Mike Vick’s Take Questioning Kaepernick’s Play Falls Incomplete

Notice: Undefined offset: 1 in /var/www/wp-content/themes/jnews/class/ContentTag.php on line 86

Notice: Undefined offset: 1 in /var/www/wp-content/themes/jnews/class/ContentTag.php on line 86

 

By Rickey Hampton, Editor and Founder of The African-American Athlete

I understand that America’s black community is not monolithic.  I get it, I really do.  I understand our community is comprised of many voices and a myriad of diverse opinions and thoughts.

That said, there are some issues where there is practically 100 percent unanimity.  Slavery was devastating to our people.  James Brown is the Godfather, and it ain’t really been a party until everyone has gone down the ‘Soul Train’ line.

Another one of those issues that damn near every black person I know agrees on is the real  reason why Colin Kaepernick has not landed with an NFL team.  It is not a question of  his talent. It is the NFL’s backlash against his stance regarding the ‘Star Spangled Banner’.

But, I gotta say, I was surprised to hear former NFL quarterback Mike Vick say he thinks Kaepernick not being signed is because of his football abilities, not his politics. 

If there was ever a professional athlete who should know things beyond football can impact one’s status, it is Vick.

But, in and discussion with Jason Whitlock on FS1, Vick had this to say on the matter:“It has nothing to do with him being blackballed. The gesture that he made last year when he took the stand to do what he did, listen, we all appreciated it, we respected it, and it was a good thing. I really think the stand that he took has nothing to do with him not having a job playing in the National Football League right now.

“And being frank, Colin didn’t have the best two years his last two seasons. It wasn’t as productive as what we’ve seen him do. And maybe it was due to coaching changes and musical chairs in the positions around him and players, but I think in terms of him getting back on the field, it’s going to have to be a team that suits his skill set and what he does well: mobility inside and outside of the pocket, making plays with his feet, maybe a little bit of the wildcat — whatever they want to call it — mixed in, but it has to be some kind of scheme that helps Kaepernick and that team in terms of productivity.

“Any other type of offense I don’t think will help him right now because it’s going to take him so long to adjust and learn the system, protections, blitzes, what to look for, receivers, that type of camaraderie doesn’t happen overnight.

“We don’t know his commitment, his dedication to the game right now. Unless you talk to Colin personally, you probably won’t know. I still think his heart is in football. He’s fairly young. He still has football left in him, but it’s still predicated on what teams want in the quarterback position.” 

And to make matters worse, Vick went on to question Kaepernick’s appearance. “First thing we got to get Colin to do is cut his hair,” Vick said on FS1’s Speak for Yourself. “I’m not up here to try to be politically correct but even if he puts it in cornrows, I don’t think he should represent himself in that way, in terms of the hairstyle. Just go clean cut.

“Why not? You’re already dealing with a lot, a lot of controversy surrounding this issue. “The thing that he needs to do is just try to be presentable.”

I am simply flabbergasted by that statement. To question the man’s appearance? To say he needs a haircut? Vick is simply being naïve, at best. He sounds like he is auditioning for a spot on Fox News with that kind of comment.

But it’s not a coincidence how Green Bay Packers’ linebacker Clay Matthews is celebrated for his long, blonde locks, and Kaepernick’s afro is somehow menacing.

At 29, Kaepernick’s  body of work in the NFL is without question.  He has thrown 72 touchdown passes, and only 30 interceptions in his career, while averaging 6.1 yards when he decides to run with the ball. His career quarterback rating is 88.9.

Last season he threw 16 touchdowns, and had only four interceptions for a terrible 49ers’ team.

I can name a dozen NFL starters, not just backups, who can’t match Kaepernick’s productivity.  But let’s use Minnesota’s Sam Bradford as an example.  Bradford, like Kaepernick, is 29. He was taken with the No. 1 overall pick by the Rams in 2010. Bradford has thrown 98 touchdowns, and 57 interceptions. He averages 2.4 yards when he runs the ball. His QB rating is 84.5.

Bradford has never led a team to the playoffs. Kaepernick, a second-round draft pick in 2012, led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

In every possible way, Colin Kaepernick is a superior player to Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft. Yet, Bradford keeps getting chances to play. The Vikings are his third team. It seems Kaepernick only got one chance.

There are 96 quarterback jobs in the National Football League. If Mike Vick thinks Colin Kaepernick isn’t good enough to land one of those spots, he isn’t as knowledgeable about the game as I thought he might be.

Comments

comments