Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Entertainment
EntertainmentSports

Kaepernick Fans Demand Apology from Sportswriter Who Alleged QB Planned to End Protest 

By | Published on October 9, 2017
CommentsComments (0) Add as a preferred source on Google i
Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick has been a free agent since March. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

After a CBS reporter initially claimed Colin Kaepernick would stand for the national anthem this season, the free agent quarterback’s girlfriend has denied the statement. Backed up through a retweet by Kaepernick, Nessa Diab, a DJ for New York’s Hot 97, said her boyfriend “has never discussed this with anyone.”

Kaepernick also tweeted the following quote he credited to Winston Churchill, however, it has also been attributed to Mark Twain. He also retweeted others, like activist DeRay McKesson, who confirmed Kaep wouldn’t stop protesting.

Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights campaign also clarified the report as “fake news” on Instagram.

“If it’s a report about Kap that’s not on this page, it’s probably not true,” it said.

Some reacted positively when the news was confirmed false.

Others delighted in Kaepernick’s ongoing free agency and slammed the star.


Things got hairy Sunday, Oct. 8 when Jason La Canfora told CBS’s “The NFL Today” that the former San Francisco 49er would end his protest of Black oppression during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Colin Kaepernick’s Protest and NFL

Colin Kaepernick’s Frat and Players Protest On 1st NFL Sunday

A Year After Kaepernick’s Protest Began, He’s Still Jobless and America Is More Divided Than Ever

Kaepernick’s Protest Forced Nonwhite Peers of This Seattle Football Team to Address Systemic Racism

“He’s not planning on kneeling,” La Confora said per Sporting News. “He’s going to donate all his jersey sales. He’s planning on standing for the anthem if given the opportunity.”

Then, La Confora tweeted that his discussion with Kaepernick did not include talk about him continuing the protest, but they did discuss his “will to play.” Sporting News reported La Confora said Kaepernick works out regularly and throws 100-plus passes at an undisclosed New Jersey gym daily. As for the protest, Kaepernick is reportedly pleased that other NFLers and athletes have joined in.

However, many questioned La Confora’s credibility and wondered if he’d apologize to Kaepernick.


Others shared their continued dislike for the athlete.

Rumors surfaced in March that Kaepernick would no longer protest after the 2016 season. Sources told ESPN at the time that the quarterback reportedly felt that news coverage surrounding racial injustice supported his efforts. However, that hasn’t been confirmed.

Still, it’s plain to see who would benefit from Kaepernick ending his demonstration. For one, he kicked off a trend across the league which has seen hundreds of players partake over the course of the 2017 season. “Sunday Night Football” saw down ratings with the worst Week 3 in 11 years, according to Deadline. Should Kaepernick quit his protest, many NFLers could follow his lead which may lead to a rating turnaround. But with ratings being down in recent years, it may take more than Kaepernick to change things.

Subscribe To The ABS Newsletter — Get our stories in your inbox.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Latest from Atlanta Black Star

Back to top