In a statement released on October 15, Colin Kaepernick’s lawyers wrote: “We can confirm that this morning we filed a grievance under the CBA on behalf of Colin Kaepernick.
“This was done only after pursuing every possible avenue with all NFL teams and their executives.
“If the NFL (as well as all professional sports leagues) is to remain a meritocracy, then principled and peaceful political protest – which the owners themselves made great theatre imitating weeks ago – should not be punished and athletes should not be denied employment.
“Such a precedent threatens all patriotic Americans and harkens back to our darkest days as a nation. Protecting all athletes from such collusive conduct is what compelled Mr. Kaepernick to file his grievance.
“Colin Kaepernick’s goal has always been, and remains, to simply be treated fairly by the league he performed at the highest level for and to return to the football playing field.”
Some players from the 49ers again knelt during the anthem before their match on October 15.
They were playing for the first time since VP Mike Pence walked out of their game in Indianapolis, after several members of the team did not stand.
Several NFL players have joined Colin Kaepernick in protesting about racial inequality on the NFL’s opening weekend, which also marked the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem at the start of each game in pre-season has divided opinion.
While many have backed Colin Kaepernick, others say he is disrespecting the American flag.
However, several players raised fists or knelt to support Colin Kaepernick’s aim to highlight oppression of black people.
Photo Wikipedia
Four Miami Dolphins players – Arian Foster, Jelani Jenkins, Michael Thomas, and Kenny Stills – knelt as the Star Spangled Banner played. Their opponents, the Seattle Seahawks, locked arms as they stood.
Kansas City Chiefs players also locked arms to show unity while the player at the end of their line, Marcus Peters, raised a black-gloved fist – a gesture reminiscent of US sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos as they stood on the podium following their 200m final at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
“It was our goal to be unified as a team and to be respectful of everyone’s opinions, and the remembrance of 9/11.
“It’s our job as professional athletes to make a positive impact on our communities and to be proactive when change is needed,” a statement from the Chiefs players after the game said.
Miami Dolphins player Jelani Jenkins said: “I chose to get involved to see if I could create change, raise awareness.
“I want to make it clear that there is no disrespect to the military or to police officers – I’m not about that.
“I would like to keep moving forward in the right direction with everybody: equal rights, equal opportunity. From my position, it doesn’t seem that it’s happening. That’s why I took a stand.”
Seattle Seahawks players and staff had been in talks before their game to discuss how best to show support, and wide receiver Doug Baldwin said they wanted to meet with the mayor of Seattle and local law enforcement.
“We know that there has to be change and progress, but you got to apply direction to change,” he said.
In the late game, New England Patriots’ Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty both held up their right arms, while team-mate Danny Amendola was seen to grab the unfurled American flag on the field during the anthem.
In September 8 season-opener between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers, Denver linebacker Brandon Marshall knelt during the national anthem.
Colin Kaepernick’s team plays the Los Angeles Rams on September 12.
President Barack Obama has defended San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who refused to stand for the national anthem.
He said Colin Kaepernick was exercising his constitutional right to make a point.
Speaking in China at the G20 meeting, Barack Obama said the NFL player had raised legitimate issues.
Colin Kaepernick stirred controversy when he sat during the national anthem to protest against racial injustice.
Some players have followed his example and sat or kneeled through the anthem.
Photo Wikipedia
Asked about the issue during a news conference at the G20 in Hangzhou, Barack Obama said it was tough for those in the military to understand why Colin Kaepernick might snub the national anthem.
However, President Obama said he did not doubt his sincerity to raise issues: “If nothing else, what he’s done is he’s generated more conversation around some topics that need to be talked about.”
The president added he would rather have young people engaged in the argument in a democratic process than “people who are just sitting on the sidelines and not paying attention at all”.
A week after staying seated during The Star-Spangled Banner, Colin Kaepernick quarterback kneeled during the anthem before a match on September 1.
Team-mate Eric Reid also kneeled, but they were booed by some in the crowd.
On September 4, US women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe knelt during the national anthem before the Seattle Reign’s game against the Chicago Red Stars in what she said was “a little nod”‘ to Colin Kaepernick.
Colin Kaepernick has said he will continue to sit out the national anthem until he sees improvements in US race relations.
Santa Clara police officers have threatened to boycott the home games of the San Francisco 49ers if the organization fails to take action to halt protests by its quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Colin Kaepernick, 28, has refused to stand for the national anthem in a protest against the plight of black people in the US.
A letter from Santa Clara police says Colin Kaepernick’s actions and statements are “false and insulting”.
Photo Wikipedia
It accused the 49ers of failing to take any action to stop them.
Colin Kaepernick’s protest has stemmed from the racial tensions that increased across the nation this year amid a string of police killings and subsequent revenge attacks.
The quarterback stayed seated during The Star-Spangled Banner at a game a week ago and on Thursday chose to kneel during the anthem.
Colin Kaepernick has said he will continue until he sees improvements in US race relations.
