Originally posted by 49erBigMac:
Originally posted by dj43:
There is more than one reason he doesn't have a job but let me respond to that "one reason."
In a way, I feel sorry for Reid. He is a great teammate and a leader in the locker room. He is just that kind of guy. The problem is that he allied himself with Kaepernick after CK had come out with some of his vacuous comments and other off-field things became public. In so doing, he became attached to all those very ill-considered events and statements even though his own statements and activities were much more well-thought out than were Kaepernick's.
In short, though Kaepernick was really the toxic one in terms of media presence, Reid became guilty by association. IMO, had Reid been on another team and done the same thing he did on the 49ers, no one would have thought twice about any "baggage" he might bring. A lot of players knelt during the anthem but none of them aroused the ire the way Kaepernick did. So, Reid winds up in the same shade as Kaepernick, though he does not deserve it.
I still stand by the fact the primary reason he doesn't have a job is because of the position he plays, but I will not say that is the only reason.
D.J. you are someone I respect on this board, but come on, you write that someone is guilty by association and also say that "in a way" you feel sorry for them, that just isn't right.
It's an injustice on top of an injustice. Bad things happen when good people look the other way.
Thank you for the respect. Let me expand my position a bit.
I fully support the need for greater accountability on the part of law enforcement. That is not to say that all individuals or districts are in need of reform, but if only 10% need reform, that should happen. The larger point is that most are honest, diligent and fair. That is the key.
When Kaepernick first began his protest by remaining seated during the anthem, he made statements to the media that were so poorly thought-out and poorly expressed that one would have thought a 7th grader composed them. I was very disappointed and TBH, surprised at the way he expressed himself. It was not only poorly expressed, it attacked ALL LEOs as the same - pigs. He also attacked the nation as a whole rather than focusing on the specific issue. The nature of his comments turned off many people who might otherwise support the root cause. The fact that three weeks later his rhetoric had changed dramatically was too little too late. The "horse was out of the barn."
To make matters worse, there were all the other things that came to light that took the focus further off the goal. Not voting or even registering, t-shirt, etc., etc. All of these things painted Kaepernick in a disingenuous light.
Personally, I was very disappointed in him because he grew up in a town near me and I followed his career somewhat from HS to SF. I have also met his parents - nice folks. He grew up in an upper middle class neighborhood with a solid, intact family around him. He enjoyed everything one needs to succeed. I wanted to see him succeed in the pros and with the intent of his social activity. The problem was that even though he made dramatic improvements in the way he initially expressed himself, in those first three weeks he had burned a LOT of bridges.
Eric Reid, OTOH, had none of that extra baggage to bear. He is a thoughtful, sincere guy. He also grew up in a neighborhood in Baton Rouge where racism and police brutality was a fact of life. If anyone should have a platform for honest social commentary, Reid should have it.
Now I come to where I feel Reid is "guilty by association," as you put it. Reid, speaking from his personal background, noted the importance of the issue but always did it thoughtfully and respectfully, in contrast to the way Kaepernick expressed himself in those first three weeks. However, being on the same team as CK, and being a good teammate and team leader, he joined and supported him, as we know. Though Reid is his own man, and speaks well when questioned, he has had nothing like the overall presence that Kaepernick has had going all the way back to his front-cover posing for national magazines - well before he started his activism. In short, Reid is the underling player in the cause yet he is painted on the same canvas. As a result, it makes it easy for those who have strong feelings for the flag, the anthem, military, etc. to reject Reid right along with Kaepernick though they are clearly two different individuals who have traveled two quite different paths to where they are now.
As I said above, if Reid had been on a different team than Kaepernick, he might have a job now. He would still have to deal with the soft safety market but he would be free from the extra individual negatives Kaepernick personally brings.
Yes, that sounds unfair to Reid but that is the situation he has found himself in, as I see it.
[ Edited by dj43 on Jun 7, 2018 at 9:20 AM ]
