Despite claims in recent years that he may be banned from talking negatively about the NFL due to a 2019 lawsuit settlement with the league, former quarterback Colin Kaepernick has not been shy about criticizing the NFL ahead of his book release this month.
Earlier this month, Kaepernick dispelled the notion, promoted by rap mogul Jay-Z in a July freestyle diss at a Yankee Stadium concert, that he had signed a non-disparagement agreement with the NFL as part of the settlement.
Now Kaepernick is speaking about another high-profile musical artist, Macklemore, who is currently embroiled in a disagreement with New England Patriots NFL owner Robert Kraft.
Kraft banned Macklemore from performing at the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium during upcoming dates on the Ed Sheeran-led Loop Tour.
The decision from Kraft, who is Jewish, came after Macklemore used part of his concert set in New Jersey to support the “Free Palestine” movement and speak out against violence in Gaza due to the longtime Israel-Palestine conflict.
In his response to Kraft after he was removed for the remaining tour dates, Macklemore claimed that the Patriots owner influenced other owners of stadiums to not allow Sheeran to perform unless Macklemore was taken off the show.
For Kaepernick, this was a reminder of his grievance lawsuit against the NFL, when the quarterback alleged that team owners colluded to keep him off a roster following his kneeling during pregame performances of the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality during the 2016 season.
“The part that I hope people appreciate and take away in this moment,” Kaepernick said in an interview with MeidasTouch Wednesday, “is what Robert Kraft and what they’re saying, by denying Macklemore the opportunity to go out and perform with Ed Sheeran, is they are willing to collude.
“They are openly colluding, and when we when we filed the grievance, it was like, ‘Well, the owners wouldn’t do that. Everybody just wants to win within the NFL.’
“The realization is, no, they want to protect their interests. They want to protect their power. They want to protect their money. They also want people to know that if you take an action that they don’t agree with, they will come for you.”
Kaepernick went on to express that he feels it is important for people with similar goals to be united in the face of powerful organizations.
“That was some of the warning coming out of the protest, and some of the warning coming out of the grievance, is that they will organize against you, which means that we collectively have to organize to be able to protect our interests as well,” Kaepernick said on Wednesday.
“I hope this gives a space where people realize how significant this is, and also gives a little bit of insight into the fact that while it may not touch you today, at some point it’s going to come knocking on your doorstep or someone you love’s doorstep.
“And that’s not the moment to be able to take action. We should be taking action actively right now.”
Kaepernick’s book, “The Perilous Fight,” was officially released Tuesday. In the book, the former San Francisco 49ers signal caller details his protest that drew international attention, the subsequent fallout, and his journey as an activist.
Macklemore released an updated statement on his Instagram account about his dispute with Kraft on Wednesday evening.
“With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom,” Macklemore wrote in part.
“I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people. And I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation,” he continued.
“Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth.”
