The blog world is all atwitter regarding our ascendant quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and his gall for wearing a Miami Dolphins hat in public last week. After feeling the slings and arrows from Niner fans on twitter (I guess) and of course, the media frenzy on a slow news day, he replied with this:
“This the hat y’all mad at? I’m goin wear what I want regardless of what you think, all you need to worry about is the fact that I grind for my teammates and the 49ers! I plan on doin this until they won’t let me in the building!”
Excuse me if I don’t feel the need to throw him under the bus quite yet. Some folks question his commitment to the team (really?), some think he’s a thug and a punk (whatever. Old ground), some think he’s simply immature (possible). My take? Get a grip. It’s a hat, for God’s sake. Is it juvenile wear another football team’s hat? Sure. Is it wrong to call out the media for dogging his attire? No. last time I checked, people are free to wear what they choose. Is it misguided to wear another team’s colors? Well, yeah. I suppose, but you see players wear other team’s hats all the time. However, it mostly is guys wearing hats from a different sport. As in Alan Iverson wearing a Boston Red Sox hat, or Bron Bron wearing a Yankee hat. Kappy himself last year was sporting a Milwaukee Brewers hat for some interviews. It makes sense as he was born in Wisconsin, and a baseball cap doesn’t conflict with football. If he was wearing a Packers hat, I could imagine the hooraw around something like that. Bitter rivals and all.
The Dolphins? Ehhh. Is it bad form? Sure. Does it bother me? Not in the least. Kappy has shown himself to be a true professional who works as hard as anyone else in the game, and is constantly pushing himself to be a better player. Plus, it’s the offseason. If this was 3 days before a Miami game, I’d be questioning his sanity, let alone his allegiance, but in July? Who cares? Will this be an issue in 3 months? No.
Forty Niners Forever 
I’m completely ignoring this controversy intentionally, BTW.
I just simply don’t know what to think or how to respond.
Part of me definitely agrees with NF, no more sports heroes.
Part of me wants to wear my Niner cap.
I wouldn’t mind a boycott for a couple seasons to take the money away from the pros, but good luck.Football is firmly entrenched in America, and where the Niners go broke, the Cards or Rams will spend the bucks and win.
Honestly, if I had any clue as to the solution besides starting early and often with education, I would offer it.
There are my 2 cents for the day.
Money is the root of all evil RT?
Not sure about that but NF has a point that the athletic heroes are “me first” to a greater degree than used to be the case with rare exception.
I agree with a point you made before about the backfield being the big question mark this year. On paper it’s regressed, good job they don’t play on paper eh?
Money isn’t the root of all evil 12th. $20 million bonuses for college athletes is.
College students in this country spend DECADES trying to pay back their student loans.
I’m lucky. I almost stepped on that land mine, too.
At least we know why Gaudin was in the hospital..
Needed a date who couldn’t say no apparently.
RTF, look at the deeds Kappy has done. Look at the charities he started, his stellar academic record, and his apparent Christianity. Those are bible quotes all over him. How he chooses to show that is different, granted, I mean there’s another QB who goes about it differently, but who’s to say either is right or wrong?
The point being, Kappy wore a hat during the offseason. On his own time..He didn’t get busted drunk driving, or grope someone or do anything even remotely illegal immoral, or insane. Due to social media, it turned into a shitstorm. He started working out a week after the super bowl ended. He’s been working ever since. If you lose faith in the guy over the hat, then you are easily swayed. I see more in him than some kind of misguided joke the hat thing turned out to be.
The thing about athletics in general, most football players at least pretend to go through 4 years of college. PAC 10, and conferences not SEC related usually have decent grad rates and the student athletes get something out of it. In baseball and basketball, there are lots and lots of them who go through 0-1 years of college. The point being, football players in general are the best educated out of the bunch.
Squawks take another Niner cast off.
Chuck, didn’t you spend months arguing with me about a QB from Florida who won a bunch of games in Denver, then got traded against his will to New York.
At least be consistent.
Sorry Chuck, it’s late and I’m tired.
Football players are the best educated? Exactly which planet did you come from?
