Tag: Colin Kaepernick

Raw emotions: #RIPJemelRoberson

On By kassienetteIn ControversyLeave a comment

I am not even sure if I am mad.

I am not even sure if I am disgusted.

I honestly am not sure what my feelings are at the moment.

Maybe it is a combination. Or a culmination.

Whatever it is, I am tired of feeling it.

Jemel. Roberson.

Say his name.

Out. Loud.

Jemel. Roberson.

Now all I need to do is eliminate the space and period between his first and last name and add a #. After that, I am sure you will have already drafted the scenario.

Black man. White cop. Dead black body. Cop on leave. The end.

Continue reading “Raw emotions: #RIPJemelRoberson” →

#BoycottNike? Nah.

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Controversy, Football, Giving back, Heroes, Life, NFL2 Comments

I said I was not going to write about it because I have discussed this topic more times than I can count. And I arrived at the point long ago where I am convinced that people are going to either accept the truth or they are going to spend the majority of their time redirecting it to fit their “cozy” narrative.

When Nike debuted their new face of their 30th Anniversary, “Just Do It” campaign this week, the internet nearly exploded. Half rejoicing. And the other half in a full blown tizzy.

It was comical.

Continue reading “#BoycottNike? Nah.” →

Yes, I will be watching the NFL this season…

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, College football, Football, NFL, SportsLeave a comment

This blog post may come as a surprise to some.

Many of you have watched me take a stand against injustices I see and encounter. Many of you have read my thoughts about what has been happening in this world. Many of you know I have no problem expressing how I feel about certain situations. So many of you may have been expecting a different blog title than the one you received.

Listen, everyone knows I love football. Not just like. I love it. Always have. Always will. Youth. Middle school. High school. College. NFL. I love it all. It is an escape for me. It is a place of solace in this crazy world. It is something I look forward too every September. And they are the reasons why I will be in front of the tv tonight.

Let me be clear. My love for the game is not greater than the desire I have to see things change in this world as well as effect change. However, here is the reality. The National Football League has long been a corporation that expects its employees to behave a certain way, follow certain protocols and always put the interests of their team, first. No different than most businesses, right? Well the difference here is the NFL has long been a corporation that rarely practices what it preaches. It wants to protect the shield but it has not been willing to do what needs to be done to make sure the shield is presented in a continuous, positive light.

Take a look at the facts.

Continue reading “Yes, I will be watching the NFL this season…” →

Kaepernick’s “sit in” stands out…

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Controversy, Football, NFL5 Comments

“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”

Or in this case, sit.

Enter Colin Kaepernick. Unless you have been on a boat in the middle of the ocean with no wi-fi then you are already familiar with the controversy Kaepernick has immersed himself in. Call me crazy but I honestly am stunned by the amount of attention this has gotten. I took a break from social media for a few days last week so I really did not get caught up on all the backlash, until yesterday. And that is when my head started spinning with thoughts I was eager to record.

I was going to make this one of my paint a picture, extensive vocabulary posts but I am beyond that because I am so over the foolishness. There are kids being killed in our streets in broad daylight and you all are more concerned with an NFL player not standing during the National Anthem? There are kids committing suicide due to bullying and you all are more concerned with an NFL player not standing during the National Anthem? There is a ticking time bomb campaigning to add President of the United States to their resume and you all are more concerend with an NFL player not standing during the National Anthem? There are 28 million people uninsured in this country and you all are more concerend about an NFL player not standing during the National Anethem? There are young black men who are buried in cemeteries across the country because a trigger happy police officer used him as target practice and got away with it but you all are more concerned about an NFL player not standing during the National Anthem? There are 2 million plus homeless veterans, you know the people who you have used to support your argument regarding Kapernick’s decision, but you all continue to be more concerned about an NFL player who did not stand during the National Anthem.

Miss me all the way as far as left as you can go with that foolishness.

See. Here is the “real problem.” We are tired. We are tired of inequality. We are tired of having to work twice as hard to get a fourth of what we deserve. We are tired of racism. We are tired of our actions being dissected. We are tired of our movements being misconstrued. We are tired of institutionalism. We are tired of being ostracized. We are tired of a justice system that leaves behind more injustices in its trail.

And when we get tired, we take matters into our own hands. Sometimes, things are not handled in the most effective way. However, you cannot to continue to expect every reaction to be peaceful when peace has not been afforded to us. I am over people who do not look like us trying to tell us how to think, feel and act. WE ARE NOT PUPPETS.

Colin Kaepernick did nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing. I find so much irony in the fact that there are so many talking heads, including current and retired NFL players who NEVER condemn the issues plaguing our country, who feel the need to chime in regarding his action while failing to realize they are doing the same thing Kaepernick did – taking advantage of the First Amendment right.

