OT Kapernick files grievance against NFL for collusion

[mouser]

Just 2 teams, according to Shefter on ESPN.

2+ teams to conspire for collusion.

14+ teams to collude against a single player (Kaepernick) to trigger the NFL CBA's early termination option.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

My understanding is this is 100% Kaep and 0% NFLPA. He's isn't even using their lawyers, he's using his own.

 

[LeHab]

I'm not sure it was a player option to guarantee the 2017 salary, believe it was more of a player option to opt-out if he wanted, which he did. According to Spotrac, which does a great job of tracking NFL contract details, Kaepernick's 2017 salary didn't guarantee until 4/1/2017. So if the 49ers cut Kaepernick before then he wouldn't receive anything in 2017.

https://web.archive.org/web/2016112...fl/san-francisco-49ers/colin-kaepernick-7751/

The situation is a little convoluted because the contract was restructured in 2016, so some of the initial details were no longer valid. ESPN article that confirms the 49ers were going to cut Kaepernick if he hadn't opted out:

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18808233/san-francisco-49ers-released-colin-kaepernick-opt-out

Thanks, after reading a bit more you are right. The "player option" is that the player can opt out but the team can ALWAYS opt out - it is implicit. His salary would have not been guaranteed for 2017. NHL players have it really good!

 

[mouser]

My understanding is this is 100% Kaep and 0% NFLPA. He's isn't even using their lawyers, he's using his own.

That's what the media is reporting. It does illustrate an interesting difference between the NFL and NHL CBA's:

- In the NFL a grievance can be initiated by a Player, Club, NFL Management Council, or the NFLPA.
- In the NHL a grievance can only be initiated by the NHL (executive office/commish) or the NHLPA. Players can't initiate their own grievances.

 

[Gnashville]

there are much worse qb's than him in this league right now and we all know it.

I'm probably taking him over cutler

If you owned the Miami Dolphins and played in a city with 20% Cuban population you would not!! Kaepernick said Castro’s Cuba was less oppressive than the United States and the US should learn from his leadership. He was a ruthless dictator and murderer his own citizens. That was highly offensive especially to the Cuban population in Florida. I know that for a fact.

It’s not just about his ability he’s a distraction and seems to be about getting publicity for himself more than actually playing football. Why is no one pushing for Tim Tebow or RG3? Why is he the only one being picked on?

 

[YEM]

It’s not just about his ability he’s a distraction

his former 49er teammates said he wasn't a distraction
ditto for Chip Kelley
and with oodles of players on lots of teams taking a knee now, how is he a distraction?

 

[Pinkfloyd]

If you owned the Miami Dolphins and played in a city with 20% Cuban population you would not!! Kaepernick said Castro’s Cuba was less oppressive than the United States and the US should learn from his leadership. He was a ruthless dictator and murderer his own citizens. That was highly offensive especially to the Cuban population in Florida. I know that for a fact.

It’s not just about his ability he’s a distraction and seems to be about getting publicity for himself more than actually playing football. Why is no one pushing for Tim Tebow or RG3? Why is he the only one being picked on?

This isn't about his ability which is why it's confusing that people still want to say that nonsense about him. Anyone pretending like he wouldn't be backup by merit on any team in the NFL is doing so purposely with the sole intent of demeaning the guy because they don't agree with him, plain and simple. If you want to disagree with the guy, that's fine but don't lie to try and make your point. People will vary on how important the whole distraction angle is and how damaging those particular political statements really are. It's easy because it's not really provable one way or the other.

When you ask about Tebow or RG3, that's pretty simple. Tebow legitimately sucked as a QB. RG3 is pretty much the same through a different avenue with his injuries. Kaepernick is actually a legitimate starting QB in the NFL based on merit. No, he's not a top end one. He'd be more along the bottom half to bottom third of starters in the league. That's still better than what Tebow or RG3 ever did except for RG3's rookie season. If either Tebow or RG3 produced like Kaepernick did last season, they'd have a job. I don't think there's collusion between the league but it's possible. He almost certainly is being discriminated against due to his political position and as long as they did independently of one another, they're allowed to do that.

