PHILADELPHIA — He’s the new Curt. The new Kaep.
In 1970, Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood challenged Major League Baseball’s reserve clause and, after a trade, refused to report to the abysmal Phillies, which eventually led to free agency in baseball and other player rights. It also cost Flood the final years of a strong career; he was blackballed.
In 2016, 49ers Super Bowl quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested police violence against the Black community, which eventually led to initiatives to not only change the criminal justice system but also to promote diversity and inclusion in all corners of American business and society, including the NFL. It also cost Kaepernick his career; he remains blackballed.