I’m serious, that was just about the stupidest comment I’ve ever read anywhere. I don’t care if I’m old and tired, that was still an incredibly stupid, ridiculous comment.
They have the most help, the ones on “scholarship”, but most don’t get an actual education, even at Cal where I went.
Amateur athletics are the way to go. Pro football and that “Gam” word has taken over now.
I may even hang up my hat for the last time and just concentrate on other things. Important, but fun things.
If somebody gets up to Berkeley sometime, let me know if Top Dog is still open.
It was a 5 five minute walk from the Chancellor of Cal’s office, and the Evans building where I spent all my time. Best Bratwurst, Knockwurst, Hot Dogs, you name it, in the world.
There were lines leading out the door from grad students buying things for themselves and then their profs.
It’s going to be tough to give up Niner football, but with all the money involved and the way things are going, I’m going with Bratwurst.
“She wore a yellow ribbon” on now. I’m just a clown watching John Wayne and Joanne Dru and Ward Bond and I don’t remember who else.
The plot may be a little morally suspect, since I’m on the side of the Natives, but the photography is very real, shot at Monument Valley, AZ, with very similar terrain to here.
My Mom was a lab tech (highest rank a woman could achieve at the time there), but managed to swing it with her coworkers to take blood from Ward Bond.
Ben Johnson, a real life bull rider and great actor.
Harry Carey, Jr. One of the greatest Westerns ever.
John Ford, the director, a Navy photographer in the South Pacific in WWII, did the whole thing in 10 days.
Sometimes I wonder why I learn this stuff and I don’t go back to Theoretical Physics.
I’m comparing football players to baseball players and basketball players, RTF. Half of the baseball players go from HS to the minors. Same with b-ball. HS to the pros, or maybe 1 year of college. Baseball players in general are the dumbest lot in of all the major sports.
The point on Kappy is, he’s apparently a religious guy who is very dedicated to football in general, and becoming a better QB. You and NoFear so easily throw him under the bus for the hat thing. NF especially. I’m sure a lot of kids look up to Kappy for his dedication to school, his bible quotes, his charity work, and his dedication to the game. The tatts are what they are. Kids these days are going that route. Not my thing, but whatever. Kappy caught a lot of heat from the mainstream for his look. Not ‘quarterbacky’ enough. Which smacks of veiled racism to me. Which I also think has a lot to do with the instant heat he caught over the hat,
The difference between Kappy and Timmy is that Tebow never misses an opportunity to flaunt his beliefs. Frankly, I’ve never liked it when people constantly have to remind me of how wonderful and pious they are. Is showing it by covering yourself in ink any different? Who’s to say? You? NF? Judge not, lest ye be judged yourself. He who is without sin cast the first stone. Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Everybody must get stoned. Pick your proverb . . .
Chuck, I don’t remember throwing Kappy under the bus.
As far as my own Christian beliefs, I try to keep them quiet, except with very close friends.
Another great movie on, “Wagon Train”. I won’t be awake to see all of it, but I’ll watch the beginning. Ben Johnson again. REAL New Mexico, not what you get from Hollywood these days.
And yeah, it has a cameo for Harry Carey, Jr. A bigger role for Ben Johnson.
I meant to mention, Ward Bond sent my Mom roses after she treated him at the hospital.
Red roses.
I guess that’s why I love this stuff.
When my Mom was working her a** off at the hospital during WWII, and trying to meet a future husband at the USO for after the war, well…
It sounds worse than it actually was. My Mom was a wonderful lady and I still miss her.
Well, you sure didn’t cut Kappy any slack. Whatever. The saga is over. No one will remember this in a couple months.
NO ONE deserves too much slack, Chuck.
One of the chicks I had a major league crush on in HS had an older sister I had a bigger crush on.
Sis’ whole family got run over by a drunk driver. Right on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Help, yes. Slack, no.
GOOD ancient explorations of America on now on . I just got chile rellenos at a different restaurant down the street. It’s already about 95, but there’s no place to get cold potato soup.
I’m sweating like a greased pig, and I only started with the frizoles and arroz.