 

[varano]

If you owned the Miami Dolphins and played in a city with 20% Cuban population you would not!! Kaepernick said Castro’s Cuba was less oppressive than the United States and the US should learn from his leadership. He was a ruthless dictator and murderer his own citizens. That was highly offensive especially to the Cuban population in Florida. I know that for a fact.

It’s not just about his ability he’s a distraction and seems to be about getting publicity for himself more than actually playing football. Why is no one pushing for Tim Tebow or RG3? Why is he the only one being picked on?

Tim Tebow slowly fizzled, RG3 was always hurt and injury prone. Kaepernick is at the VERY least a good backup quarterback.

What is wrong with what Kaepernick said about Cuba? Nothing.

 

[Gnashville]

Tim Tebow slowly fizzled, RG3 was always hurt and injury prone. Kaepernick is at the VERY least a good backup quarterback.

What is wrong with what Kaepernick said about Cuba? Nothing.

You have clearly never met a Cuban then. Kaepernick claimed that the US was more oppressive than Cuba and that Castro was a great leader. Castro bleed his prisoners to death and sold their blood for profit. Tying up people in firing squads when they don't surrender their property. 1000's die each year on rafts (really just two logs thatched together) escaping his ruthless rule. His brother is no better.

The US may have it's problems and a terrible past but Come on man. No one is tying up 2 logs with rope and floating 90 miles just to taste freedom here. No one is being murdered just for not giving the Government their family farm. How is it we are more oppressive than Cuba?

His solution to supposedly racist slave catching cops is massively more Government? A total take over of people property and killing anyone that resists?

 

[Belieber]

It's not collusion, no owner wants his team dealing with the media circus that will follow his signing. It's not the fault of any NFL owner that this player went so far out of his way to draw attention to himself and become the big story. The Castro shirt was the last straw, that had nothing to do with protesting racial injustice, it proved his true motives were selfish and attention seeking. I wouldn't want a huge distraction as my back up QB.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I find it interesting the people defending the fact the owners have decided to black ball him out of the league(whether they colluded to do it or not who knows, pretty damn hard to prove) because he is a "distraction" or whatever other stupid reasons they come up with when the NFL is littered with the scum of the sports world and no not all of them are good players to make it "worth it". It's a really weird dynamic where kneeling during an anthem creates a bigger controversy in that Country then beating your wife or driving drunk.

 

[Maplebeasts]

I find it hard to feel too bad for him considering he opted out of his own contract. I think it's great he stands for minority rights, but NFL teams are not obliged to sign him if they don't want to. Not like he's a great quarterback relative to the league anyways.

 

[Pi]

I'd like it if he won but there is no chance he will win.

 

[Gnashville]

I love that you ignored what I said about football and went straight to the Cuba part.

Football wise he is asking for a minimum 8 million and most teams have their rosters set. QB's need months some years to understand a new offense, build chemistry with his teammates, and control the offense. Why would anyone sign him now since the season has already started? He had chances in both Seattle and Baltimore, and ruined them for various reasons. It's not like he's a linebacker a freaking QB rarely changes team with success.

 

[powerstuck]

I find it hard to feel too bad for him considering he opted out of his own contract. I think it's great he stands for minority rights, but NFL teams are not obliged to sign him if they don't want to. Not like he's a great quarterback relative to the league anyways.

It would be beautiful if people who post in BOH took time to read at least a few first posts. Mouser explained about 10 times in 2 first pages the implication (or the lack of) of the contract termination and this issue.

 

[varano]

I'd like it if he won but there is no chance he will win.

Impossible to prove yeah

 

[powerstuck]

Football wise he is asking for a minimum 8 million and most teams have their rosters set. QB's need months some years to understand a new offense, build chemistry with his teammates, and control the offense. Why would anyone sign him now since the season has already started? He had chances in both Seattle and Baltimore, and ruined them for various reasons. It's not like he's a linebacker a freaking QB rarely changes team with success.

So its going to be easy for the NFL to prove no teams colluded against him. They will just present offers they made him and to which he said no. Simple issue then.

