July 18, 2017
Former Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is in the news for comments he made on Fox Sports 1 about current free agent QB Colin Kaepernick. Vick doesn’t believe Kaepernick is being blackballed by the NFL for the latter's pre-game kneeling routine during the national anthem last season.
Vick said a few things about the former 49ers quarterback on the television show, but his suggestion that Kaepernick should opt for a different hairstyle shorter than an afro has been shared and discussed the most.
"First thing we've got to get Colin to do is cut his hair," Vick said. "Listen I'm not up here to try to be politically correct, but even if he puts cornrows [on], I don't think he should represent himself in that way in terms of just the hairstyle. Just go clean-cut, you know, why not? You're already dealing with a lot of controversy surrounding this issue. The most important thing that he needs to do is just try to be presentable."
"First thing we got to get Colin to do is cut his hair." — @MikeVick advises Kaepernick on rebuilding his image pic.twitter.com/YENvUPOIgP
— Speak For Yourself (@SFY) July 17, 2017
Vick has walked back those comments today, but there were plenty of reactions on Twitter to what he initially said, many of them critical. Here are some of them:
Michael Vick wants him to lie. Wants him to play a role for white acceptance for a job. Cut your hair. Play nice. Fake it for them.
— BlackSportsOnline (@BSO) July 18, 2017
Mike Vick had to repair image b/c he went to JAIL for fighting dogs.Colin Kaepernick lawfully kneeled for blacks not to be treated like dogs
— Exavier Pope (@exavierpope) July 18, 2017
Gotta love seeing black dudes in suits, ties and short haircuts blasting Vick for giving Kap advice we all take.
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) July 18, 2017
U really think that a shape-up gonna change the perception of ppl who are holding this flag mess on him?! Cmon dawg.... https://t.co/7trK4pNSSK
— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) July 18, 2017
Damien Woody went in on Michael Vick's "preposterous" haircut advice to Colin Kaepernick. https://t.co/WwSUAZu0ur
— ESPN (@espn) July 18, 2017
in other news, i read those vick quotes again. the haircut one, i didn't find so bothersome, honestly. he kinda sounded like an old man, tho
— El Flaco (@bomani_jones) July 18, 2017
with the hell vick got -- and how horrible he's come to believe he was -- he's gotta look at kap like "the anthem? that's light work."
— El Flaco (@bomani_jones) July 18, 2017
This is good stuff by Shannon Sharpe on Mike Vick's "haircut" comments.pic.twitter.com/rRzpJorn8B
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) July 18, 2017
The same people who fanatically argue against political correctness say that Colin Kaepernick must revise his appearance, tone and ideology
— Pablo S. Torre (@PabloTorre) July 18, 2017
Mike Vick: First thing he needs to do is cut his hair.
— d. (@deereedawson) July 18, 2017
Me: pic.twitter.com/ApBcjewmBb
Michael Vick is a convicted felon and Colin Kaepernick isn't, but Colin is the one that needs to rebuild his imagine. Interesting.
— Vladimir Poutine (@justingoldchain) July 17, 2017
Finally, and most importantly, Kaepernick seemed to respond himself to Vick in his own way on Twitter:
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) July 18, 2017
Asking Vick to compare his situation to Kaepernick in the first place seems foolish, for the simple reason that Kaepernick didn’t commit a crime.
On the issue of Kaepernick’s play, I also don’t believe there is a good reason that he doesn’t currently have a job. Even if you don’t think that he’s a starting-caliber NFL QB anymore, Kaepernick is clearly one of the best 60 quarterbacks. At the very least, he’s better than some of the league’s backups.
