ESPN’s Smith: Kaepernick Knelt For All Us, But Backup Remarks Make Me Sick

Colin Kaepernick is a wannabe NFL quarterback. His remarks angered an old supporter. ESPN First Take host Stephen A. Smith said Tuesday that America owes Kaepernick an NFL job because he kneeled for national anthems “on behalf of us,” but he also accused the football pariah of not being sincere about wanting to play again. 

In was a recent podcast episode of “I AM ATHLETE”, Kaepernick told former NFL players Chad Johnson, Adam “Pacman” Jones and Brandon Marshall that he would be willing to play the backup role of holding a clipboard on the sidelines: 

It’s clear to me that I need to get back in. So, if I have to come in as a backup, that’s fine. But that’s not where I’m staying. And when I prove that I’m a starter, I want to be able to step on the field as such. It’s all I have to do is walk in the door.

Kaepernick’s career ended after his tumultuous 2016 season of social justice protest. Smith says that in 2019, he was the one who helped Kaepernick set up an NFL tryout. However, Smith claims that he was the one who set up the tryout for Kaepernick’s NFL team. Instead of showing up, he bad-mouthed it. 

According to Trent Baker’s Breitbart story, Smith believes the activist Kaepernick should still be an active NFL player. However, he termed the backup role remarks “utter nonsense.” Kaepernick blew multiple comeback opportunities, and that makes Smith sick, he said. 

Directing his remarks to Kaepernick, Smith said: “But you didn’t want to play. You didn’t want to talk, and that’s why you’re still doing interviews instead of throwing touchdowns …” 

Smith has been a supporter of Kaepernick ever since he first began to kneel during the national anthem presentations. Smith still believes it’s clear that Kaepernick was black-balled and mistreated by NFL owners. “Colin Kaepernick should have never been out of the NFL. He violated no laws. No NFL bylaws were broken. He was cheated. Period.” 

In reality, he left a lucrative extension for the 49ers. And imagine that — everyone else wasn’t interested in his poison. 

Smith says that America owes Kaepernick, up until 2019. Kaepernick is willing to accept “the fact you’ve got to handle things differently, and what do I mean by that? I’m not talking about the kneeling. I’m not talking about the protesting because that’s on behalf of us. And there’s a level of graciousness and gratitude we all owe him. Black people, as far as I’m concerned, America, owes this to Colin Kaepernick. But that was from 2016 to 2019.” 

Smith’s comment about Kaepernick being grateful to Smith will be criticized by many Americans. Many football fans feel gratitude only for the fact that he’s no longer playing in the NFL. He did nothing “on behalf of us” in 2016, or since, with his caustic put-downs of our country and his radical activism.