The flag he “disrespected” is a symbol. That symbol is supposed to represent the freedoms that all Americans are “entitled” to. The freedom that Kaepernick used that is supposedly afforded to him. The freedom that the brave men and women of our armed forces fight for daily. It is that freedom the flag represents – the freedom to agree or disagree, hedge your own beliefs and express your thoughts whether we agree with them or not. Remember this is supposed to be a democracy not a dictatorship.

Or is it?

From my vantage point, Kaepernick should be commended. It takes a brave, courageous man to willing face adversity head on when there is so much at stake. Thanks to him, even I have learned some things I did not know – ie. the third stanza of The Star Spangled Banner glorifies slavery. Great. And you want me to be OK with that? Well, I am not and I never will be.

Until more people in this country are willing to address the issues head on, you know the issues Kaepernick pointed out very clearly while speaking to reporters at his locker – you know the ones the talking heads keep ignoring, then we will keep riding this merry go round. I truly believe love can drive out hate but only when it is given the opportunity to do so. Are you willing to do what it takes for love to have a chance at winning? Actions speak louder than words. What do yours say about you?

Not againnnnnnn!!!

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, NFL2 Comments

faithful

Lawd ha mercy.

In 2011, my beloved San Francisco 49ers lost the NFC Championship courtesy of a fumble on a punt return in overtime by Kyle Williams which lead a game winning field goal for the New York Midgets, I mean Giants.

In 2012, my beloved San Francisco 49ers lost Super Bowl XLVII despite having the ball at the seven yard line with under 2:15 left in regulation. Four downs+no paydirt=HEARTBRAK.

So in 2011, we lose the Championship game. In 2012, we lose the Super Bowl. This would be the year we got back to the Super Bowl and finally completed our Quest, right?????

Wrong. Lawd ha mercy.

Down six with 33 seconds left and TWO timeouts, our beloved QB Colin Kaepernick tried it. With Michael Crabtree in a one on one matchup with Richard Sherman, Kap tried it. NOOOOO!!! Now let me clarify. Yes, I do believe Sherman is the best corner in the game. Revis Island has sunk, for now. I also believe Crabtree has some of the best hands in football. However, with 33 seconds left and TWO timeouts, that was NOT the time to try Sherman especially when throws have not been very accurate the majority of the game. We were moving the ball on them, at will, during that drive. Why not stick with what works?? I will never understand. The more I question it, the more frustrated I get.

We have the best collection of players in the league and when it matters most we cannot seem to get over the hump. FRUSTRATIIIIING.

Hopefully, this will leave the bitter taste in the players mouth that will FINALLY propel us to a Super Bowl victory.

#BangBangNinerGang

P.S. I did not see Sherman’s postgame rant but I have kind of pieced together what he said, thanks to Twitter. I have always been a fan of Sherman’s play and his quotables. His fiery, passionate and one of the best in the league. While I do not agree with his assessment of Crabtree being a sorry receiver, he deserved to talk whatever smack he did. He made THE play when it counted most. Was getting in Crab’s face necessary? Nah. Was the choke sign necessary? Nah. I have issue with his actions not his words.He was interviewed IMMEDIATELY after the game was over and I am pretty sure that the majority of the players in the league would be just as excited as he was. Maybe not as loud but definitely excited. A reporter stuck a microphone in my face after my 9ers beat my Panthers last week and I could barely formulate a decent sentence :-}. It is much harder than it looks. Oh and that handshake he offered was definitely sarcastic.

P.P.S. The league has GOT to do something about the zeebs(refs) and the replay system. Now before you try me and assume I am blaming the refs for this lost(you should know better than that by now), I am not. I am still dumbfounded over the NaVorro Bowman play. That rule has got to be changed ASAP. Aaaaaaand, the fact that the referee CLEARLY did not know the rules for “running/roughing” the kicker. Lawd ha mercy.

P.P.P.S. My thoughts and prayers are with arguably the best LB in the league, Bowman and starting guard Mike Iupati.

P.P.P.P.S. I will let ya’ll know next week who I will be rooting for in Super Bowl XLVIII. If you know me well, then you already know who I am going with.

faithful

Kassie’s NFL ReKap!!

