Tag: Colin Kaepernick

Lets Talk About What Nobody Wants to Talk About

It’s been difficult to write much the last week while the country is gripped in protests, riots, civil unrest, and let us not forget about the coronavirus pandemic thats killed more than 100,000 people. 2020 has been the year from hell and the murder of George Floyd was the tipping point for many Americans.

In times like these we typically turn towards sports to help heal the rawest of wounds. It sounds silly, but it’s true. Sports has always been the unifying force that society uses to bring people of all different backgrounds together, if only for a couple of hours.

I’m torn on this because sports have unified people during horrific times like 9/11 and helped kickstart difficult conversations after tragedies like Eric Garner’s death, but maybe not having sports right now is for the best? Without any sports to speak of theres nothing for us to turn our attention towards. We’re all stuck at home and forced to have the difficult conversations that sometimes we’re all too quick to turn the page on.

The 24/7 news cycle never sleeps, but it seems like as a nation we’re all focusing on the same exact thing right now. We may fall on different sides of the issue, but we’re all talking about the same issue, which is how progress begins.

A lot of people are learning, and hopefully growing, in real time. Drew Brees faced the swift wrath of not just twitter, but his own teammates and peers from around the NFL after he denounced protestors kneeling during the anthem.

…and then apologized less than 24 hours later. Life comes at you fast, Drew. It was a shockingly tone deaf statement from one of the faces of the NFL. It’s been 3+ years since Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the National Anthem to protest police brutality, but plenty of people, Drew Brees front and center, still think it’s about the military or “disrespecting the flag.”

I don’t know what kind of reaction Brees expected from these comments during what may be the height of racial tensions in my lifetime, but he has, unsurprisingly, been getting ripped by players across the league including by his own No. 1 receiver, Michael Thomas.

Malcolm Jenkins put out a heartbreaking video directly responding to Brees’ comments and effectively telling him to just shut up and listen.

The McCourty twins eviscerated Drew Brees for leaning on the military as a reason for denouncing the kneeling protestors.

Brees issued a lengthy apology this morning, less than 24 hours after his original comments, but I find it hard to believe he was this glib to begin with so the apology does ring a bit hollow. Hopefully Brees and everyone who sees this exchange use it as a learning experience.

We try to not get too political here, but after hearing the pain in the voices of some of my black friends it would be selfish to not use the minuscule platform we have here to at least say something. I’m a white guy in his thirties so I’ll never know what it’s like to be a black man in America, but one of the main things I heard from friends of mine is to simply see and acknowledge our differences. Saying you “don’t see color” is misguided because that only blinds you to the issues that people of different races experience on a daily basis. It’s important to see, and celebrate, the differences between us all. Ignoring those differences may be done with good intentions, but it takes away from our ability to use any privilege we do have to help, even if its just calling out a friend or a family member on their shit.

I’ll leave you with this video that former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho put out yesterday: Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man

The AAF Has Officially Folded. We Hardly Knew Ye

SIThe Alliance of American Football will suspend football operations on Tuesday, reports ProFootballTalk. The league is just eight weeks into its inaugural season.

SI’s Albert Breer reported AAF team officials have a conference call with the league office at 1 p.m. ET. Breer reported there’s a perception inside the league that AAF majority owner Tom Dundon bought a bought a stake in the league for the gambling app being developed with one source saying, “Dundon got the technology he wanted and he’s now minus one rather large headache.” SI’s Conor Orr reported league heads were stunned and still working on a solution.

According to ProFootballTalk, the league is not folding yet but it is heading that way.

The writing has been on the wall for a while now as I’ve already written a few blogs over the past month about the AAF nearly going out of business and it’s barely Month 3 of the league’s lifespan. Welp, that’ll do it for the AAF apparently, who is heading the way of the dinosaur.

I won’t rehash the same things I said in my last blog on this, but here’s what I had to say on a league not having a plan to make it through even one season:

“Who is running these leagues? Obviously we’ve seen football leagues come and go over the past 20 years as the NFL has maintained its stranglehold on consumers’ attention without even lifting a finger. Most of these leagues fail because its just morons running the business side of things it would seem.

