A Change.org petition warning the NFL to sign quarterback Colin Kaepernick or face a boycott has already gained over 94,000 signatures.
The petition, which seeks 150,000 signatures, likens Kaepernick to Muhammad Ali and praises the former San Francisco 49er for making the conversation about “racial/police brutality” a “front-page” issue.
The petition also charges that the NFL has blackballed Kaepernick for his attempts to raise the issue of race.
Petitioners find the refusal to sign Kaepernick, telling.
“This shows that the NFL Owners are not willing to bring Kaepernick into their team because — according to many fans — he is a ‘distraction.’ A man who protested because of injustices towards people of color is pretty much blackballed in a league that is 70% Black,” the petition says.
The petition also claims that the Kaepernick episode proves that the NFL doesn’t care about their black players.
“[T]his situation really shines a light on how much the NFL really cares about its Black athletes. It’s pretty much: Play for us, entertain us, make us money, and shut up,” it reads.
The petition urges supporters to boycott the NFL. It asks for fans to stop watching games, refuse to post social media comments about football, and stop going to stadiums to see games in person. The petition also demands that supporters refrain from buying any NFL merchandise unless Kaepernick finds a new team.
As to any actual threat to the NFL, there is no way to ascertain what number of those who have already signed the petition are actually NFL fans. Making the potential effectiveness of the proposed boycott hard to determine.
The petition notes that after reaching a 100,000-signature goal, it will be sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and to each team owner.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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