Colin Kaepernick’s career has been a rollercoaster ride. As quickly as he burst onto the scene as a wunderkind, he found himself riding the bench behind fringe NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
After the San Francisco 49ers parted ways with Kaepernick, Donald Trump suggested no NFL team would sign Kaepernick (because of his anthem protest) in order to avoid a nasty tweet from the commander-in-chief.
The latest turn in Kaepernick’s story now involves an avowed socialist making an entreaty on his behalf.
City councilwoman Kshama Sawant, who has called for anti-Trump activism on several occasions, made a plea to Seattle Seahawks brain trust to sign the embattled quarterback.
From CBS Sports:
If Seattle city council member Kshama Sawant ran the Seahawks’ front office, it sounds like the first — and only — player she would sign is Colin Kaepernick.
Sawant, a socialist who has been a city council member since 2014, believes that Kaepernick would be welcomed in Seattle.In a strong showing of support for the quarterback, Sawant wrote a letter to the team on Friday urging the Seahawks to add their former division rival.
“Dear Seattle Seahawks General Manager John Schneider, Head Coach Pete Carroll, and Owner Paul Allen,” Sawant writes in the letter. “I am writing to convey that Colin Kaepernick would be welcome in Seattle, and to encourage you to take the opportunity to sign him as the Seahawks’ backup quarterback.”
The letter comes exactly one week after Seahawks coach Pete Carroll mentioned that his team might consider signing Kaepernick to fill the backup quarterback spot.
Kaepernick has been a free agent since March 1 when he opted out of his contract with the 49ers. Over the last 10 weeks, his free agency has slowly turned into a controversy, with many NFL fans across the country believing that the quarterback is being blackballed by the NFL’s 32 teams over the fact that he protested racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling for the national anthem in 2016.
Sawant, who admits she doesn’t know much about football, says that if teams are blackballing Kaepernick, then “shame on them.”
“I am not a football expert, but everything I have read strongly suggests that the only reason a player with Kaepernick’s skills is still a free agent is because of the backlash against his courageous leadership last year against racism, brutality, and discrimination,” Sawant wrote. “If that makes other teams wary of signing him, shame on them. In Seattle, we know our communities will only benefit from his activism as well as his talents on the field.”
Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett recently mentioned that Seattle would be the perfect landing spot for Kaepernick, and Sawant clearly feels the same way.
“I agree wholeheartedly with Michael Bennett that Seattle is the perfect place for Kaepernick,” Sawant wrote. “The NFL has an influence on the ideas and attitudes of young people. As you assemble your team, it would be a poor message for you to send to young people that speaking out against racism, police violence, and economic inequality is ‘toxic’ and will be punished rather than applauded.”
Sawant also added most people in Seattle would likely “welcome” Kaepernick.
“The working people of Seattle and our youth will be proud to welcome Colin Kaepernick,” Sawant wrote. “Please do everything in your power to sign him to the Seahawks. Thank you for your time and consideration.”
Kaepernick’s free agency has now gone full-blown political. Sawant admits she knows nothing about football, yet still strongly advocates for his addition to the team.
Kaepernick is talented enough to be a backup quarterback in the league, but he has very clear deficiencies as a player. He’s more improvisational than methodical, which coaches don’t want in a backup; coaches want a backup who won’t make unnecessary mistakes.
When balancing his on-field faults with his potential locker-room volatility and propensity for being a media lightning rod, he would be a high-risk acquisition. There’s also a report he was seeking a contract far higher than the going rate for backup quarterbacks.
Kaepernick has a shot to make a roster, but if he doesn’t, it won’t purely be just because of his politics.
Sports organizations need to stay out of politics. It is ruining their viewership. Seattle wants them to hire someone based on their own political views. It would be a mistake if they listen.
Wrong. I every company there is a poison pill that damages the environment. He IS that pill..
If Kaepernick makes the roster it just might be detrimental to the welfare of the whole team. His so called protest against injustice was no reason to disrespect our flag. He is a loose cannon and teams should tread lightly with him.
If they sign hom, it will be a slap in the face of the fans. Our team is made up of really good people of which he has issues…
dont even have to read the story…… WASHINGTON STATE…. nuff said !!!
If any sports team listens to a political party, no matter which side, it would be their loss. We the people want less government in our lives not more. Let’s make America better again not worse.
say it aint so? that pos is getting everything he deserves!!!!!! you made your bed now sleep in it Colin! only a team like Seattle would want to give its money away while your sitting on the bench!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! good riddance ya pos !!!!!
This is a king county official NOT Seahawk’s bigwigs themselves (yet)
Perhaps this is the same person who is pushing for $15 minimum wage while ignoring that her native India still has severe class issues, mistreatment of women (gang rapes) and sewage in the streets but she feels it is ok to complain about the country that let you immigrate into a productive society.
IF SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER KSHAMA SAWANT RAN THE SEAHAWKS’ FRONT OFFICE, THEY’D PROBABLY BE OUT OF BUSINESS RIGHT NOW OR ALL BE WEARING TU TU’S ON THE FIELD.
Kaepernick is a total ASS and he is a DISGRACE to Every American!!
Team chemistry is of absolute importance and Colin Kaepernick has tainted his own well.
Sawant is just another communist who hates America. She’s also an anti Semite. Birds of a feather. And this coward isn’t doing himself any favors by having her as his spokes person.
“Opposition to U.S. support of Israel. During the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, Sawant unsuccessfully urged the Seattle City Council to condemn both Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Hamas’s attacks on Israel, and called on President Obama and Congress to denounce the Israeli blockade of Gaza and to cut off all military assistance to Israel. Sawant’s call to condemn Israel’s actions prompted a response from Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer, calling for Sawant to retract the statement.”
We don’t need people like this in our country.
Let Peckerneck rot!
JUST ANOTHER REASON TO DESPISE SEATTLE EVEN MORE!! GO ARIZONA CARDINALS!!! that is all
A unamerican POS.
Kaepernick showed a complete ignorance of American and world history by his diatribes against our country. EVERY country in EVERY age has had prejudice against minorities— America is the odd-man-out because that prejudice is, relatively, so mild here, despite what Leftists and rabble-rousers state. And compare the lives lived by most African Americans here to those lived in, oh, say, Somalia or Sudan or Chad or Congo or Zimbabwe or Rwanda… or Haiti, for that matter. They should bless, in retrospect, those responsible for their being here. (And THOSE, despite the pseudohistory being inculcated into our children, were overwhelmingly OTHER BLACKS, not the relative handful of white slavers blamed with kidnapping millions of Africans, something logistically and numerically VERY unlikely, an in any case, impossible without the collusion and participation of other Africans)…
As far as Kshama Sawant is concerned, she is a bigoted Black supremacist, a demagogue, and anything but a fair judge of racial issues. And she and Kaepernick both display a biliousness combined with an ignorance and a Leftist “holier than thou” smugness that is truly unfortunate.
Leftists, liberals, and rabble-rousers only call people racist because if there were no racists, they don’t have a platform to fool the majority of the black community. So they lie and call everyone a racist.
I quite agree, Robert. A classic case of shadow projection… kind of like when Pee Wee Herman would retort, “I know you are, but what am I?”
NO! DON’T! Don’t do that to the dignity of your team.
If Kaepernick never took a knee, he still would have a hard time getting another contract. He’s a mediocre player at his best, an albatross at his worst.
SEAHAWKS better think twice-your 12th man fans are as red white and blue loyal as they come! Don’t cut your fans and economic throats by playing politics!
I will get as many season ticket members as I can to PROTEST HIS A**hem
Colin has a communist woman doing his bidding… he wants to a field negro AGAIN