In marketing they say the average person needs to see an ad or a brand message seven times before it sticks. Now apply that to the AAF. How many AAF games do you think the average sports fan has watched? One? Maybe two? The AAF *had* to be prepared for slow adoption, otherwise it was a stupid business venture.”

But then there’s that tidbit from Bert Breer’s report that Tom Dundon, the Carolina Hurricanes owner that invested $250M to save the league last month, has basically sold the league not for its football but for it’s technological IP.

If thats true that is wild and I can imagine the other owners are bullshit. Those other owners probably feel swindled for paying to build up this football league only to have an investor come in and sell the whole thing for parts. But hey thats what happens when you sell majority ownership to a billionaire; you give up control. It’s fascinating just because I’ve never heard of anything like it. For all of its failings, the AAF was at least trying out innovative things, like the makings of a gambling app apparently.

Then on the other side of the Football Leagues Competing With the NFL coin is Vince McMahon who smells blood in the water now.

Vince McMahon, who plans to give the XFL another shot next year, has sold $272 million worth of WWE stock, and company filings say that money will primarily go toward the XFL..McMahon has said he’s ready to spend $500 million over the first three years of the XFL to get the league off the ground, suggesting that even if the league struggles to gain traction at first, he’ll stick with it rather than pulling the plug after one season”

Vince seems to be pretty confident, cocky some would say, that he has fixed the issues that plagued the XFL the first time around. Despite the fact that a very similar concept just failed spectacularly, Vince has doubled down and is apparently ready to pour $500 million into the XFL.

Who knows if the XFL will be any more successful than the AAF, but I’ll tell you one thing, Vince will not fail because of a lack of marketing and promotion. Thats his bread and butter so don’t be surprised to see mass media promotions and gigantic billboards featuring Johnny Football, maybe Colin Kaepernick and whatever other fringe NFL players with a big name that they can find. Either way, this whole 2-3 year drama of new football leagues popping up and dying off will be a fascinating case study of monopolies in American business as the NFL crushes these competitors without even lifting a finger.

Speaking of Manziel, he’s the voice of reason and restraint here today, which was refreshing to see. My man is once again a free agent and as I’ve said before, it’s probably XFL or bust for his football career at this point.

Would Signing Colin Kaepernick Make Sense for the Patriots?

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Get your popcorn ready, folks. We could be gearing up for a civil war in Pats Nation.

After settling with the NFL last week in his collusion suit against the league, Colin Kaepernick is apparently ready to get back out onto the field. And there are some who believe Foxborough could potentially be the new home for the 31-year-old quarterback.

NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter initially brought up the idea on FS1’s “First Things First” this past Friday. Then, the following day, Kaepernick’s lawyer Mark Geragos said this to CNN:

“I think you’re going to see … within the next two weeks that somebody is going to step up and do the right thing, and you want me to predict who? Besides the Panthers, it would not surprise me if [Patriots owner] Bob Kraft makes a move.”

It’s important to note that this is nothing more than pure speculation, with literally zero supporting or corroborating evidence at the moment. But he was still rather specific regarding which teams he pointed out, right? I mean, there are 30 other franchises in the league that Geragos could have mentioned as well…but he didn’t. Typically, when there’s smoke there’s fire, so maybe there is something to this.

Now, it should also be pointed out that Bob Kraft is one of the only – if not THE only – NFL owner who has ever publicly supported Kaepernick in any way since the whole protest controversy began. Back in November, Kraft said the following to The New York Times when asked if he thinks the QB should get another chance in the NFL: “Let me say this: I would very much like to see him in the league” (h/t CBS Boston).

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Bobby is one of the only owners in the league who actually seems to have a social conscience.

OK, so we at least know for sure that Kraft is in favor of Kaepernick get another shot; we do not know, however, if that means he necessarily wants that shot to happen with his team.

Why? Well, because it would cause quite the uproar that, sadly, could hurt the team’s standing with a large portion of its loyal fan base.

I am not going to sit here and rehash the merits of Kapernick’s message or why those who oppose what he did feel the way they do. I was already pretty clear regarding my support for Kap’s cause last year, and my feelings haven’t changed one bit. Unfortunately, though, neither have the feelings of those who continue to unfairly vilify him while completely and utterly misconstruing the real purpose behind his actions; nothing I can say or do will ever change the minds of those who are that stubborn and ignorant – and Kraft knows that nothing that comes out of his mouth will make a damn difference either.

