinks? I thought you were going to stick with offering only your own opinions. No, I did not care for kneeling, I thought that it was a big distraction and it should have not been so discussed. I approve of players kneeling. I don’t think it is disrespectful to the flag, but a lot of people do, especially Boomer Esiason. A lot of people care what Esiason thinks…he is paid on WFAN/CBS as a commentator to speak his mind…he plays well with a lot of white blue collar listeners. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/266 "2020-06-15T17:54:28Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > A lot of people care what Esiason thinks…he is paid on WFAN/CBS as a commentator to speak his mind…he plays well with a lot of white blue collar listeners. And white blue collar listeners are the demographic that will effect change! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/267 "2020-06-15T17:56:59Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > No, I did not care for kneeling, I thought that it was a big distraction and it should have not been so discussed. > > I approve of players kneeling. I don’t think it is disrespectful to the flag, but a lot of people do, especially Boomer Esiason. Are you not a native speaker of the English language? Because when you say “I did not care for kneeling”, [you’re saying you don’t like it](https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/not-care-for-someone-something). But you also say you approve of kneeling. ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/268 "2020-06-15T17:58:36Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Are you not a native speaker of the English language? Because when you say “I did not care for kneeling”, [you’re saying you don’t like it](https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/not-care-for-someone-something). But you also say you approve of kneeling. I don’t care for kneeling means it is not a big deal. Kaepernick did not hurt anyone other than people who perceive him to be anti American. That is what I am saying. I didn’t care for it, I didn’t mind it. That is what I am saying. ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/269 "2020-06-15T18:01:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > And white blue collar listeners are the demographic that will effect change! > > :dubious: They are the most patriotic of Americans, they view things differently, Esiason is one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/270 "2020-06-15T18:02:13Z")
Those phrases don’t mean the same things in American English. ---
**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:** [June 15, 2020, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/271 "2020-06-15T18:03:58Z")
**Chingon** beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/272 "2020-06-15T18:36:06Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > I didn’t care for it, I didn’t mind it. That is what I am saying. The phrase you’re groping for is “I didn’t care _about_ it”. In American English, “I don’t care about X” means “I’m indifferent to X” or “X means nothing to me”. Whereas “I don’t care for X” means “I dislike X”, frequently with connotations of “I disapprove of X”. (Of course, in other contexts, “to care for” someone or something means “to take care of, to devote attention to, to nurture”. English idioms can be confusing that way.) ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/273 "2020-06-15T18:55:47Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > The phrase you’re groping for is “I didn’t care _about_ it”. > > In American English, “I don’t care about X” means “I’m indifferent to X” or “X means nothing to me”. > > Whereas “I don’t care for X” means “I dislike X”, frequently with connotations of “I disapprove of X”. > > (Of course, in other contexts, “to care for” someone or something means “to take care of, to devote attention to, to nurture”. English idioms can be confusing that way.) I didn’t mind the kneeling. There. It was a distraction. Trump brought it up the first. But the Esiasons of the world didn’t like Kap because they thought he was unpatriotic. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/274 "2020-06-15T19:00:40Z")
Patriotism is becoming a pretty nebulous term. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/275 "2020-06-15T19:00:43Z")
Now that you’ve had your English lesson for the day, perhaps you can limit yourself to only offering your own opinion? ---
**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:** [June 16, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/276 "2020-06-16T01:54:37Z")
A distraction. Yeah, right. You don’t mind it. That’s a load of horse apples. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/277 "2020-06-16T03:51:47Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > They are the most patriotic of Americans, they view things differently, Esiason is one of them. White blue caller listeners are the most patriotic of Americans? How do you know? Did Boomer Esiason tell you that? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/278 "2020-06-16T05:14:27Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > A lot of people care what Esiason thinks…he is paid on WFAN/CBS as a commentator to speak his mind…he plays well with a lot of white blue collar listeners. > [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > I don’t care for kneeling means it is not a big deal. Kaepernick did not hurt anyone other than people who perceive him to be anti American. In other words, he offended people who think that anyone with skin darker than them should be killed or enslaved. And terms like “white blue collar” or “white working class” are almost invariably just code for “white nationalists”. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2020, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/279 "2020-06-16T06:30:32Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > Kaepernick did not hurt anyone other than people who perceive him to be anti American. Kaepernick did not hurt anyone. They were offended because of his color and they simply do not care what happens to Blacks. The fact is that they did what they could to hurt him. Do you think kneeling is disrespectful? What about that white player who kneeled all the time in the end zone? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2020, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146/280 "2020-06-16T07:33:35Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > And white blue collar listeners are the demographic that will effect change! > > :dubious: > [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > They are the most patriotic of Americans, they view things differently, Esiason is one of them. Leaving aside the absurd notion that the millionaire Boomer Esiason is blue collar at all, you’re also using [”patriotic”](https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/an-important-distinction) wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-you-surprised-by-the-backlash-from-kaepernick-other-athletes-kneeling-vs-the-public/842146.md?page=15)