Kaepernick lead attorney, Mark Geragos, ripped billionaire rapper Jay-Z for signing a social justice deal with the NFL without talking to Kaeprnick. Geragos, who represents Kaepernick in all NFL-related matters, called the deal “cold-blooded.”
In a phone interview with ABC News on Monday, Geragos made it clear that Jay-Z did not consult with Kaepernick prior to striking a deal with the NFL.
“This deal between Jay-Z and the NFL crosses the intellectual picket line,” Geragos said.
“I can confirm to you that the deal was already done prior to any conversation that [Kaepernick] had with Jay-Z and he certainly didn’t have any conversations with the NFL,” Geragos added.
Last week, it was reported that Jay-Z had struck a deal with the NFL to spearhead the NFL’s entertainment and social justice initiatives. The rap mogul will also be the co-producer of the Super Bowl halftime show.
Though, while some were upset by Jay-Z’s deal with the NFL, the fact that he began negotiating the deal over a year ago while claiming to support Colin Kaepernick and his cause, made Kaepernick’s supporters even more angry.
The first player to join Kaepernick in his protest, Eric Reid, was also among the first to speak out.
“We never advocated for Colin to lose his job while we fought against systemic oppression,” Reid said in response to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith’s statement that Kaeprnick should consider Jay-Z’s deal with the NFL a victory. “That’s unjust, and where the NFL inserted itself into this. Now the NFL is “championing” social justice to cover their own systemic oppression in blackballing Colin. So we will fight to get Colin’s job back as well. Jay-Z knowingly made a money move with the very people who’ve committed an injustice against Colin and is using social justice to smooth it over with the black community.”
Jay-Z expressed his rationale for joining forces with the league in a press conference last week.
“Let me bring attention to injustice. Everyone’s saying, ‘How are you going forward if Kaep doesn’t have a job.’ This wasn’t about him having a job,” Jay-Z said. “That became a part of the discussion. He was kneeling to bring attention to injustice. We know what it is. Now how do we address the injustice?”
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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