Sport coaches and athletes at Pierce had mixed thoughts and opinions on the situation regarding Colin Kaepernick who sat during the national anthem.
Jason Sabolic, coach to Pierce College’s football team, agrees with Chip Kelly about letting his players express their First Amendment. Sabolic believes everyone has the right to freedom of expression no matter what their profession is.
“I feel like it’s his right to do as he chooses, with him being a public figure he gets ridiculed for every decision he makes. If it were anyone else it wouldn’t even be national news,” Sabolic said. “He should have the right to do as he chooses that is what America is founded upon.”
Sabolic also supports his football players with their personal choices if any would decide to support Kaepernick’s protest on incidents occurring globally, expressing that everyone has their own views.
“That’s their choice. I can’t hold their rights against them and if they so chose to have a seat during the national anthem that’s their decision. I can’t discipline them for something that they feel. That’s not appropriate in my opinion,” Sabolic said.
Dennis Mack, Pierce College’s quarterback, believes Kaepernick’s actions during the game against the Green Bay Packers was a professional way to lead an example of a change that is necessary.
“He stood for something that he believed in. He took measures in order to bring light to something that I feel is a big issue in this country and he did what he thought was necessary to bring attention to that subject,” Mack said.
Because Kaepernick has a platform to reach his audience, Mack believes this a strategic way to bring positive attention to the issue, though he doesn’t think that the anthem is the problem.
Mack also mentions how the topic has not been brought up by his teammates in the locker rooms nor on the field.
Moreover, Mack does not consider Kaepernick’s protest to be a negative outlook and he does not believe he was trying to cause a damaging reputation towards his team.
Although some groups do not seem to mind Kaepernick practicing his freedom of expression out on the field others do not feel the same way.
Christian Slattery, Pierce College’s baseball pitcher, does not agree that this is the professional way to proclaim your views as an idolized athlete.
Slattery does not share the same views as Kaepernick but says he would’ve handled it differently.
“I feel like it’s disgraceful. It dishonors all the servicemen and women of this nation who have fought and died giving their lives. I do not want to see that happen anymore,” Slattery said.
Bill Picketts, the coach of the baseball team, understands the first amendment right when it comes to players advocating their beliefs but would not be ok with his players protesting the same way as Kaepernick although he would not prevent them from doing so.
“With our first amendment right Kaepernick can do that, would I be okay with it with my players… I’d have a problem with it but I would not make them not do it…It would be a difficult thing to deal with and hopefully they have the right reasons but I can’t go against our constitution,” Picketts said.
Picketts respects the outlooks of the baseball players on his team but hopes to be addressed before the game if any of them plan to protest in order to have a mature discussion about the matter at hand.
Picketts believes if Kaepernick has a positive movement or contribution towards the problem it would sit well with him.
“If he carries what he’s saying and actually does something in the community about it then I’m ok. But if he doesn’t and has no explanation for it then I have a problem with it because he is showing a lack of respect I think for a lot of people when it comes to that,” Picketts said.
Pierce’s athletes and coaches share controversial opinions to what went down the day of the 49ers game against the Packers as do many others.
