Colin Kaepernick has been making headlines since last year for his protesting and activism. He was the first NFL quarterback to begin kneeling during the National Anthem in a protest against police brutality. Since then, he hasn't been given a job back with the NFL. After a long battle, Kaepernick has finally decided to file a grievance. This has been confirmed in a report by ESPN, sending the Kaepernick story in an entirely new direction for the next news cycle.
Details of the grievance
Colin Kaepernick has gone outside of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and hired Mark Geragos as his attorney.
Geragos has represented Michael Jackson, former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield, and Chris Brown. Colin Kaepernick is a high profile person, making Geragos's history rather appealing for the case.
Kaepernick is demanding an arbitration hearing for this case. The filing states that the NFL and its owners have come together against Kaepernick, punishing him for his advocacy, leadership, and constitutional rights.The file was sent to the NFLPA, the NFL, and all 32 teams. The NFLPA later responded with a statement offering Kaepernick its support and reminding him that they are ready to assist him if need be.
The hypocrisy
Last year, Colin Kaepernick gained national attention when he kneeled during the national anthem.
He was practicing a peaceful protest against police brutality in this country. He was met with a lot of anger and hatred from many people. However, he also had a lot of support. Since his first protests, he has been very active in black communities and has launched a campaign to inform people of their constitutional rights.
However, he hasn't been able to find work in the NFL.
Over the past several weeks, many NFL players have been kneeling during the national anthem after President Donald Trump released some very harsh statements. Many people seem to believe that the protest is against Trump, but those who have supported Kaepernick from the beginning know that that's not what the protests are about.
It's still about police brutality.
However, Kaepernick has faced more consequences than any other protesting players. After all, those players are still playing. Kaepernick's former teammate, Eric Reid, has been protesting during the national anthem before games, including the game on Sunday against the Washington Redskins. After the game, Reid said that he still supports Kaepernick and that Kaepernick is an NFL-worthy player. Reid believes that Kaepernick is being "blackballed" by the NFL. Reid, along with everyone else, is waiting to see what comes of this situation.