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A renowned sports journalist says quarterback Colin Kaepernick is dealing with prejudice that’s unheard of.
Discussing his The Kaepernick Effect book at its launch, sports editor of The Nation magazine Dave Zirin talked about an interview with United States Women’s Soccer star Megan Rapinoe where she took a knee after the quarterback did, and she became an icon:
"I interviewed Megan Rapinoe, who was one of the first people to take a knee after Colin Kaepernick, not the first, that was Rodney x and the high schooler we discussed, um, but Megan Rapinoe, and certainly the first white athlete to do so. And Megan Rapinoe, I interviewed her, and she really gets it, like she gets her situation as a white athlete. She gets the importance of showing solidarity, because it was taking some of the weight off of Colin. She also got the point of not speaking too much, and making sure that other than the voices of black and brown athletes were really centered, as opposed to her voice.
"But at the same time, there's an interesting thing that's happened in the last five years, which is Rapinoe, and this is through no fault of her own, of course, but in the last five years, since she's taken that knee, she's become an icon. You know, she does Subway commercials because she was a star on the World Cup team.”
Zirin concluded his statement by saying, if the former San Francisco 49ers signal caller was a soccer player, he wouldn't make the World Cup team for Team USA and that there’s a vast difference in how Rapinoe is seen as opposed to him:
“I mean, if Colin Kaepernick was a soccer player, they wouldn't even let him on the World Cup team. You know, so there's the Megan Rapinoe story tells a story about racism in this country, and about privilege in a way that we would be mistaken to not recognize. Kaepernick has his career destroyed. His professional aspirations destroyed, whatever potential he had taken away to do what he wanted to do. [He] still works out six days a week. I mean, and there's no call coming.
"Megan Rapinoe is somebody who saw herself become an icon, and succeed in her sport, and have the opportunity to perform. And so that's a big difference. So, while we need more white athletes, I would argue, to show that solidarity to take that need to say racism and police brutality is everybody's problem. We also need to recognize that the stakes are very different."
Colin Kaepernick and his NFL comeback
The last time the former second-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft played in an NFL game was the 2016 season for the 49ers. He threw for 2,241 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 starts.
In his entire six-year NFL career, all spent with San Francisco, he has 12,271 passing yards, 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. The quarterback also rushed for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The 34-year-old is now looking for an opportunity to play in the league once again as he continues to get back into playing shape.
We’ll see as the offseason unfolds if anyone takes a chance on him.
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