Colin Kaepernick
(Picture: Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Colin Kaepernick does not look back at his time in the NFL Draft fondly.
In his new Netflix documentary, the former NFL player compares the draft process to a slave auction. The special follows Kaepernick’s life from childhood to his infamous on-field political statements. In one scene, viewers watch Black athletes in shackles being whipped by white owners.
Kaepernick begins his analogy in the Netflix show, “Colin in Black & White” by saying, “What they don’t want you to understand is what’s being established is a power dynamic.”
“Before they put you on the field, teams poke, prod, and examine you searching for any defect that might affect your performance. No boundary respect. No dignity left intact,” the former San Francisco 49ers star says to the camera.
Colin Kaepernick, in his new Netflix special, compares NFL training camps to slavery. pic.twitter.com/bu5C2alild
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 30, 2021
The series then cuts from Kaepernick to a line of Black actors playing NFL prospective athletes transforming into slaves at an auction. The league’s draft process and training camp are then further likened to the horrifying past historical events.
“Look at this here! Come on! Who wants this?” an auctioneer shouts.
As you may recall, Kaepernick made headlines back in 2016 after kneeling during the national anthem during games in protest of police brutality. The athlete quickly became a figurehead advocate against racism in the US.
Kaepernick left the NFL team that same year and has yet to be signed with a team, leading him to file a grievance against the NFL. At the time, the former 49er accused league owners of ostracizing him because of his political views before withdrawing his claim.
Critics online bashed Kaepernick’s comparison.
“How dare @Kaepernick7 compare the evil endured by so many of our ancestors to a bunch of millionaires who CHOSE to play game,” wrote Burgess Owens on Twitter.
How dare @Kaepernick7 compare the evil endured by so many of our ancestors to a bunch of millionaires who CHOSE to play game. https://t.co/fy01QlVV2f
— Burgess Owens (@BurgessOwens) October 30, 2021
Another tweet from Clay Travis reads, “Colin Kaepernick compares the NFL combine, which allows all players of all races a voluntary chance to become multi-millionaires, to slavery. Anyone still defending this imbecile lacks a functional brain.”
Colin Kaepernick compares the NFL combine, which allows all players of all races a voluntary chance to become multi-millionaires, to slavery. Anyone still defending this imbecile lacks a functional brain. pic.twitter.com/rMaKi7c6xh
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 30, 2021
