Colin Kaepernick is still being blackballed by the NFL for wanting to see Black people stop being shot at. The NFL's anti-vaxxers whine because they don't want to receive a shot that could save their lives. Roger Goodell and NFL are not interested in these two issues. If there is any truth to the old saying, "What's good for the goose is good to the gander", then the league should take action against anyone refusing to be vaccinated.AdvertisementLet me explain.The NFL and its owners decided Jan. 1, 2017, would be Kaepernick's last day in the NFL. This was because they did not want to confront their racism. Trump made the NFL his punching bag, using the topic matter as a springboard for his campaign. With Trump's inauguration just weeks away, it was clear that a league run mostly by white, wealthy men did not seek to address the humanity and needs of Black people even though we were being used as a target by police.Kaepernick stated in 2016 that he would not stand to display pride in a flag of a country that oppresses Blacks and other people of color. This was why he sat during national anthem. This is more than football to me and I would not be selfish to ignore it. There are many bodies on the streets and people who get away with murder while getting paid.Out of sight, out from mind. They thought that was what would happen if Kaepernick was blackballed. They were wrong.Kap, I wish we had listened to you earlier to what your kneeling was about and what you were trying bring attention to last year, said Goodell.They will claim that the NFL has tried to make amends for their mistakes by donating millions to charities, playing Jay-Z's Black National Anthem before games and creating PSAs that encourage viewers to believe they care about police brutality and systemic racism (they don't). The league has shown that it will do what is necessary to eliminate a threat to the brand, even if it means blackballing a former face of the league. The league should follow the 2017 precedent and do the same for anti-vaxxers.AdvertisementBlackball them to eliminate the problem.You had to go through everything last year, including protocol, masks, travel, not being able to leave the country for one day, not being able to see your family, and can't go to dinner on the road. Mike Zimmer, Vikings coach, stated that it was difficult because some players were not vaccinated. I just dont understand. I just dont understand. If we all did this, I believe we could put the problem to rest. It is what it has always been.AdvertisementAccording to reports, the Vikings have one of the lowest vaccination rates in the league.Zimmer said that he spoke to the team and that there were a lot of guys who are against it. They won't change their minds, so it's like half of the country.AdvertisementKirk Cousins, Zimmers quarterback is one of them. DeAndre Hopkins in Arizona and Cole Beasley in Buffalo have also publicly complained. Maryland's governor has even called on Lamar Jackson for vaccination.AdvertisementAt least two assistant coaches have been fired because they didn't comply with the leagues updated guidelines. A recent league memo states that they will give preference to teams with higher vaccination rates and forfeit games if they can't be rescheduled. The NFL claims that almost 90% of league players have had at least one shot. 19 teams claim more than 90%, and seven have a rate of over 95%. The players are trying to do their part for the greater good or so that they can continue collecting their game checks.The same way that kneeling during anthem was a major talking point for a presidential contender in 2016, while very few players were participating, the relatively small number of anti vaxxers in the league are attracting the most attention. However, the majority of players are good soldiers. We've seen the results of challenging the league's agenda. The NFL claims that they are so committed to equality that the solution for anti-vaxxers will be a blackball.
