Kaepernick’s backers rally in support of controversial QB
Eagles fan gets last laugh
NEW YORK, Aug 24, (Agencies): Baseball legend Hank Aaron said Colin Kaepernick is “getting a raw deal” as supporters rallied in front of NFL headquarters in New York on Wednesday on behalf of the controversial quarterback.
Aaron told BlackAmericaWeb.com in an online video published Wednesday that Kaepernick is being blackballed by NFL owners who disagree with his politics.
“I think he’s getting a raw deal,” Aaron said. “If you look at all the quarterbacks in the league right now, I think you have to say he is one, two, three, four. I don’t think anybody can do the things he could do. I wish somebody would open up and give him a chance to do his thing.”
Kaepernick, 29, became a lightning rod for controversy with the San Francisco 49ers last season when he opted not to stand for the national anthem before games to protest police brutality and racism.
Kaepernick said he wanted to spark conversation and debate, but critics accused him of disrespecting the flag and the US military.
Now a free agent, Kaepernick has not been signed by any NFL team.
In a sport where competent quarterbacks are prized more than any other players, Kaepernick’s unemployment is strikingly anomalous — and civil rights activists have taken note.
The NAACP has requested a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss Kaepernick.
Derrick Johnson, the NAACP’s interim president and CEO, said “no player should be victimized and discriminated against because of his exercise of free speech.”
On Twitter, #BlackoutNFL finds black men from an array of professions vowing to stop watching or attending
Kaepernick
games of the hugely popular league, devoting the hours instead to work in their communities. In the meantime, sideline anthem protests have continued in the NFL pre-season.
On Monday, a dozen Cleveland Browns players knelt during the anthem before an exhibition game against the New York Giants.
“There’s a lot of racial and social injustices in the world that are going on right now,” rookie safety Jabrill Peppers said. “We just decided to take a knee and pray for the people who have been affected and just pray for the world in general.”
The recent protests have seen more white players offering support — by placing their hands on the shoulders of black teammates who were protesting during the anthem.
In front of NFL headquarters in Manhattan on Wednesday groups including Justice League NYC and Color of Change rallied, with several hundred showing up in support of Kaepernick — wielding signs and chanting “I’m with Kap.”
Meanwhile, a New Jersey man has taken a parting shot at the Philadelphia Eagles in his obituary.
Jeffrey Riegel died last Friday. Before his death, the 56-year-old Port Republic, New Jersey, man promised friends a funny message in his obituary.
The longtime Eagles fan’s obituary asks for Riegel “to have 8 Philadelphia Eagles as pall bearers so the Eagles can let him down one last time.”
Riegel was a passionate Eagles fan who owned season tickets for more than 30 years. Sadly, the Eagles never won a Super Bowl during his lifetime.
Riegel’s friend, Lou Jiacopello, tells the Press of Atlantic City he couldn’t help but laugh at his friend’s humor.
Eight friends wearing Eagles jerseys were to lay Riegel to rest on Thursday.
Activists rally in support of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick outside the offices of the National Football League on Park Avenue, Aug 23, in New
York City. (AFP)
“In the middle of the second game I started to make some mistakes. But then I got myself together. I came to these Championships with several goals. This was the biggest one. “Now I am just going to take it day by day. I am really looking forward to the quarter-final.”
Akane, the world number two, was desperately disappointed.
“I am very sad,” she admitted. “I made too many errors but she played well.”
In the men’s singles, top seed Son Wan Ho needed three games to overcome Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk and set up a quarter-final against India’s Kidambi Srikanth.
The world number one from South Korea was on court for over an hour before going through 21-14, 17-21, 21-13.
“It was a very tough game,” he admitted. “But I am already looking forward to tomorrow’s match. The win has helped make me more confident after my recent injury because my season so far has been about recovery.”
China’s Lin Dan is doing it the hard way in his bid for a sixth men’s singles victory.
For the second day in succession, the 33-year-old had to come from behind and spent a gruelling 81
China’s Chen Yufei returns against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi during their round three women’s singles match
during the 2017 BWF World Championships of badminton at Emirates Aren in Glasgow on Aug 24. (AFP
minutes on court before overcoming England’s Rajiv Ouseph 14-21, 2117, 21-16.
“It was tough,” admitted Dan, who won the last of his five titles in 2013.
“He started so quickly and it took a while for me to get a hold of the situation.
“I also started slowly yesterday, but I am just doing my best. I think I am improving in each round.”
Viktor Axelsen, the top European hope, cruised into the quarter-finals with a 21-13, 21-18 victory over Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long.
India’s Pusarla Sindhu won the longest singles match of the championships so far. The Indian fourth seed beat Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi 19-21, 23-21, 21-17 in one hour 27 minutes.
Meanwhile, defending champions Chen Long and Carolina Marin, who are also the 2016 Olympic gold medallists, both cruised through to the quarter-finals.
China’s Chen beat India’s Ajay Jayaram 21-11 21-10 and Marin ousted the final unseeded player in the women’s event, Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark 21-7 21-11.