FLORHAM PARK, NJ – On Wednesday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick addressed the New York Jets media ahead of Sunday’s game between these two teams. Breitbart Sports Dan Leberfeld participated in this conference call, and asked the 49ers QB a few questions in relation to his season-long national anthem protests.
Breitbart Sports: What are the kind of things that will have to happen for you to stand again for the National Anthem?
Kaepernick: There are many things that need to be addressed and when those things are addressed fully, then I’ll stand. There will be a lot of things that will have to happen. That will be something that when I feel comfortable with what this country is doing and how black people and people of color are being treated then I will stand.
Breitbart Sports: You were just in Chicago playing the Bears, and the murder rate there just went over 700. When you talk about oppressed people, and the way black people are treated, is that situation in Chicago on your radar? Many of those victims were African-American in Chicago.
Kaepernick: I’m trying to help Chicago as well. I donated to an organization in Chicago. I plan to visit Chicago and see what I can do to help there. But to try to bring up an issue like black-on-black crime, according to FBI crime stats, over 80 percent of white people that are murdered are murdered by other white people. So there is white-on-white crime as well. So to single out a city or a community like that is unfair in my opinion.
Breitbart Sports: Do you know what “The Ferguson Effect” is?
Kaepernick: I have heard of it, but I haven’t fully researched that.
Breitbart Sports: Since what happened in Ferguson, the crime rates in inner cities are exploding because the police have pulled back and are afraid to do their jobs. What are your thoughts on that theory?
Kaepernick: Once again, I’d have to further study and research that. I don’t want to give an answer or opinion on something I haven’t fully researched.
Breitbart Sports: There have been studies done by Seton Hall and Yahoo Sports that claim the NFL TV ratings are down because of the anthem protests . . .
Kaepernick: I haven’t seen that study, but once again, if the ratings are down because people don’t agree with justice and equality for everyone, I think we have bigger issues to worry about than TV ratings.
Breitbart Sports: Does it concern you that you make a very good salary, that is well-documented, and that you are hurting the league with the TV ratings being down? Less revenue will come in less, less revenue sharing will happen, a whole trickle-down?
Kaepernick: Once again, I haven’t seen that study, so I don’t know the legitimacy of it, but that is something I will have to look at, and see if that is really the situation because I don’t believe that is the case.
Breitbart Sports: You don’t think the anthem protests are impacting the TV ratings?
Kaepernick: That is a lot of power to put in one person’s hands to say I have control over the NFL’s TV ratings.
Breitbart Sports: No, it’s the whole movement you started, and had (49er teammates) Eric Reid and [Eli Harold] join you, and some Dolphins, and also the black power signs around the league, so it’s not just you, it’s a whole movement.
Kaepernick: Well, my questions would be, why is there an issue for players of color asking for equality and justice for people of color in a league that is 70 percent black?
Breitbart Sports: The people who are upset about the anthem protest might prefer you do it a different way instead of during the anthem.
Kaepernick: Well historically people have always been upset about the way people protest and they want them to do it a different way, and what they really are trying to say is we don’t want to address these issues, we don’t want to hear from you, stay in your place and just entertain us.
Breitbart Sports: You recently wore a shirt with Fidel Castro (before his death) on it. Do you regret that since he was a mass murderer and divided families?
Kaepernick: Once again, I’ve addressed that. I don’t agree with the oppressive things he did, but I’m also going to acknowledge that they have free universal health care, they have free education, they helped end Apartheid in South Africa. You know, the United States has also broken up families in many different way. I’m not trying to make a comparison there, but I’m just trying to go off the facts of what have happened.
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