AndrewBlakeNashville, TN – Tennessee Titan Rishard Matthews plans to wear cleats honoring Colin Kaepernick, saying that the quarterback “paid the ultimate sacrifice” by kneeling.
Although the National Football League wouldn’t allow the Dallas Cowboys to honor police officers murdered at a Black Lives Matter rally, the league will allow the player to honor police-hating Kaepernick.
Rishard Matthews has said he will wear the special made cleats as part of the league’s “My Cause My Cleats” this weekend.
The NFL launched the initiative to allow players to showcase a charity of their choosing.
“I dont have a foundation so i have chosen to support my brother
Most people associate the “ultimate sacrifice” with someone who has died while protecting the lives of others or in service of their country. It was likely the first time the term has been used to describe an unemployed millionaire.
Matthews’ brother was a U.S. Marine who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan two years ago. His father was also a U.S. Marine.
Kaepernick started a campaign called Know Your Rights in 2016. There is little information on the website about the organization or its infrastructure. The last event posted on the website occurred May 6, and there are no current or future events listed.
Before he was replaced by the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick wore socks with pigs in police uniforms in the 2016 preseason. He has compared police officers to slave patrols of the 19th century.
Kaepernick also started the national anthem protests that have caused the league’s TV ratings and attendance to drop.
The NFL’s decision-making process for giving permission to support causes seemed arbitrary.
They would not permit the Dallas Cowboys to wear the “Arm in Arm” decal during the 2016 pre-season to honor of the five police officers murdered by Micah Johnson on July 7, 2016 during a Black Lives Matter protest.
Matthews has joined in the protests this season. He has remained in the locker room during the anthem for nearly every Titans game since Week 2, according to ESPN.
“Moving forward, I don’t want this to be a publicity stunt,” Matthews told ESPN about his protest earlier this season. “I don’t want to take away from what the whole protest is about, which is oppression, police brutality and inequality in this country. I fully stand with my brother Kap, and I plan to continue to do that.”