An Altering Opinion on Protesting in Sports

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 On September 1st, 2016, then San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, playing against the San Diego Chargers sat down during the nation anthem. Kaepernick stated that this move was a spotlighted plea for peace, in the wake of African American citizens being brutalized by the police. 

 

Today, social change through sports is incredibly common and is sometimes heralded as a necessary action in order to inspire real change. In actuality protesting is extremely divisive and separates the general public into two trains of thought, those who support it and those who do not. 

 

The backlash to Kaepernick’s actions were monumental. Many of the initial reactions, including my own, were filled with disgust believing that Kaepernick knelt because of his disdain against the country. Fans, owners and even then, President, Donald Trump publicly condemned his actions and suggested that players who disgrace the flag should be fired and ousted from the league. Those who disagreed with his actions held the ideology that Kaepernick was openly mocking those who served in the military. 

 

But it is not surprising that many took to demonizing Kaepernick for his actions. It has been a long-standing tradition for patrons of sports games to stand for the national anthem to honor the country and those who fought and died for it. 

 

Many who were against his protest took to the stance of “just shut up and play”. Statistically speaking many believed that this was Kaepernick’s best plan of action. According to ESPN, before his infamous initial protests begin at the start of the 2016 season, Kaepernick posted 9,995 yards, 56 passing touchdowns to only 26 interceptions. These stats occurred over the course of four season, from 2012 to 2015. Purely speaking on statistics Kaepernick was participating at a high level. The question remains why throw away his career?

 

Kaepernick believed that his protest was necessary to place a spotlight onto the unjust violence that was occurring. Following the 2016 NFL season Kaepernick was cut from the 49ers sparking up once again the debate on whether his decision was advantageous for his career. 

 

However, Kaepernick’s actions inspired many athletes like him to protest the national anthem and sporting events all together in order to relay their concerns to the country. 

 

In 2020 during the pandemic, various NBA players across several teams knelt during the national anthem to protest the unjust killing of black people by police officers. That same year, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play a playoff game to protest the same unjust killings. 

 

 

It is evident that Kaepernick was one of the first athletes of this modern error to outright protest a sports event in order to incite social change. That being said the public’s view has wavered between acceptance and denial. The primary factor being the publics assumption that the protests are disrespectful to the men and woman of the armed services. 

 

Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret who had a short stint with the Seattle Seahawks, weighed in on the issue and even spoke to Kaepernick around the time of his initial protest. Boyer’s earliest reaction, according to his interview with NPR, was hostile. Boyer said, “And it struck a chord with me, of course, and it struck a chord with a lot of people – a lot of people in the veteran community as well… And I was pretty upset”. Kaepernick, after hearing Boyer’s thoughts in a letter from Boyer, sat down with the former Green Beret and spoke to each other’s regarding the implications that the protests give off. After discussing, Boyer and Kaepernick arrived at a conclusion, kneeling would come off as more respectful while still attempting to arrive at a solution for social injustices. 

 

That is the conclusion that sparked a thousand conversations. Arriving at the same conclusion myself, it is evident that social change must be taken in order to alter the injustices that occur in this country. Doing so in a manner that is respectful to those who gave so much in the service of their country while provoking constructive conversation to that end, is the goal. 



Below is the link to a video sharing the conversation between Kapernick and Boyer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOYmmr2QGrg


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