Colin Kaepernick sitting for the national anthem resulted in fans standing in line to buy his jersey.
The quarterback’s shirt moved from “clearance” to the fifth on the bestseller list at NFL.com since he sat for “The Star Spangled Banner” during a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium a week ago Friday. His jersey jumped from 20th to first among all San Francisco 49ers players. ESPN’s Darren Rovell reports, “More of his gear sold in last week on the 49ers site than the past 8 months combined.”
The response at the cash register differs from the response at backyard fire pits. Numerous fans outraged by Kaepernick’s stance to sit during the song torched the quarterback’s jerseys and posted video of their protests of his protests on social media.
The police threatened to boycott working home games at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara because of Kaepernick’s attacks on them. The president praises the player’s position.
“I don’t doubt his sincerity, based on what I’ve heard,” Obama told reporters at the G20 conference. “I think he cares about some real legitimate issues that have to be talked about. If nothing else what he’s done is he’s generated more conversation about some topics that need to be talked about.”
Atop sitting, and then taking a knee during the national anthem less than a week later, the quarterback wore socks depicting policemen as pigs, ridiculed cops as receiving less training than cosmetologists, and wore a Fidel Castro t-shirt.
Ezekial Elliot, a rookie running back for the Dallas Cowboys, sits atop the sales top spot. New players, or new uniforms, generally spark sales. Veteran players, whose fans already own their jerseys, generally remain off the bestseller list unless they compete at the most elite level.
Kaepernick barely made the 53-man roster of the San Francisco 49ers over the weekend. Coach Chip Kelly named Kaepernick the backup quarterback behind Blaine Gabbert.