Kaepernick made worldwide headlines last year when he refused to stand for the National Anthem before football games, in protest of the treatment of black people. Now, he says he will stand.
This excerpt from an ESPN report includes his reasoning why he made the change.
Kaepernick no longer wants his method of protest to detract from the positive change that he believes has been created, sources told ESPN. He also believes the amount of national discussion on social inequality -- as well as support from other athletes nationwide, including NFL and NBA players -- affirmed the message he was trying to deliver.While this sounds all well and good, the real reason is money. Kaepernick is about to opt out of his contract and leave the San Francisco 49ers. As a free agent, he will have to convince some team to sign him, and they don't want his controversy. The 49ers suffered through a boycott last year by angry fans, and not just because they were a terrible team. NFL ratings on the whole declined sharply as fans were turned off by a myriad of scandals, and not just Kaepernick.
As a means of protest, he began sitting during the national anthem in the 2016 preseason before taking a knee for the final preseason contest and 16 regular-season games.
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