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Should that necessarily stop the team from taking a flyer on a talented, multi-tooled player who could serve as an extra (albeit unnecessary) weapon for a team that already just won a championship? No. In fact, if we’re being honest, nothing would bring me more joy than seeing all those irate and indignant Pats fans out there being forced to swallow the fact such a “MONSTER” would be wearing their favorite team’s uniform. (Seriously, I would REVEL in their rage. MAN, I want this to happen so bad SOLELY for that reason.)

But rather, it just doesn’t make sense from a football standpoint, and it’s probably not worth the circus act that would ultimately follow.

First, even if one supported signing Kaepernick, no Pats fan in their right mind should want to see him on the field for the team any time soon. If Kaepernick were to see any noteworthy playing time, that would only be because Tom Brady wasn’t able to play instead. And no, we’re not going to suddenly see Belichick and McDaniels start implementing the new multi-QB scheme we’ve seen teams like Baltimore and New Orleans try out recently. Not only is it foolish, but there is no way in hell Brady would ever stand for that. No freakin’ wayyyyy.

Secondly, for as physically talented as Kaepernick is, he’s really not as good as many of his supporters would like to believe. To be fair, he did post a pretty solid 16-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio in his last season with the 49ers, helping him finish with a 90.7 QB rating on the year over 11 starts. But his 28-30 career record, 59.8 completion percentage, and 177.8 passing yards per game are hardly inspiring. Were it not for his ability to run – which will only continue to deteriorate as he gets older – he would be nothing more than a serviceable backup.

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The guy is supremely talented, but he’s not really the world’s best field general.

Furthermore, he hasn’t played in three seasons, which in today’s NFL is a lifetime. Every year the game continues to adapt and change, and it’ll probably take him a while to shake off the rust. Especially in the Pats’ complex offensive system, he’ll likely struggle to pick things up, particularly if he barely gets any time other than the preseason to actually play within it. Let’s also not forget that the team already has a pretty good backup in Brian Hoyer, a guy who has years of experience within the scheme and apparently was the secret weapon in the team’s Super Bowl victory over the Rams.

And, again, what would the team actually stand to gain? You can’t even tell me that it’d be a move for the future. To reiterate: he’s 31 and hasn’t played one second of action in the league in either of the last two seasons. Also, I think we can all feel confident that Brady has at least two solid seasons left (if not more). Do you really believe that: a.) Kaepernick will wait that long to earn a starting role, or b.) the team should feel confident in a mid-30s scrambling QB leading them into the future once the G.O.A.T. is gone? Again, no freakin’ wayyyy.

Above all, Kap is looking to get PAID, and I just don’t see the Pats being willing to do that. Truthfully, with guys like Trey Flowers, Trent Brown, and Jason McCourty all set to hit free agency this offseason, I’d actually be pretty pissed if they did.

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Re-signing Flowers needs to be No. 1 on the Pats to-do list this offseason. Until that happens, literally nothing else even matters.

So settle down, everyone. No matter what side you’re on, I just can’t see the team going out to bring this guy in any time soon. I truly hope he gets his shot somewhere, even if it’s only to stick it in the craw of all the haters. But I just doubt it happens here.

The 300s Top 10 Blogs of 2018

2018 was a banner year for The 300s as we saw our readership grow exponentially, we rolled out a ton of new swag, and we brought some new writers onto the staff. We appreciate everyone who takes a few minutes out of their day to read a blog or watch a video or listen to a podcast. With that being said, it’s the last day of the year so we had to break down the Top 10 Blogs of 2018.

