The Colin Kaepernick Conversation Continues
President Obama and Steph Curry are the latest to sound off
At this point, practically everyone has given their opinion on Colin Kaepernick’s stance — including our nation’s president, who is currently on the other side of the world. President Obama had this to say on Kaepernick’s actions from a news conference in China:
When it comes to the flag and the national anthem and the meaning that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us — that is a tough thing for them to get past. But I don’t doubt his sincerity. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about. If nothing else, he’s generated more conversation about issues that have to be talked about.
NFL Commish Roger Goodell made his own statement about two weeks after the NFL’s official remarks on the matter were released. He seems to be of the same “approve the motivation, not the method” mind-set we’ve seen elsewhere around the league. But while Goodell might dub Kaepernick’s choice as unpatriotic, New York Jets receiver Brandon Marshall couldn’t disagree more; he recently called Kaepernick “one of the biggest patriots out there.”
Sports figures in other leagues have taken notice, too. While several have been supportive of Kaepernick (soccer player Megan Rapinoe has begun kneeling for the anthem as well, Steph Curry remarked on the issue during an interview with CNBC saying “ I love that he can stand for what he believes in,” and NBA forward Jabari Parker posted an image of himself wearing the backup quarterback’s jersey:
Others clearly disapprove: World Cup of Hockey Team USA coach John Tortorella said that if any of his athletes sit on the bench for the anthem, they’ll sit there for the game.
All of the attention has made Kaepernick’s jersey the #1 seller in the NFL’s online store, which is maybe a bit of a surprise considering some fans were burning theirs when the news first broke. But once again, Kaepernick is putting his money where his mouth is and donating the proceeds he receives from the sales to communities in need:
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