San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has refused to stand for the national anthem because he won’t “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people,” and just about everyone has an opinion.
Click on for the highest-profile hot takes on both sides of the issue…
Colin Kaepernick
“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way,” the quarterback told NFL Media. “There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Spike Lee
The famed filmmaker praised Kaepernick, telling CNN’s Anderson Cooper that his protest was “in the same tradition” as actions taken by Muhammad Ali.
Lee further noted that Ali was once “the most hated person in America” for a similar stance.
Donald Trump
“Maybe he should find a country that works better for him, let him try. It won’t happen,” GOP presidential nominee said on KIRO radio.
Trump is a polarizing figure, especially when it comes to matters of racial sensitivity.
Jim Brown
The former NFL great told ESPN he stands “100 percent” behind Kaepernick.
“He’s within his rights and he’s telling the truth as he sees it,” Brown said. “The young men of today are stepping up. For so many years they did not step up.”
Stephen A. Smith
The polarizing “First Take” host said Kaepernick “personified what a protest is supposed to be.”
He continued: “There’s a difference between bringing attention to something, and sacrificing. And I’m telling you right now, when you look at what Colin Kaepernick did, this was a sacrifice.”
Jerry Rice
“All lives matter. So much going on in this world today. Can we all just get along! Colin, I respect your stance but don’t disrespect the Flag,” the 49ers legend tweeted.
Rice played most of his pro football career in San Francisco and is widely considered to be the best wide receiver of all time. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Charlie Sheen
The infamous actor told TMZ he supports Kaepernick. “I get both sides of it,” he said.
Asked point blank whether he supported the athlete’s decision, Sheen was more effusive, declaring, “F— yeah.”
Jim Harbaugh
The former 49ers coach said he doesn’t “respect” Kaepernick’s protest, according to ESPN.
Harbaugh was an early mentor to Kaepernick and is now head coach at the University of Michigan.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The NBA legend wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post ripping critics of the protest.
Abdul-Jabbar is a former cultural ambassador for the United States and recently authored a book called “Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White.”
