Loathed and lauded, Kaepernick is the Ali of his generation

Sez Me …

Again, Kaep is on America’s head.

Colin Kaepernick is at once the most polarizing and influential Black athlete of the 21st century.

He is loathed and lauded. He is the Ali, the Smith and Carlos of his generation.

Above all, he is irresistible — and terribly misunderstood, likely to be misunderstood until Saint Peter calls roll, because too many of us don’t want to understand and, even if we do, won’t admit it.

I stand for the anthem. And, in that I’m too long of tooth to grovel, about the only place I kneel is in church.

It’s what I choose to do. I’ve seen drunken idiots at games — and bigger fools, such as Roseanne Barr — make a far bigger mockery of the anthem than what Kaepernick did silently on one knee (which was his right, and not desecration).

Judases/L.A. Lodgers tailback Justin Jackson says Kaepernick has been “justified” and doesn’t know if kneeling is necessary anymore.

It isn’t, but if you want to, go ahead.

Kaep probably didn’t know exactly what he was starting — a movement — when he took a knee during that fateful national anthem on Sept. 1, 2016. The NFL quarterback certainly couldn’t have known his message would be blurred beyond recognition.

He just had to do something.

Amazingly, genuflecting wasn’t even his idea. The 49ers QB wanted to sit during the anthem to protest police brutality and social injustice. It was Seahawks long snapper Nate Boyer, a White, former Army Green Beret, who advised him kneeling would have more of an effect.

And, yes, it did.

For many, however, it was sedition, and it’s not changing. The commander in chief says he’ll never buy another NFL ticket until they play football and stop dividing America.

Hard to say he’s ever purchased a ticket, and the NFL isn’t dividing America. But it isn’t providing many stitches to heal, either.

Kaep certainly hasn’t been able to educate enough people about his actions. Even Drew Brees, who should know better, had to apologize after misreading Kaep’s purpose.

And so it remains, as Colin’s name again was pushed front and center following the worldwide demonstrations protesting the death of George Floyd.

In his “Black Lives Matter” speech, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had to mention Kaepernick, but did not. Nor did he have a solution for his League, in which 70 percent of its players are Black, and has but three head coaches and two GMs of color.

Roger can’t be blamed for the entire enchilada in this oven. He’s an employee. Not many spineless owners — unsocial distancing their brains out — have spoken out on the demonstrations, and I’m sure what Goodell had to say — as timid as it was — wasn’t exactly a Gershwin tune to their ears.

They flat blackballed Kaep, and I seriously wonder if Colin might be better off if he never plays again. If he wants to — and if he’s allowed — he’s plenty good enough, better than a whole lot of quarterbacks getting paid.

But he wouldn’t be a starter right away, which puts him in a similar situation with Cam Newton. Why should he go somewhere and sit? He’s already been sitting for years.

If a team signs him, I hope it’s as player, not martyr.

The glow of his importance — which is immense — would not be dimmed if he played, played well, played poorly, or not at all.

With a simple genuflection, Colin Kaepernick unwittingly has risen and moved to the front of the bus with Rosa Parks.

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Twitter: @sdutCanepa