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SPORTSThursday 9 March 2017
Column: Kaepernick and the end of anthem protests
TIM DAHLBERG a fairly easy one. She was In this Dec. 11, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stands in the
AP Sports Columnist left off the U.S. women’s bench area during the second half of the team’s NFL football game against the New York Jets in
Colin Kaepernick is look- national team for a major Santa Clara, Calif.
ing for work, after a season tournament this month and
more memorable for what while it was ostensibly be- Associated Press
he did before the games cause she is still getting into
than anything he did while form after tearing an ACL, racial and social injustice. Kaepernick Foundation, cial.”
in them. her protests certainly didn’t It was probably the only and he has hosted “Know That Kaepernick has a right
What he’s not looking to help her cause. way he was going to cut Your Rights” camps for un- to protest is guaranteed
do, according to multiple It is, after all, the U.S. nation- through the clutter and get derprivileged children in in this country. That others
reports, is to continue his al team. If you’re making a a mainstream audience to the Bay Area. have a right to vehemently
national anthem protest living playing for your coun- notice what he was doing. He’s also been a longtime disagree with his platform is
wherever he ends up. try, the case can be made But it was always going to supporter of Camp Taylor, also their right.
The more cynical might that you’d better stand up be short lived. The shock a camp for kids with heart This was never Tommie
suggest those two things for the national anthem. value wore off, and it lost disease. The year he was in Smith and John Carlos on
are related. And they just “It is an honor to represent its effectiveness. Other the Super Bowl, his father an Olympic medal stand
might be, though Kaeper- the USA and all that we players who joined in for a told me Kaepernick got on in Mexico City in 1968, a
nick has yet to publicly ex- stand for — to be able to week or two moved on to stage and sang for the kids stance that reverberated
plain why he’s dropping a pull on the red, white and other things, like trying to during a day he spent at throughout the nation. It
protest that got so much blue to play a game that remain employed. the camp. won’t be remembered a
attention last season that I love,” Rapinoe said in a To Kaepernick’s credit, the “It was ‘This Little Light of half century later as a land-
some blamed him for a statement. “I will respect protest was a small part Mine,’ a song he knew mark in the nation’s history.
drop in NFL television rat- the new bylaw the lead- of what he does. He took from Sunday School,” Rick Indeed, one of Kaeper-
ings. ership at USSF has put for- some of the money the Kaepernick said. “He talk- nick’s biggest mistakes was
Megan Rapinoe won’t ward. That said, I believe 49ers paid him and donat- ed about looking out at that he wasted the op-
be kneeling during the we should always value the ed $1 million to help local those kids and knowing portunity to fully articulate
national anthem either. use of our voice and plat- charities through the Colin they were something spe- what he was seeking. q
The soccer player — who form to fight for equality of
kneeled in solidarity with every kind.”
Kaepernick at a pair of na- For Kaepernick, it might
tional team matches last also come down to em-
year — says she will obey a ployment. He opted out of
new U.S. Soccer Federation his contract with the 49ers
policy that says team play- and is now a free agent,
ers “shall stand respect- though there are indica-
fully” during the national tions he could return to
anthem. the team under a different
And just like that, the great deal. That the 49ers are in
national anthem protest desperate need of a quar-
movement appears dead. terback is common knowl-
It didn’t live long, a few edge. It’s also common
months at best. Several knowledge that the 49ers
players followed Kaeper- — and the 31 other teams
nick’s lead, but for the most in the NFL — don’t want
part, they were a lot more players causing distractions
preoccupied with keeping with protests that are un-
their day jobs than crusad- popular among most fans.
ing for social reform. Kaepernick accomplished
For Rapinoe, the decision at least part of his goal by
not to protest anymore was taking a knee to protest
Veteran leads Iditarod as mushers jockey for lead
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Seavey and Nicolas Petit, a Aliy Zirkle departs
— Mushers are jockeying native of France who lives the Manley Hot
for the early lead in the just south of Anchorage. Springs checkpoint
world’s most famous sled Petit was fêted Tuesday for of the Iditarod Trail
dog race. being the first musher to Sled Dog Race
Wade Marrs, a 26-year-old reach Tanana and the Yu- in March 7, 2017.
veteran who had his high- kon River. Zirkle was the sixth
est finish at fourth last year, A chef flown in from An- into the checkpoint,
was the first to leave the Idi- chorage prepared a five- but was first out af-
tarod Trail Sled Dog Race course meal, featuring ter spending about
checkpoint in Tanana on cioppino and roast duck, 15 minutes resup-
Tuesday. served with champagne. plying and check-
He departed just ahead of The winner of the nearly ing on her dogs.
four-time champion Dallas 1,000-mile race across Alas- Associated Press
Seavey and Pete Kaiser. ka is expected in Nome
Rounding out the top five early next week.q
are two-time winner Mitch