Chuck, you have to, and I mean have to, find those Mamas & Papas videos on YouTube.
The one with the girls popping out of the bathtub props they had on set.
Fully clothed, but in cheerleader clothes while the M&P are singing a 4-piece harmony. “California Dreamin”.
“Music has charms to soothe a savage breast”.
– Bill Shakespeare
I think the three alarm fire from the New Mexico chile rellenos has slowed down, and I’m hungry.
Besides, there’s a terrific movie on TCM right now, plus that Ancient History thing on The History Channel. Both exactly right up my alley.
Pat, signing off for today.
Well, I’m signing off in a sec.
ZZ Top “Legs”.
Voted best music video of all time.
By me.
Now I’m signing off. It’s too dang hot right to think about anything but Rocklin in football.
“She got Legs! She knows how to use them!”.
Chuck, you know I went to Cal. I had a study partner in Economic Geography 101 or something who I used to go out with.
There’s a beautiful lecture hall where the class is, the acoustics are still perfect after 100 years, and the Cal football team was in the very, very, back row of the hall.
Made it hard to hear the Professor.
That’s why I wanted to go to UC Santa Cruz and be a Banana Slug. They don’t take athletics as seriously there.
My Dad did everything he could to prevent it. Stopped me in my tracks. Get the picture.
I’m 53, Chuck. I know a little about this stuff.
She lived in Pacific Heights. I got to drive her home one night during quarter break (they were experimenting with quarters, which messed everybody up). She wasn’t experimenting.
“Wagons Ho!”
It was Econometrics 101 and 102. I hope I’m not getting early Alzheimersers.
Too much chile relleno in this heat, I guess. Girl was real. Pat blowing it 203. I’ve screwed up with more girls than I can count, and now in this town at my age, well…
Just be too easy and looking for somebody honest to spend the rest of my life with.
“She got legs!” Top 10 video, I guess on 2nd thought. Mamas and Papas, Gracie Slick (who still lives up in Marin if I’m not mistaken). I’m not actually interested in rating them anymore.
Skeebs is blocking all my stuff apparently, Chuck. I haven’t been able to post there since my 14 straight when nobody was on. Reno congratulated me on it, because he has the record.
Anyway, ZZ Top “Legs”. Not what you might think. I think it’s a Model A they were driving, somebody come on and tell me.
’33 three window coupe
Not a deuce? Haven’t seen the vid in years,
The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show at Rockefeller Center.
These kids were sons of WWII, and Rubber Soul was probably the best before they got on acid.
They don’t make music like that anymore. It’s a shame, but we still have “Day Tripper”, “Norwegian Wood”, and many others.
These idiot athletes don’t know how well they have it.
Music for me from now on.
George Harrison with the WooWa on “My Guitar Gently Weeps”.
I heard so much Beatles when I was a kid, I know just about every song by heart. When I listen to too much of it, it’s like having too many chiles in your chile rellenos.
I’ll look around and try to find something. Can’t say I’ll succeed, but I’ll try.
Don’t know if you know, but that’s Eric Clapton playing a lot of the guitar in that song . . .
Hey what’s wrong with a Dolphins cap?
He wears a live dolphin atop his head as his Dolphins cap.
Now go get Ace Ventura a goddamn beer.
burp!
Freakin 98 today. Tomorrow, too. Monday it’s supposed to be back to normal.
Can’t even go the beautiful park in town in this weather. No global warming my ass.
I just watched “The Drive” vid again, as well as the “After the Drive” vid.
Sony has obviously found some of my posts, and stopped me cold with copyright violations.
No more Beatles on Ed Sullivan.
Oh well, a good western I PAY for on cable maybe. I just watched one of the best, and I’d never even seen it before.
“General Patton didn’t get bogged down in Bastogne?”
I love this blog sometimes. General Patton was in the south of France waiting for spring.
General Omar Bradley (future 5-star) made the blunder of putting reserves in the Ardennes.
It was the 101st Airborne who were called to drive from Paris on leave up to Bastogne, the main road network of the entire area.
Don’t even go near it unless you know your stuff. Start with “Band of Brothers” and move on.
New thread is up . . .