Stars Who Refuse To Support Colin Kaepernick

In a since-deleted tweet (via BET), rapper Fat Joe shared his reaction to Kaepernick's protest. "Having thout [sic] about it, I ain't with protesting the #NationalAnthem," he reportedly tweeted, before deleting the typo-laden post. "Soldiers died fighting 4 our freedom not cops. Why disrepsected [sic] them?"

The same day as the deleted message, the rapper also posted another somewhat cryptic post that followers assumed was related to the quarterback's protest. He tweeted, "In order to create change people must lead with actions, opposed to creating reactions."

That tweet set off its own chain reaction, as Kaepernick supporters piled on to voice their disapproval. Fat Joe didn't elaborate further on Twitter, but he did take to Facebook Live where he broadcast for more than 20 minutes, claiming that he actually wasn't the person who wrote the original tweet. Apparently, it was a staffer who overstepped their role and oversimplified Fat Joe's position on the issue, which turned out to be much more nuanced. Fat Joe called for the end of racial injustice at the hands of police, but also for the end of shaming all police because of the negative actions of the few. It's hard to argue with that kind of logic, but it's easy to assume that after all this fervor, Fat Joe has a new Twitter guy.

Taking a less egalitarian approach than Fat Joe or Shaq, actor Rob Lowe blasted out a tweet about Kaepernick's protest that made clear he disapproved. "Any player wants to boycott the anthem on 9/11 should be asked to remain in the locker room until kickoff," he said. "It's not their moment."

When pressed, Lowe clarified that he didn't stand in stark contrast to the idea of the protest, but felt it was in poor taste to do so in conjunction with the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. "There is a time and place," he tweeted. "Give it a rest for a day and respect the fallen."

Comedian Jay Mohr also took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with Kaepernick's protest, but like Shaq, he was more opposed to Kaepernick's timing and method, rather than his message. His first tweet on the subject got right to the point: "I'm proud of THE RIGHT C Kaepernick has 2 not stand 4 Anthem. Also proud of MY RIGHT 2say he's a douchebag and disingenuous."

Later that day and into the next, Mohr was still at it. He pointed out that Kaepernick failed to take advantage of one of the largest TV audiences of the year in 2013 when he stood for the anthem during Super Bowl XLVII. Mohr suggested that if Kaepernick really wanted to make a statement, he could return his salary. Mohr also tweeted a pic of Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos with their fists raised in protest during the national anthem at the 1968 Summer Games, suggesting that was the real way to protest, so who knows what Mohr really thinks. Either way, both he and Kaepernick are freely expressing themselves, so it looks like everyone's winning.

Former republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson is no stranger to making controversial statements about racism in America. Put simply, Carson believes that racism exists, but he also believes the solution to overcoming it comes from within the black community, not from blaming the system. It's no surprise that when asked about Kaepernick on Fox and Friends, Carson had this to say: "(Colin Kaepernick) disrespected our national anthem and our flag after so many people have sacrificed so that he could have the freedoms that he has today, so that he could make a very, very good living in this, quote, racist land."

Like Scott Baio, former Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling has become a star of conservative punditry, making regular appearances on Fox News, Breitbart, and other right-wing media outlets. His outspokenness and hardline views have gotten him into plenty of controversies. Most recently, he caused a stir with his social media commentary involving transgender rights, which ultimately got him fired from ESPN. His views on Kaepernick's protest fall squarely in opposition.

Speaking to Breitbart, Schilling said, "Clearly he's trying to send a message, and to be very clear, I'm proud of the fact—and I don't know how this is going to come across—that I live in a country where he can do what he did, and not go to jail, be hung, or shot," adding, "Because that's not true in all of the world." Having said that, Schilling argued "there's a billion other ways, I think, to get the message out." He also said, "It's doing what a lot of people, like Spike Lee, would like it to do. It's creating anger."

Schilling noted basketball legend Michael Jordan's dual $1 million dollar donations to both the International Association of Chiefs of Police's newly established Institute for Community-Police Relations and to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Schilling called for a sit-down between police and minority communities as a more productive way to deal with the situation. He also suggested Kaepernick "refuse to take his paycheck" and accused the NFL of a double standard regarding what kind of protests the league allows. Additionally, Schilling used the anthem debacle to slam the media, leftists, and Hillary Clinton, because like all emotional debates, they tend to stray from the point.

Since we've clearly established that Kaepernick's actions are stirring up some strong emotion, it's a good time to round out this article with the people who are probably the most angry about it. Nascar driver Tony Stewart is one of them, and he came out swinging on Twitter with a vigorous defense of the police. "I'm sorry but [Kaepernick] needs to learn the fact about police before running his dumba** mouth!" Stewart tweeted. "He has no clue what they go thru! #idiot."

Less than a week later, he doubled down on his condemnation of Kaepernick, sharing a photo of the football player wearing socks that featured cartoon pigs wearing police hats.

For what it's worth, SB Nation reported that photo of Kaepernick in those socks was taken during 49ers training camp in August 2016, before he started publicly protesting the anthem. Via Instagram, Kaepernick said he wore the socks to protest "rogue cops that are allowed to hold positions in police departments, [who] not only put the community in danger, but also put the cops that have the right intentions in danger by creating an environment of tension and mistrust."

We saved the angriest for last, and not to slam former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka, but to really drive home the point that Kaepernick's protest continues to catalyze strong responses from famous figures. When asked about the quarterback by the Shan & RJ Show, Ditka held nothing back: "I think it's a problem, anybody who disrespects this country and the flag. If they don't like the country, they don't like our flag, get the hell out, that's what I think." Ditka continued, "I have no respect for Colin Kaepernick, he probably has no respect for me."

"I don't see all the atrocities going on in this country that people say are going on," Ditka added. "I see opportunities if people want to look for opportunities. Now, if they don't want to look for them, then you can find problems with anything."

A few days later, during a radio interview on Jay Mohr Sports, Ditka grew even more heated, criticizing the backup quarterback for using the NFL and collecting a paycheck when he doesn't even play. "You make $7 million a year for not playing football," he said. "You're not playing. You're not on the field. Give that money to these people. Go out on the street and help these people with that money. That's something you could do." The hall of fame coach then hung up.

So, depending on how you look at it, Kaepernick's protest has done one of two things (or perhaps it's done both): it either sparked a dialogue about the divisive issues of police brutality and racial injustice in America, or it further polarized people to the point where even celebrities, who generally cushion their public remarks, are speaking out for and against.