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For the first time in league history, the seven-man squad in Monday night’s football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was black.
However, on the same day the NFL celebrated such a momentous occasion, Colin Kaepernick tweeted a video of himself training with former San Francisco 49ers teammate Eric Reid, with the caption: “1,363 days of job refusals. Still working with @ E_Reid35 Still hard 5 days a week. #StillReady #StopRunning. “
Jerome Boger, a 17 year old NFL veteran, led the team and was joined by referee Barry Anderson, side judge Anthony Jeffries, linesman Carl Johnson, bottom judge Julian Mapp, judge midfielder Dale Shaw and rear judge Greg Steed.
“This historic Week 11 crew is a testament to the countless and immeasurable contributions black officials make to the game, their exemplary performance, and the power of inclusion that characterizes this great game,” Troy Vincent, executive vice president of Football Operations, said in a statement.
The close game ended 27-24 in favor of the Rams.
Four of the 17 NFL referees / team managers are black, but as ESPN points out, there is a much lower percentage for NFL coaches, general managers and presidents.
Two general managers are Black and Jason Wright of the Washington football team is the first and only black president of the NFL. Only three of the 32 NFL head coaches are black, the same number as when the league adopted the Rooney rule in 2003 that said a team must interview a minority candidate before making a final decision.
According to the 2020 NFL Diversity and Inclusion Report, of the 31 head coaches, coordinators and general managers hired between February 4, 2019 and February 2, 2020, seven were men of color – a general manager, a head coach and five defensive coordinators.
Kaepernick’s job hunt continues
Kaepernick’s one-minute video accompanying his tweet opens with a counter showing the number of days the 33-year-old has been without an NFL team.
The following is a montage of Kaepernick throwing the ball at Reid, filmed on a number of different football fields, on PeteyxKraze’s song “ Legacy ” filled with bass.
Reid performs a number of different routes, while Kaepernick shows off different throws and his arm strength, as the lyrics in the background repeatedly ask, “What makes you different?”
The video ends with a blackout and the words “# stillready #”.
In June, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell encouraged teams to sign Kaepernick. The NFL did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment regarding Kaepernick’s social post.
A little over a year ago, Kaepernick hosted his public training, where the teams were able to observe him training.
The training itself was covered in controversy after Kaepernick changed locations at the last minute, saying the NFL would not allow the planned training location to be open to the media and the player’s own film crew. .
It will be two years in February since Kaepernick and his free agent training and safety partner Reid settled their complaints of collusion against the NFL.
Reid, who was one of Kaepernick’s first teammates to join him in his protests and kneel against each other during the national anthem, played for the Carolina Panthers during the last two seasons. After being released in March, he has yet to find a new team.
Over the past six months, several players and coaches, including 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman and LA Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, have said Kaepernick deserves to be a part of a team again.
Even Donald Trump has said Kaepernick “should” be on a team “if he deserves it.” This comes from a man who once said of the anthem protesters, that owners of NFL teams with protesters should respond by saying, “Get that motherfucker off the field now he’s fired. . He’s fired! ”
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