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Football, NFL, Panthers, SportsLeave a comment

I owe my friend Earl Crawford an apology. During a Twitter exchange yesterday, I made the statement that “the O(Carolina Panthers) looked about the same. D looked niiiice.” My exact words. Earl’s response, ” I don’t understand….yr 1 O was on fire .. running up and down the field .. yr 3 we struggling…” Now in my defense, I was late getting home from church and I had to make a run during the game for pizza and breadsticks so I did not get to watch the whole game. It was not until I took a good look at the box score that I truly understood where Earl was coming from. My bad Earl. You were absolutely right. Yesterday’s offense was dismal. Quarterback Cam Newton completed 16 of 23 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown. Huh? Wait. What? Third year QB Newton ONLY had 125 yards? I need that to be a typo. Unfortunately, it is not. Newton did do a good job of spreading the ball around to multiple receivers, completing passes to five different players. However, that is just not enough. Now in his defense, this dismal offense was crippled by some dismal, conservative play calling. It was apparent that in order to beat the Seahawks, the Panthers were going to need a balanced attack. Surprisingly, the numbers say this is exactly what happened. 23 passing plays to 26 rushing plays. Well plays that netted yardage. So something is terribly wrong here. I saw too many dropped passes. I saw too many fumbles. And while I try not to “armchair coach,” I saw too many questionable play calls.

In year three of the Cam Newton offense, there should definitely be improvement from last year. The offensive line looked better. Newton seemed to be more patient in the pocket. And Steve Smith is still the fiery, ball snatching firecracker that he has been for the past 13 years. I agree with Newton and Smith when they say ” Everybody, let’s not panic now” but hey, something has got to give or somebody is going to be giving up a job soon.

Switching gears and speaking of giving, how about we give Seahawks QB Russell Wilson a round of applause. *insert applause* What sophomore slump? Wilson finished the day 25 of 33 for 320 yards and one touchdown. Things started out a little rough for Russell as he was under constant pressure from the Panthers front seven. However, once he got settled in, he managed the game like only he can. Scrambling when he needed to. Dropping back when necessary. Making throws on the run including a beautiful pass receiver Doug Baldwin. And of course, completing a beautiful game winning drive that culminated in a 43 yard touchdown pass to receiver Jermaine Kearse in the fourth quarter. That is just Russell being Russell. The other 31 teams better get used to it.

Switch.

All summer I have been hyping myself up, it did not take much, for opening  Sunday. My San Francisco 49ers vs the Green Bay Packers. A rematch of last year’s NFC Divisional playoff game. You know the game where 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards. Yeah, that game.  Well all summer we heard about how the Packers were making adjustments so that they receive a repeat dose of what happened in January. Well, so much for that. Apparently the Packers thought Kaepernick could only beat them with his legs. Wrong. The arm proved to be just as lethal as Kaepernick lit up the Packers defense for 412 yards on 27 of 39 passes and three touchdowns. Huh? Wait. What? Looks like the Packers may need to go back to the drawing board once again. Ok, ok. Enough trash talk. For as much as I loved the way my 9ers looked yesterday, I am still extremely frustrated with our secondary. Too many missed tackles. Too many blow coverages. Too many missed assignments. Yesterday was essentially a shootout and it came down to which defense could hold. Thankfully, my 9ers defensive unit has been together for years and knows how to step up at just the right time. If it was not for that front seven then we might have had a different outcome. Fellow football fans have been telling me to calm down because Rodgers is a great QB who is going to torch secondaries constantly. Yeah, I know. However, I need to see some improvement out of our secondary and I am not seeing it. Remember, I was watching the 9ers when no one else was so that telling me that they are doing a good job will not work over here. If we are to, indeed, get ring number six then the secondary will have to step up in a major way. Teams will be looking to exploit that weakness. Now if everyone can get on the same page and play like rookie safety Eric Reid then it is curtains for everybody else! Bang! Bang! #NinerGang

Switch. My thoughts.

Speaking of curtains, the Pittsburgh Steel curtain may be closing. My goodness. They looked awful yesterday. So did those Jacksonville Jaguars. Sheesh.

Yeah Larry Fitzgerald! Snagged two touchdowns yesterday. Still top five in the WR department.

The New York Jets, with the assistance of a late hit penalty, won their opener. Yeah, I have seen this Lifetime movie before.

Speaking of Lifetime movies, the Dallas Cowboys one began last night with a win as well. We all know how this will play out. Maybe they will fool me. Eh, doubt it.

The New England Patriots needed late game heroics to beat the Buffalo Bills. I am not sure how to even interpret that. Any Given Sunday, I guess. Well almost.

The Chicago Bears beat the Cincinnati Bengals. Barely. That is a moot point though. As long as I get to sing “Bear Down.”

Miami beat the Browns, convincingly. However, they were not very impressive. Gotta love those Fins.

There was a Reggie Bush sighting in Detroit as the Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings. Bush racked up 191 yards of total offense and one touchdown. He has not produced that much offense since USC. Ok, Maybe he has but none of you would be surprised if I was right.  Adrian Peterson was sighted too.  Ran straight to paydirt on his first carry. From 78 yards away. Really dude?

Andrew Luck’s Colts allllllmost lost to the Oakland Raiders. Heard the Raiders looked good though.

And lastly, the New Orleans Saints worked that voodoo magic on the Atlanta Falcons, who were not able to #RiseUp for the occasion. Better luck next time birds.