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The NFL Needs to Apologize to Colin Kaepernick

Kaepernick needs to keep working for the cause.

Robin Lundberg

The NFL has been a major topic of conversation of late, with the league admitting it was wrong in how it handled previous player protests and announcing a $250 pledge to combat systemic racism. However, some feel that rings hollow without an apology to Colin Kaepernick. Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg talked with singer, songwriter, producer The-Dream to get his thoughts on the situation and why he believes every owner owes Kaepernick an apology. He also shared why he believes his friend Jay-Z and Kaepernick are working toward the same goals despite how it has been portrayed. 

Read the full video transcript:

Robin Lundberg: You also talked about Colin Kaepernick there. There is a school of thought that, you know, what the NFL says will ring hollow until they apologize to him or some team, you know, reaches out to him for with a job offer. What are your thoughts on that? 

The-Dream: And that's just for people personally stand with Colin and I understood exactly what he was doing. You know, from the rip that I was born on the west side of Atlanta. And, you know, it's not an easy place to come up in, especially when I grew up there. So I understood exactly where he was coming from. And most you know, most people, people did, you know, on this side. It's just unfortunate. You know, you could paint a picture hang it in a museum, Museum of Arts, and people could see two different things. He got painted in two different ways. And then after that, there, you know, with us just in the culture, we're seeing things two different ways. And it's just. You know, it's just a bunch of confusion, which is kind of adds to the pressure of just getting this thing done, the more time that goes by and nothing happens. We can't get it done. And of course, he's owed an apology. I feel by every owner in the NFL, you know, at this particular time, I can't speak on how they feel about how he works in it and whether he's gonna get a job, because it is for a man personally what he stood for, what he was trying to stand for and by losing his job basically behind it. You know, they owe me an apology. And I know that's how I feel. And I know a lot of people in my camp feel the same way, which we know Jay-Z is my brother. He feels the exact same way, always has. And that's the sense of saying, like, it's two different routes to end this problem and all routes still mean well. So we have to take all the routes needed. Jay-Z needed on his side and what he's doing. We need Colin to do exactly what he's been doing. Like, we just need it all and we need people like Roger Goodell to just step up and start a change, you know, and then not just throw money at it either. 

Robin Lundberg: Yeah. I want to follow up on that because, you know, you mentioned not attending the Super Bowl. And when Beyonce performed and you wrote, you know or contributed to her writing "Single Ladies", you know that product there. And then Jay-Z as well. Right. Are you referencing specifically people sort of pitting Kaepernick and Jay-Z against one another because there was some criticism? 

The-Dream: Absolutely. And this is totally wrong. And just unthoughtful, unimaginable at a certain point. And which is why if my grandfather was living, he probably wouldn't understand the idea of social media in that format, because you can't take as many things seriously when you're dealing with people doing it through the Internet. You know, and through these social platforms, which I know exactly what Jay-Z is doing and I know what he's working on. And I as a man, like whether we work together or not, that's a good friend of ours. I wouldn't show up beside anybody. I felt like that was going against themselves. You know, as a black man coming up in this world, because I know he knows he knows the same way to Colin Kaepernick knows. And they may just have two different ways to go about it. And I think you can see the universe kind of trying to pit, you know, pit them against each other. And it was it is kind of despicable.

The-Dream's latest project SXTP4 is available now on all platforms and features the hit single "Wee Hours" with Jhené Aiko. 

For more of the sports world's reactions to the killing of George Floyd:

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Robin Lundberg
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