In the past, when people talked about a football hero, whether in college or professionally, it meant a white male. There is a racist myth that black players have better muscles, but strategic thinking is the domain of white quarterbacks and coaches.
The rise of black quarterbacks, among other things, has proven revelatory. In the documentary “Kaepernick & America,” directors Ross Hockrow and Tommy Walker capture the enthusiasm of his football fans when San Francisco 49ers biracial quarterback Colin Kaepernick wins a game and pretends to be hilarious. I spent a lot of time showing it.
Of course, even then, there were hot-tempered white sports commentators like Colin Cowherd, who suggested Kaepernick’s voluminous tattoos were a little too “passing”, and his second post-touchdown. A kiss on the head says he “grown up.”
The film really flips a rock when Kaepernick chooses to kneel during the national anthem at a game as a protest against racial injustice and police brutality. Including Sports founder David Portnoy. Calling Kaepernick an ‘ISIS guy’ And far-right cheerleader Tomi Lahren, totally, even blindingly white, shrieked at Kaepernick, “Aren’t you half white?” Even clips from mainstream sources reveal a media appreciating its own supply of fanatical delusional nationalism. Ultimately, Kaepernick’s conscience blackballed him and he remains off the team today.
The verbal analysis here isn’t necessarily deep. One interviewee whispers the mundane phrase, “The conversation we should have.” Sports journalist Steve Wyche candidly puts it this way:
Kaepernick & America
Unrated. Running time: 1 hour 22 minutes.rent or buy apple tv, google play and other streaming platforms and pay-TV operators.