"Kap wasn't bounced from NFL for lack of skill" Topic

Three years after NFL team owners closed the doors of their franchises to Colin Kaepernick, the league's former head of communications — who was often in the center of the storm — has asserted what many have long suspected: A kneeling Kaepernick was bounced from the NFL in 2017 because he was bad for business.

That's one of the massive takeaways from the column written by CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart, who was the NFL's vice president of communications when Kaepernick ignited a social justice movement that rippled through teams and shook the league's ownership ranks.

In Lockhart's own words from a column from early Saturday morning: "No teams wanted to sign a player — even one as talented as Kaepernick — whom they saw as controversial, and, therefore, bad for business."

That line bears repeating once, twice or a thousand times because it forever puts a spate of intellectually dishonest and long-running canards to bed. So let's stop and shout this for a moment, so everyone in the back can hear it:

Colin Kaepernick was not bounced by NFL team owners because of his skill. He was not bounced because of salary demands. And he was not bounced because he wanted a starting job. No, he was rejected by NFL team owners because he became a financial liability, kneeling for social justice and igniting a telling firestorm with President Donald Trump.

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The pearl clutching of some folks over taking a knee to quietly make a point seems very quaint right about now.

he was rejected by NFL team owners because he became a financial liability

Seems reasonable and why should I care. The NFL is running a business and you don't need problem employees.

All I can say is when I worked for a living, there were
very clear guidelines on expressing yourself politically.

Do anything you want – BUT NOT IN THE WORKPLACE OR ON
WORKTIME.

Virtue signalling?

Virtue ? Nothing of the sort. I was raising a
family and needed the paycheck.

And today that same company sends me a pension
payment the first of every month.

'Course, if I had been making an NFL QB's money (and
making wise investments) maybe I wouldn't
have been so scrupulous about following their
rules…

Virtue signalling?

I used to think that way as well: "That guy is just grandstanding." And I'm sure sometimes people are. But virtues need to on display through one's actions.

You may not like the virtue someone signals, but it is always worth sincere personal reflection on why you find someone else's virtues offensive. It's difficult, often painful, to do so honestly. That's why you're better off doing that reflection on your own than on a forum like this--less chance of getting defensive and missing the point.

Virtue signalling?

the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one's good character or the moral correctness of one's position on a particular issue.

I would add: see also: moral narcissism.

Wasn't there another football player who was involved in dog fighting, went to jail, and came back to play?

Wasn't there another football player who was involved in dog fighting, went to jail, and came back to play?

Yep, Michael Vick

An average AB at best and locker room poison. And the nfl said no thanks.

An average AB at best

All the while many inferior QBs were getting back-up and starting roles. That's the point, since many were explaing it away as Kap asking for too much money for his skill level, or Kap turning down backup roles when he was never asked.

Also never mind that the advanced analytics showed that when you factor in the new coaching staff, the turnstile of an O-line he worked with and the lack of receiving weapons, he was an above average qb that year.

VCarter yes Michael Vick did, after his jail time and still could play very well, if you can't play creating a scene doesn't make you able to play.

Make a difference, not a spectacle of yourself.
wdc.org

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I live in the SF bay area. Kap always had the worst excuses and gave the worst post-game interviews. It always seemed to be about him. If he was winning games any team would pick him up. His 2015 and 2016 record was 3-16 and he pretty much choked in the big game. The stat that counts is winning. Cam Newton and Jamis Winston had better stats than Kap and they just got traded. Why? Look at their record. It appears that NFL teams are losing interest in the super athlete running QB's in favor of drop back immobile specialists.

I've played football and other team sports. A real leader does not strive to bring attention to himself. Can you imagine if every player in the NFL had a special interest to advertise in a specific way (kneel, raised fist, dance, non-uniform colors or apparel, etc).

Just win baby!

Wolfhag

Ed Mohrmann, I did not mean you.

Politics need to be kept out of sports. That's a fundamental underlying tenets of the Olympics; for a very good reason.

They should have gotten rid of him a long time before they did.

That fact stated, he did get to where he was for a reason.