NFL Star Claims Kaepernick's Work 'Much Greater Than' the NFL
Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Doug Baldwin has had quite the professional career.
Despite four quality years at Stanford, Baldwin went undrafted in 2011 before being scooped up by the Seahawks.
Since then, he has consistently been one of the more effective receivers in the NFL.
But for all of Baldwin’s on-field success, he’s also been a rather outspoken disruption off the field.
Whether he’s verbally attacking the president of the United States or one of the NFL’s flagship primetime games, Baldwin has never been one to shy away from controversial topics.
Baldwin’s latest foray into divisive issues came when he called into “The Rich Eisen Show” this week.
Speaking to the eponymous host Wednesday, Baldwin covered a variety of topics, but none was more controversial than former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick, who started the movement of national anthem protests in 2016 and has become persona non grata to many NFL franchises after filing a collusion grievance against the league, still has significant support from a surprising number of current players.
In a show of unity for their cause, former Kaepernick teammate and current Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid became the first player in his new team’s history to ever kneel for the anthem.
While Baldwin might not be as close to Kaepernick as Reid is, he’s still clearly a fan and a big believer in whatever cause Kaepernick is championing.
The Seahawks receiver, however, might want to hold back on the effusiveness of his praise for Kaepernick a tad bit.
“(Kaepernick’s) doing some things that are very strong in our community and our society,” Baldwin said. “He’s obviously getting a lot of backlash for it, getting a lot of praise for it, and he’s in a dangerous situation because when you put yourself out there like that, you seek a lot of attention — both the good and the bad.”
There are certainly plenty of people who commiserate with Kaepernick’s purported stance against social injustices. But for every person who supports him, there is another who views his anthem protests as the ultimate sign of disrespect against the flag, the military and police officers.
It’s also a bit of a stretch to say Kaepernick’s in a “dangerous” situation, especially when juxtaposed against some of the disgusting attacks Kaepernick has made against the police officers who protect and serve everyday Americans.
A system that perpetually condones the killing of people, without consequence, doesn’t need to be revised, it needs to be dismantled! pic.twitter.com/BVVPVZIQyD
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) June 16, 2017
But Baldwin’s more ridiculous statements had to do with the impact one man can have on society versus a large entity of people.
“I know that he would probably love to play football, as we all enjoy playing it as young men in this game still being able to live out our childhood dream. I’m sure he would love to play the game, but I think that his calling and what he’s doing now is so much greater than the sport,” Baldwin said. “And the lasting impact that he’s going to be able to leave and create, you know if he continues to do so in a positive way, will be far greater than any legacy he could leave on the football field.”
The sport of football, historically, and the NFL have done quite a bit of good for society. They’ve donated countless millions of dollars and launched all sorts of initiatives, from raising breast cancer awareness to honoring the military. It’s not a one-to-one comparison, but it seems rather foolish to suggest that Kaepernick’s social justice impact would somehow outlast something as noble as breast cancer awareness.
Baldwin also makes the mistake of deeming positive societal contributions and having a quality football career as mutually exclusive. Look no further than J.J. Watt and Drew Brees, two future Hall of Famers who have done incredible good for their communities.
Sorry, but Kaepernick’s “sacrifice” is hardly a sacrifice at all. His anthem protests and cries for social justice were just as much about furthering his own brand as they were seeking actual social justice.
There are plenty of ways to leave a “lasting impact” while still playing football. To suggest one can’t be done without the other is foolish.
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