1.) David Price Continues Good Will Tour, Rips 69-Year-Old Red Sox Reporter Jonny Miller

2.) Apparently Jon Gruden’s Son, Deuce Gruden, is the Goddamn Hulk

3.) RIP Mac Miller, Dead at 26

4.) Nike Deserves Applause for Choosing Colin Kaepernick as New Face of “Just Do It” Campaign

5.) Boston Celtics NBA 2K19 Ratings Predictions

6.) The Marlins Are Replacing the Ugly Home Run Statue With Irony

7.) Tough Break for Malden Men Who Recovered Red Sox Banner

8.) Terrible News: Ed Hochuli is Retiring. Better News: His Son is Replacing Him

9.) I LOVE This Quote From Rick Porcello

10.) Brock Lesnar Possibly Playing Ivan Drago’s Son In “Creed 2”

 

 

The 300s Just Had Its Best Month EVER. Get On This Train Now Before It’s Too Late

So just a quick little update for everyone that takes the time out of their day to read this humble Boston blog from time to time. September was the best month EVER for The 300s.

And I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for reading, commenting, tweeting, and sharing our stuff. This site continues to grow as does The 300s brand as a whole. The 300s Podcast also had its best month ever, no big deal. We’ve got some new things in the works over the next few months so keep an eye out for all those announcements. In the meantime, lets take a look at the top posts from September, the top performing month since I started this operation way back in 2016.

There are Rumors Abound That the Pats are Going to Sign Colin Kaepernick

I know that this is not the most reputable source but this is the same account that had the Gordon news before just about anybody than Rap, you’ll have to just trust me.

When I saw this I sat back and kind of just said, “well how about that.” Believe it or not when I hear Kaepernick’s name the first thing I think of is still a 24 year old Joey B watching him carve up the NFC and come within a pick of making it to the Super Bowl. He could run, he had an arm, his choice of pet was a turtle, the whole shebang.

Now, sticking to football, he could have not given less of a fuck about learning to read defenses or look off his receivers, which is a tad bit of an issue in the NFL. There was some SERIOUS flaws to his game. With all of that said I still always thought he could be a reclamation project if a team could lock him in the film room.

So how do I feel now that he may be New England’s new back up/3rd string. I feel fine. He has a similar skill-set to Brissett and I am sure the Pats could come up with some McTrickery to include him in. TB12 could show him how to be a professional, possibly excluding the rub and tugs from Alex Gonzalez, and who knows, at 30(ish?) he still could have a few solid years left. Maybe at least become a trade piece.

Ball is ball.

-Joey B.

Nike Wastes No Time in Dropping the Colin Kaepernick Commercial and It is Awesome

Mattes touched on the decision by Nike to put it all on the line yesterday and make Colin Kaepernick the face of its 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. If you have access to the internet you saw the full spectrum of responses across the country. There were people applauding Nike’s brazen effort to directly go against their biggest partners in the NFL by dropping this campaign without even a whisper of a heads up. There were people legitimately burning their swoosh apparel and cutting the Nike logo off their clothes, so much so that there are already fundraising campaigns encouraging people to donate to charity rather than burning perfectly good clothing. Then of course there was everyone in between.

Hate Colin Kaepernick or love him. Call him a traitor or a true Patriot. Either way, this commercial accomplishes exactly what Nike does best. It pushes the boundaries, it boils down a whole bunch of noise into one message in a two minute and five second commercial. It’s bound to be polarizing, which is exactly what Nike wants and probably what this issue needs.

Take the venom out of the discussion and try to understand or at least empathize with why everyone believes what they believe. On every side. It’s silly that it may have taken a company that makes shoes for people to actually have that conversation.

Nike Deserves Applause for Choosing Colin Kaepernick as New Face of “Just Do It” Campaign

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I see you, Nike. Pretty ballsy move here…and I am ABSOLUTELY on board.

On Monday, it was announced that Colin Kaepernick would become the new face of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign, which is set to enter its 30th year. The decision was announced on Twitter via Kap’s agent, Mark Geragos:

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And HO-LEE SHIT did it start a firestorm.

Not only did the company’s stock drop a few percentage points as of Tuesday morning, but all the social media warriors out there have already made sure to show off just how much they’re “sticking it” to Nike by burning/destroying shoes and other apparel made by the company which THEY ALREADY OWN AND HAVE SPENT MONEY ON.

(If you want a good laugh, Uproxx posted a wonderful piece this morning which features many of those posts as well as the hilarious responses to them from the sane and witty Twitter crowd.)

