This is going to be a thing, so you might as well see video and the transcript. Ryan Sakamoto got this video of Chip Kelly and Lowell Cohn dealing with a point of contention about Colin Kaepernick’s venue for speaking on issues of social injustice.
Cohn mentioned how some players had been grumbling a bit when, after the 49ers win over the Rams, Kaepernick answered questions regarding his protest. Cohn suggested Kaepernick should have spoken about them after, and not during the post-game locker room scene.
Grant Cohn started this earlier in the week blaming Kaepernick for the post-game scene, suggesting Kaepernick should have deflected the protest questions to another time because the team had won, and it would take the focus away. Lowell seemed ot be piggy-backing off Grant’s article in his question of Kelly.
Kelly politely and strongly disagreed with it. You can view the video below, and the transcript is after that. On the one hand, if you’re focusing just on football, I can sort of see where the Cohns are coming from. Of course, we have long since moved past football in terms of this discussion.
Furthermore, I can’t really take Lowell seriously on this subject after this August 28 column suggesting Kaepernick was a hypocrite for pointing out the flaws in America while benefiting from the country as well. On Thursday, he included a quick mention that Kaepernick’s concerns are valid and important. It’s possible Lowell educated himself over the past month and better understands Kaepernick. At the same time, given his comments then, and his questions/statements on Thursday, it’s hard for me to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Suggesting Kaepernick deflect questions to another time or place is similar to saying the Anthem is not the time or place for a protest. Obviously a lot of people hold the Anthem in slightly higher regard than the post-game locker room, but it’s an example of Cohn trying to push the topic away because as he showed in his August 28 column, he either doesn’t understand it, or is just uncomfortable with the issues that have been raised.
Well done by Chip Kelly in this instance.
Chip Kelly and reporter have a back-and-forth on Kaepernick's activism (via @SakamotoRyan) pic.twitter.com/Tw0dTdVelm
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) September 22, 2016
How do you feel when he takes over the locker room and he talks about his concerns, which are valid and important? I think specifically about after the Rams win, when you beat the Rams, and he was talking about injustice in America and I believe some of the players were uncomfortable with that. How do you feel when he takes over the room?
“I don’t think Colin takes over any room. I think it’s--"
Oh he did after the Rams game.
“I can give you my opinion of what I think. I think he’s asked questions about a subject and he’s answering those questions.”
He should turn down. He should say, ‘Talk to me at another time.’ I was in the room. Were you in the room at that time?
“Yeah, I walked by in the locker room. I’m in the locker room.”
Anyways, so we disagree on if he took over the room. Do you think it’s appropriate that he should be talking about those things after a win?
“Yeah, I do. When he’s asked a question, I think he should answer what his feelings are on those questions. If you don’t believe that’s a thing then maybe you shouldn’t ask him those questions.”
I didn’t ask him those questions.
“OK.”
We have a fundamental disagreement then.
“That’s the great thing about this country, isn’t it?”
Absolutely.
“Awesome.”