The Santa Clara Police Officers’ Association letter, obtained by NBC Bay Area, said that Colin Kaepernick had “made the allegation that police officers are getting paid to murder people”.
It accused the 49ers of “allowing Kaepernick to wear exposed socks with the image of a pig wearing a police hat”.
The letter said: “The 49ers organization has taken no action to stop or prevent Mr Kaepernick from continuing to make inaccurate, incorrect and inflammatory statements.
“If the 49ers organization fails to take action to stop this type of inappropriate workplace behavior, it could result in officers choosing not to work at your facilities.
“Our members have the right to do their job in an environment free of unjustified and insulting attacks.”
About 70 Santa Clara officers patrol Levi’s Stadium during the home games.
On September 1, Colin Kaepernick vowed to continue his protest, saying: “The message is that we have a lot of issues in this country that we need to deal with.”
Teammate Eric Reid joined him in the latest protest.
Seattle Seahawks player Jeremy Lane also sat on the bench during the anthem at a game in Oakland.
Jeremy Lane later told the News Tribune: “I wasn’t trying to say anything, just standing behind Kaepernick.”
Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protest has drawn strong reactions both in opposition and support.
An online petition demanding the NFL punish Colin Kaepernick attracted more than 53,000 signatures by September 2.
However, some veterans and military members tweeted their support for Colin Kaepernick with the hashtag #VeteransForKaepernick.
The NFL says it encourages players to stand for the anthem but that it is not a requirement.
Donald Trump said San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick should “find a country that works better for him” after the NFL player’s national anthem protest.
Colin Kaepernick, 28, said he will continue to sit out the national anthem until he sees improvements in US race relations.
The Republican presidential nominee weighed in on Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit during The Star-Spangled Banner in a pre-game ceremony.
Donald Trump called the quarterback’s controversial stand a “terrible thing.”
“I think it’s a terrible thing, and you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him,” he told KIRO radio in Seattle.
Photo Wikipedia
“Let him try. It won’t happen.”
Colin Kaepernick stirred controversy on August 26 when he sat during the national anthem before the 49ers played the Green Bay Packers in an exhibition game.
He refused to stand in protest at the oppression of people of color in the US.
Racial tensions are mounting in the US, where a string of recent police killings and subsequent revenge killings have sparked protests across the nation.
Colin Kaepernick’s actions have ignited a debate about respect, patriotism and the right of free speech.
The White House said it disagreed with Colin Kaepernick’s protest but that he had a right to express his views.
An NFL spokesman said players were “encouraged but not required” to stand during the anthem.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has refused to stand for the national anthem in protest at what he sees as racial injustice.
He remained seated as the anthem was played.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Colin Kaepernick explained.
Some fans booed Colin Kaepernick when he took to the field.
The San Francisco 49ers players said they supported Colin Kaepernick’s right to protest, which took place as the team hosted the Green Bay Packers in a pre-season game on August 26.
Photo Wikipedia
“We recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem,” the 49ers said.
An NFL spokesman said players were “encouraged but not required” to stand during the anthem.
Colin Kaepernick has been outspoken on social media about race relations and a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement.
He told NFL Media: “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.
“There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
The NFL player appeared to be referring to police use of deadly force which sparked the Black Lives Matter protests.
In 2013, Colin Kaepernick led his team to the NFL’s title game, the Super Bowl, but has since lost his starting place.
Five-year-old Sarah Redden has secured a burgeoning fan base after releasing a rap tribute to NFL star Colin Kaepernick.
Sarah Redden from Dayton, Ohio, posted a YouTube video titled Kaepernicking on December 14 and to date it has scored more than 300,000 hits.
In the recording the blonde youngster is seen imitating the San Francisco 49ers quarterback dressed in a number 7 shirt with faux tattoos covering her upper arms.
“Wearing No 7 like Colin Kaep, talking Super Bowl wins, he’s bringing them back,” Sarah Redden raps.
Talking about what inspired the song, she told CBS13: “I just like singing and I just like making songs.
“The 49ers and the Steelers have always been my favorite teams.”
According to Sarah Redden, she wrote the lyrics and produced the video with the help of her brother.
She cites the U.S. rapper Wiz Khalifa as one of her musical inspirations.
Five-year-old Sarah Redden has secured a burgeoning fan base after releasing a rap tribute to NFL star Colin Kaepernick
After watching Sarah Redden’s Kaepernicking recording, one viewer wrote: “This little girl is a STAR! The backward hat, tats, spittin rhymes. So cute!”
While another added: “Oh my gosh this is like the most cutest thing ever! I can’t help but just smile all the way through. She knows more about football than I do.”
NFL Fox also gave the rap song its seal of approval, and Sarah Redden revealed today via Twitter that the TV network will be including it in the 49ers pregame show on December 23.
This week Colin Kaepernick was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, after becoming the third quarterback in history to throw four touchdown passes in a game.
Sarah Redden said she thinks “he’s a great football player”, and she enjoys watching him on TV.
Sarah Redden’s next rap video Niner Nation is set to come out in January.
[youtube F5PsGReKLho]
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
