FS1’s Sharpe on Kaepernick Remaining Unsigned, Hank Williams Jr Back With ESPN: Shows Where We Are and How Far We Still Have to Go

Tuesday on Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed” broadcast, co-host Shannon Sharpe lamented the Seattle Seahawks’ decision to sign free agent quarterback Austin Davis over Colin Kaepernick to back up Russell Wilson, saying he is “so upset” owners do not want Kaepernick.

Sharpe then likened NFL owners not signing the free agent to ESPN bringing Hank Williams Jr. back to sing the theme for Monday Night Football because the musician associates himself with the Confederate flag, which he said goes to show where black people are and how much further they have to go.

Partial transcript as follows:

I’m so upset now with the National Football League and some of the stances the owners have taken. Because, guess what, Skip, it was announced yesterday that a guy is going to be singing … the theme song for Monday Night Football — now, this was a guy six or seven years ago they distanced themselves from because he compared President Obama to Adolf Hitler. He’s back. Skip, he has a website and guess what he says on that website, Joy Taylor? Confederate flags with his name on it.

Everybody’s talking about the American flag, but who doesn’t know what that Confederate flag represents? Now Arizona is talking about removing some of their Confederate monuments. I don’t know — I was a history guy. But what role did Arizona play in the Civil War? So why would they even have Confederate monuments. So, it’s not about pride. We know what that Confederate flag represents, but you’ve got no problem with Hank Williams Jr. selling Confederate flags with his name on it.

See, for me, Skip, I value life more than cloth. And what Colin Kaepernick is standing for is more important. I’m not going to be disrespectful to the flag and I understand the flag represents a lot of things to a lot of people, but to say he’s been disrespectful of the flag and being disrespectful to the people that served and fought for freedom of that flag, what about the soldiers? Well, what about those black soldiers? Were they being disrespectful when they came back and were second class citizens? Were they being disrespectful when they had to get up and move to the back of the carts when you brought the POWs on? So, don’t give me that bull jive. These owners and some of these fans that’s taking this stance against Colin Kaepernick is so utterly ridiculous, I don’t even really know what to do. But it just goes to show you where we are and just how much further we have to go.

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent