Four years ago this week, Colin Kaepernick began his kneeling protest to bring attention to police brutality. The murders of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Freddie Gray had all happened in the two years before, but Kaepernick eventually shared that it was finally the shooting of Mario Woods, in December 2015, that prompted his protest.
Kaepernick was widely blackballed by NFL teams for his activism. Today, athletes in major sports are protesting again, following the police assassination of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, and now the shooting of Jacob Blake. But this time, the NFL goes out of its way to say that next season will support player protests.
In June, the NFL released a video in which Commissioner Roger Goodell unequivocally stated, “We, the NFL, admit that we were wrong not to listen to NFL players before, and encourage everyone to speak out and protest peacefully. We , the NFL, believe that Black Lives Matter. ”And in a new interview with former NFL player Emmanuel Acho about Acho’s series” Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, “Goodell says,” I wish we had listened earlier “to Kaepernick.
Jason Wright, the newly hired president of the Washington Football Team and the first Black Team president of the league, says it comes as no surprise that the NFL was not equipped to handle the Kaepernick situation for the first time.
“If you are intrigued by the social-racial history of this country, or racial inequality in general, the NFL will never be a big steward of this deep, unreliable, complex conversation,” Wright told Yahoo Finance Live on Wednesday. . “And I really admire all the people, including Commissioner Goodell, who took it upon themselves because it was put on them. It would never go great.”
INGLEWOOD, CA-11 June 2020: Katie Fuller, 74, of Inglewood, right, holding sign, joins other Protestants in the Forum parking lot, across the street from Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, background, and demands that the NFL apologies asked for former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The Protestants also took a knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to remember George Floyd who was held by a policeman with a knee to the neck at the same time and died as a result. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Wright also pointed to a specific sentiment that Goodell expressed in his interview with Acho: “Our own thinking, our own knowledge, our own fluency on this subject has evolved over time,” Wright says. “We are all smarter, we know more about racial inequality, we now know more about these topics. And our feelings have evolved, our perceptions have evolved. For him to express that openly and vulnerable, I think it should be taken as positive. ”
Of course, many critics say it’s far too late for the NFL to decide how to deal with Kaepernick, who is no longer playing in the league. But another important moment in Goodell’s conversation with Acho was about the nature of the protest: “It’s not about the flag,” Goodell said. “These are not people who are not patriotic. They are not unfaithful. They are not against our military … That misconception of who they were and what they did was the thing that really gnawed at me. “In June, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees backed NFL peers and other athletes when he said on Yahoo Finance Live,” I will never agree with anyone who does not respect the flag. “
It seems certain that when the NFL returns on September 10, a significant number of players will kneel again to continue Kaepernick’s protest; some have already said they will do it. The NFL has said the protest will not only allow, but stimulate, but the league is certainly prepared for backlash from some loud voices, including President Donald Trump.
In addition, the league has to deal with safety measures from COVID-19, and teams decide whether to allow fans at their games.
Meanwhile, Wright of the Washington team has cut out his own work for him: reforming a notoriously toxic team culture.
It’s set to be a historic and fascinating NFL season – as the season goes on.
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readDanwrite.“data-reactid =” 43 “>Daniel Roberts is a major editor at Yahoo Finance and deals closely with sports companies. Follow him on Twitter at @readDanwrite.
President of Washington NFL Team says fans will see ‘demonstrable steps that can not be refused’ after reform
