Greeson: The primary color in the Kaepernick controversy is green


              FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2016, file photo, from left, San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Eli Harold, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and safety Eric Reid kneel during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Santa Clara, Calif. During an appearance on Fox News Jan. 3, 2017, former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann slammed the 49ers' decision to give Kaepernick an award for being an “inspirational and courageous” player. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2016, file photo, from left, San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Eli Harold, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and safety Eric Reid kneel during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Santa Clara, Calif. During an appearance on Fox News Jan. 3, 2017, former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann slammed the 49ers' decision to give Kaepernick an award for being an “inspirational and courageous” player. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Black Lives Matter leader and New York Daily News columnist Shaun King wrote Tuesday he is boycotting the National Football League.

His reason? He believes the league is boycotting free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick because he's black.

Yep, the league that has made more black millionaires than any other industry anywhere - 70 percent of the NFL's players are black and the average salary is more than $400,000 annually - is racist, according to King.

Remember, the NFL is the only major professional sports league that, by rule, forces every franchise to interview at least one black candidate for every head coaching or general manager opening.

If King wanted to boycott the NFL for putting that many black athletes in harm's way, at least that would be based in fact.

Nope. King spins everything that has not turned out roses for a black person into a racism allegation.

"I can't, in good conscience, support this league, with many of its pro-Trump owners, as it blacklists my friend and brother Colin Kaepernick for taking a silent, peaceful stance against injustice and police brutality in America," King wrote in Tuesday's Daily News. "It's disgusting and has absolutely nothing to do with football and everything to do with penalizing a brilliant young man for the principled stance he took last season."

He's right about it not being entirely a football decision.

Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers starter, had 16 TD passes to only four picks last year for a dreadful team, opted out of his contract and hit the open market. It was a risky - and in retrospect, expensive - decision, and he is still looking for a new team.

He most recently was being courted by the Seattle Seahawks as a backup to Russell Wilson. It was a move that made a lot of sense, considering Wilson and Kaepernick have a lot of the same skills.

"Colin's been a fantastic football player, and he's going to continue to be," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters about the decision. "At this time, we didn't do anything with it, but we know where he is and who he is and we had a chance to understand him much more so. He's a starter in this league. And we have a starter.

"But he's a starter in this league, and I can't imagine that someone won't give him a chance to play."

Maybe that plays a part. The Seahawks have committed a lot of money to Wilson and if you bring in someone who may push him, well, that could get awkward. So they signed Austin Davis, who assuredly will not push Wilson for starting reps.

Maybe Kaepernick is looking for starter's money. Third-hand reports "from an unnamed source close to Kaepernick" have said their demands are very meager and they have not had many calls.

Now for the elephant in the room. You know, that elephant right there on the sideline kneeling during the national anthem.

If color is affecting Kaepernick, it's either red, white and blue or green, as in money.

New York Giants owner John Mara came out last week and said bluntly he had heard from more fans about their disdain for Kaepernick's protest last year than anything else involving a player.

To pretend that Kaepernick's protests are not part of this is doing a disservice to the discourse. But to jump from point A of the protest to point R that is racism is just as flawed. When people look for jobs, there are lots of factors in play. For those in the public eye, popular opinion matters.

It's why Tim Tebow gets at-bats in the minor leagues.

It's why the Kardashians have a TV show.

It's why a lot of today's country music stars look like boy band members in ball caps.

And it's why all the talking heads are repeating, "It's an outrage that Austin Davis and Blaine Gabbert have jobs and Kaepernick doesn't."

It's not an outrage. It's a reminder that football is still a business, and this is a business decision.

And it certainly is not racism.

Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and 423-757-6343.

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