NFL Giants President & CEO John Mara disagrees with the idea that Colin Kaepernick is "being backballed" by the league following his protests last season, according to Jordan Raanan on ESPN.com. Appearing on ESPN Radio 98.7 N.Y.'s "The Michael Kay Show" yesterday, Mara said of the blackball idea, "Absolutely not. Anybody who thinks there has been any conversations going on among teams about Colin Kaepernick is crazy. That just is not the case." He added, "There are certain issues that go along with Colin Kaepernick, and that may have scared some teams away. But there is absolutely no blackball going on here. I just don’t see that at all" (ESPN.com, 8/8). Mara said, "He still has some good football left in him. ... But obviously there are other issues that go along with him." He added, "I believe he'll be back in the league at some point this year with a team" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 8/9). However, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said Kaepernick "without question" is being blacklisted. Smith: "He's definitely being so" ("The Karen Hunter Show," SiriusXM, 8/8).
MAKING NOISE: In DC, Cheryl Chumley reports Kaepernick supporters have "organized a rally on his behalf" set for Aug. 23 outside the NFL's office in Manhattan. It is called the "United We Stand Rally for Colin Kaepernick" and was spread online yesterday by Spike Lee. However, Chumley wonders if rally organizers "really see it as a convincing argument in the whole Sign Colin Kaepernick movement?" This is "hardly the way for Kaepernick to convince a reluctant ownership, sensitive to the criticisms -- and spending habits -- of the ticket-buying public, to send the message, Hey, I Do Want to Play" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 8/9). ESPN's Bomani Jones asked "Is it possible to hurt his quest to play again in the NFL? Because it seems pretty clear he’s not going to play in the NFL again.” Jones: “If you’re somebody who is offended by what has happened to Colin Kaepernick and feels he is being blackballed and feels that is the un-American thing that is going on, then the only option you got left is make a bunch of noise and let the NFL know you're dissatisfied” ("PTI," ESPN, 8/8). Meanwhile, YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel wrote it "stands to reason that the NFL isn’t all that excited" about the rally. However, the league "shouldn’t blame Kaepernick." It should "direct all complaints" to Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti, who all but "begged for such events when he noted last week that one of the factors in the team’s consideration of signing Kaepernick was fan opinion" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/8).
