Sports journalists, political activism and speculation go hand-in-hand in today’s age of social media. There is no better example of this than the case of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. who protested the American national anthem last season and made statements on policing and racial tensions in America. His protests upset conservatives, military veterans and NFL fans, which contributed to the NFL’s
Last season, Kaepernick protested the American national anthem and made statements on policing and racial tensions in America. His protests upset conservatives, military veterans and NFL fans, which contributed to the league’s ratings decline last season.
Kaepernick’s lack of team prospects became sports journalists’ offseason narrative. Reporters and columnists used statistics to try to prove their point, which, by the numbers alone, would make Kaepernick a good prospect.
Sports journalists have also claimed Kaepernick’s continued unemployment is a result of NFL owners being narrow-minded. However, sports journalists do not have proof (so far) that the owners are coordinating Kaepernick’s blackballing.
There is a lot of speculation about where he will land a backup job. When a Miami Dolphins quarterback went down with an injury, sports journalists immediately pressed the team on whether Kaepernick would take his place.
Those same journalists overlooked the time Kaepernick wore a shirt with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro’s face on it, which offended many of Miami’s Cuban fans. That alone should have quashed speculation.
Other reporters badgered NFL owners, coaches and general managers, as in the case with the Baltimore Ravens, where owner Steve Biscotti said that they hope he finds a job and everyone should be open-minded. Fellow NFL quarterback Cam Newton recently said that he stands with Kaepernick and is disappointed by the alleged blackballing of a fellow quarterback.
The bottom line is that sports journalists are out to get Kaepernick a backup role, despite Kaepernick’s silence on the matter. Since when is it the job of sports journalists to act as political activists?
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