Honestly, it’s the hypocrisy of it all that kills me. These same people who decry that kneeling for the anthem is the most disrespectful thing an American citizen could do are the same people who will gladly order a chicken sandwich from Chic-fil-A without even thinking twice – because after all, these people are about FREEDOM, UNITY, and EQUALITY for EVERYONE, under one nation…unless of course you’re a homosexual, right?

And after that they’ll go to Wal-Mart – one of the country’s truly most destructive and corrupt corporate entities – and purchase a knock-off patio set that they’ll use (maybe) twice all year just to try and keep up with Bob and Jane next door, who just put in an in-ground pool with their disgusting amount of disposable income.

Oh! And then they’ll need to make sure to stop by a Mobil gas station on the way home to fill up the tank in their precious luxury vehicle. (Do I really need to get into ExxonMobil?)

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My point is there is an inexhaustible list of other corporations out there which should be shamed much more so than Nike, but people are CHOOSING to view the entire movement that Kap started as something it’s not. As a result, it’s causing them to overlook some very real and very serious issues – both related to Kap’s cause and otherwise – due the irrational and completey misguided anger that’s currently consuming them.

I’m just going to say it, and I cannot be clear enough: KNEELING FOR THE ANTHEM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE VETERANS OR DISRESPECTING THE NATION AS A WHOLE! (That is just simply how some are CHOOSING to view it.)

Let’s take a second to let that sink in…

OK. Everybody clear now? Great. Let’s move on.

The protest was meant to bring attention to an extremely important issue that is often overlooked – or outright ignored – by those who don’t experience the prejudice and suffering many in our nation face each and every day. I don’t think I need to go into a diatribe on race relations in the United States; if you’re that ignorant or you disagree with the fact that things truly aren’t equal for every citizen in this country, then I’m not even sure it’s worth wasting my breath on trying to convince you at this point.

But at least Nike’s trying. Nike’s trying to piss people off. Nike’s trying to create controversy. Nike’s trying to push the envelope.

That’s what the players are trying to do as well. Because, let’s be honest, what’s going to get your attention more: a guy on TV in a suit giving a charismatic speech about the Black Lives Matter movement, or some of your beloved sports stars kneeling before a symbol you have loved and respected (and rightfully so!) your entire life? Obviously, it’s the second one. You know it. I know it. THEY know it. That’s the point!

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Also, it’s not an entirely meaningless gesture either. The whole point is to demonstrate the fact that they believe a lot of what the American flag is supposed to embody is a farce in our current society. They didn’t choose this route just to be dicks.

Still, some feel as though it simply goes too far, and I will admit that a part of me initially felt the same way. Anyone who unabashedly hates the country or supports any animosity/violence toward law enforcement or our service members in any way should absolutely be shunned (and, if necessary, punished to the full extent of the law). I don’t think anyone, NFL players included, would argue against that.

(Side note: I know a lot of people want to bring up the time Kaepernick wore pig socks to training camp in August 2016 – aka the first time he brought up the issue of police brutality – and I can’t say I support him on that move at all. However, it does seem like he’s matured significantly since then, and he’s done some pretty proactive things outside of the protest that deserve a lot of credit. I truly believe his heart’s now in the right place.)

Nike, just like the various players throughout the league supporting Kap’s cause, is simply trying to start a conversation. (OK, sure, they’re absolutely trying to make more money in the long run, too; I’m not gonna B.S. you on that.) But still, the courage they displayed by making this move is something I respect the hell out of, and it’s refreshing to see a multi-million-dollar corporation choose to take a hit in the pocket at first just to show their support for a truly noteworthy cause.

And maybe if more people would listen to the actual message, we could make a difference for the better. But until that happens, I guess all we’re going to get is charred Jordans and swoop-less socks – and, above all, a divided nation that could so easily be saved with a simple little conversation.

So good on ya, Nike! You’ll come up flush for this in the long run, and hopefully we all will, too.

The 300s Power Rankings of America: Who’s Trending Up and Who’s Trending Down

Another week, another chance to check in and see who’s doing great and who’s doing shit.

Trending Up:

Tom Cruise

Mission Impossible 6 is getting glowing reviews across the board and if you bet me 10 years ago that we’d be getting a sixth installment starring this couch jumping lunatic, well I would have joined Scientology. This franchise has been getting better and better with each release and it just goes to show you that there are still quality action films out there to be made that don’t involve Tony Stark.