 

[PuckSeparator]

I find it interesting the people defending the fact the owners have decided to black ball him out of the league(whether they colluded to do it or not who knows, pretty damn hard to prove) because he is a "distraction" or whatever other stupid reasons they come up with when the NFL is littered with the scum of the sports world and no not all of them are good players to make it "worth it". It's a really weird dynamic where kneeling during an anthem creates a bigger controversy in that Country then beating your wife or driving drunk.

All of those are serious issues, but kneeling during the anthem is different in that it's a political issue. What we have, then, is a high profile NFL player transforming himself into a political tool for what is a very controversial wedge issue - OF COURSE it's going to get people talking about it. This is exactly what Kaep wanted when he started all of this, he wanted to put the spotlight squarely on himself. Mission accomplished. But he was never the best messenger for this anyways since he's dabbled in some usage of the N word on the football field himself, something that often gets forgotten.

If one looks at his history from 2013-2017, it's evident that he comes with some personal baggage. If one looks at his on-field performance from 2015-2016, it's quite clear that he's but a mere backup at this point and has never improved on his glaring weaknesses but has, in fact, regressed in a number of key areas for a QB. In short, he's just not worth even a 1% chance of a potential headache.

Some NFL players just don't get how easily they can be replaced, especially if you're nothing more than marginal player.

 

[PuckSeparator]

Tim Tebow slowly fizzled, RG3 was always hurt and injury prone. Kaepernick is at the VERY least a good backup quarterback.

What is wrong with what Kaepernick said about Cuba? Nothing.

Praising tyrants in oppressive regimes, especially communists, tends to go piss poorly in America. In Florida, praising Castro is basically PR suicide.

It would be like the Habs hiring a GM who idolizes General Wolfe as his favourite historical person... Not sure that would go well with most of the target audience here.

 

[Pia8988]

Tim Tebow slowly fizzled, RG3 was always hurt and injury prone. Kaepernick is at the VERY least a good backup quarterback.

What is wrong with what Kaepernick said about Cuba? Nothing.

Then you clearly know nothing about South Florida if you think the Castro comment was nothing. You have a better shot at getting an NFL deal there than Kaepernick does after that.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

there are much worse qb's than him in this league right now and we all know it.

I'm probably taking him over cutler

Cutler is better QB and the coach wanted him. Also Cutler has nothing to do with Kaepernick

Kaepernick shut door on any potential interest from Miami long before Cutler was contacted by Dolphins

 

[TOGuy14]

His anthem protesting probably doesn't help, but at the end of the day he isn't even that good of a quarterback.

The past two seasons he averaged fewer that 190 yards a game, and less than 7 yards per attempt. This is coming st a time when offenses are airing it out more than ever.

He's probably the 25th-35th best QB in the league which puts him in bad starter / backup territory. Wonder what his salary demands are to go with that noodle of an arm?

 

[Mr Positive]

I doubt it's collusion. Just because all teams don't want him for the same reason doesn't mean its collusion. Just because his stats are better than the worst QBs doesn't mean it's collusion.

But you never know. It could be that the NFL is nudging teams to avoid him. To win that he'd need some proof. Or maybe he just wants a cash settlement to end it all

 

[Fulham]

Nobody likes a Uppity, Controversial, back-up QB.


If a backup or 1B Starter was getting international media attention for an extremely controvesial action,
which would lead to every press conference being about your backups political stance, you'd rather go sign E.Lack or somebody else

 

[tarheelhockey]

I doubt it's collusion. Just because all teams don't want him for the same reason doesn't mean its collusion. Just because his stats are better than the worst QBs doesn't mean it's collusion.

But you never know. It could be that the NFL is nudging teams to avoid him. To win that he'd need some proof. Or maybe he just wants a cash settlement to end it all

That's what I find so puzzling about all of this. Unless he has some sort of smoking gun evidence, which would create a HUGE scandal if it were uncovered, then he has basically no case here at all as far as I can see. The NFL can simply say that each of the owners decided independently not to sign him, and what's his counter to that?