 

Star Wars Fandom

Episode 9 officially started filming Wednesday with J.J. Abrams back in the Director’s chair. Confirmed to return are Mark Hamill, Back-From-The-Dead Carrie Fisher, and everybody’s favorite space pimp, Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian. I’m hoping for a satisfying conclusion to the sequel trilogy as the last chapter left a lot to be desired for me personally. More Adam Driver is always welcomed though.

 

Jose Reyes

Reyes made his pitching debut this week and it could have honestly gone a lot worse. Mets got completely blown out for the worst loss in franchise history and we’re at the point where I’m just here to see how low and hilarious this can get. Reyes gave up two homers and followed it up the next day by hitting two homers, which is the first time anyone’s done that since 1876. Hard to believe this team was in the World Series in 2015. Amazing Mets indeed.

 

Trending Down:

The NFL

Are we really so petty against Colin Kaepernick that we’re editing his name out of songs for a video game? If this was a problem, why did you even use the song in the first place? Regardless of your actual stance on the matter, it’s hard for an organization to be more unaware of their own bullshit. Talk about not being able to get out of your own way.

 

Chipotle

At this point it is rarer to go into this chain and come out healthy than it is to get sick. 683 people have now claimed to have gotten sick eating at an Ohio location which is absolutely believable. Are we cooking chicken in Easy Bake Ovens or something? Guac remains extra, but diarrhea is free of charge.

 

The Wilpons

Two years ago, the New York Mets were in the World Series. They lost, but they were good enough to get there. Between countless injuries, mishandling of players, and constant penny pinching, it’s time Major League Baseball stepped in and did something about the worst ownership in professional sports. This team is a piggy bank to Wilpon family (a piggy bank that Bernie Madoff enjoyed dipping his hand into over a decade ago, but ownership would like you to think happened last week). Mets fans are tired of the nonsense, and these two frauds will not see another dime of my money til something is done.

EA Sports Edited Colin Kaepernick’s Name Out of a Song on the Madden 2019 Soundtrack

YahooEA Sports apologized on Thursday night for the editing out of Colin Kaepernick’s name in the soundtrack of its “Madden 19” video game , calling it “an unfortunate mistake.” The gaming company also said that it will provide an update for the game that will add Kaepernick’s name back into the song. “We made an unfortunate mistake with our Madden NFL soundtrack,” EA Sports said in the statement. “Members of our team misunderstood the fact that while we don’t have rights to include Colin Kaepernick in the game, this doesn’t affect soundtracks. We messed up, and the edit should never have happened.

Morons. Absolute morons that just cannot get out of their own way. I honestly don’t think anyone inside the NFL offices can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Yes, I’m 100% pulling out my Jump to Conclusions mat on this one…

but, I’m sure the NFL heavily influenced this situation by EA Sports to censor the song. Even if they didn’t its just a bad look for everyone involved. Not to mention, it’s excellent fodder for Colin Kaepernick’s lawyer in their collusion lawsuit against the NFL.

Nothing screams that you’re blackballing a guy like going so far as to censor the mere mention of his name from appearing in your video game IP.

Unintentionally hilarious explanation of the lyrics that were censored too:

“The song, “Big Bank” by YG featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Nicki Minaj, is one of several songs featured on “Madden 19.” In the song, Big Sean raps the following lyrics:

Feed me to the wolves now I lead the pack and s***
You boys all cap, I’m more Colin Kaepernick

In these words, Big Sean expresses his admiration for Kaepernick as someone who is focused on being true to himself instead of playing up his accomplishments, as explained by genius.com.

“As explained by genius.com.” We’ve all been there. Listen, I love rap, its my favorite genre of music, but even I don’t know what the hell guys are talking about half the time.

Would it have been easier to just, ya know, not include the song? Sure, but that would be too easy. Theres too many lawyers in those closed door meetings looking for the most convoluted solutions to every problem. Occam’s razor, boys. The easiest solution is usually the best solution. Instead they had to overthink it and created national headlines about Colin Kaepernick once again.

Keep messing up like this and ESPN NFL2K is gonna rise from the dead to come for that ass.