An ugly scene preceding Sunday's Philadelphia-Carolina NFL game showed a house divided among the NFL's social justice warriors and, in some cases, the sports media. Carolina's Eric Reid, who's linked with Colin Kaepernick in attacking the NFL through lawsuits on one side of the divide, had to be restrained by teammates from confronting Philadelphia's Malcolm Jenkins, who works with the NFL to solicit money for social justice activism.
The coalition formed last year did not include Kaepernick in meetings with the NFL, infuriating Reid, who discontinued his association with the group. He did, however, continue his disrespectful kneeling during the national anthem moments after berating Jenkins.
ESPN First Take's Stephen A. Smith and Damien Woody (appearing in photograph) said on television that Reid was in the wrong and should not have aired his dirty laundry in public. Other media gave plenty of space and attention to Reid though. Woody said opponents of protests are "applauding" this open divisiveness.
When Reid joined Carolina a few weeks ago as free agent safety, he called the Players Coalition a “an NFL-created subversion group.” In 2016 Reid was one of the first to kneel alongside Kaepernick as the two disrespected the flag and veterans. The SJWs and media stubbornly insist the protests are aimed at racial inequality and police brutality, but they only take place during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.
Deadspin writer Samer Kalaf calls Jenkins "one of the faces of the Players Coalition, which last November came close to cutting a crappy deal with the NFL that was mostly to get players to stop kneeling or demonstrating during the national anthem. Donald Trump was tweeting too much about it and got racists to circle the wagons, so that scared the league. When Reid found out about the strings attached to this $100 million (NOTE: the deal was actually for $89 million) contribution by the NFL, he and Dolphins safety Michael Thomas left the group because they felt that Jenkins didn’t represent their best interests."
Reid said he and Kaepernick believed players should have stood up for Kaepernick, and Jenkins had acted cowardly and "sold us out." Reid boiled with anger before, during and after the game Sunday, repeatedly jawing with Jenkins' Eagles. The UK Daily Mail reported Reid accused the Players Coalition of co-opting Kaepernick's movement and posted his verbal attacks on Jenkins, issued to reporters:
"His actions speak louder than his words.
"He was corrupt from the jump.
''He knew what he was doing from the offset.
''His goal was to sell us out, and he did that.
Jenkins took the high road and refused to return the harsh words: ''I would never get up here and say anything bad about somebody who I know whose intentions were real about helping the community, especially another black man. I respect him, I’m glad he has a job, I’m glad he’s back in the league, I’ll leave it like that.''
Quoted on the NFL website, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith tried to downplay the dissension among rival SJWs. He said Jenkins and Reid have brought change that's made "an impact for good."
That "change for good" amounts to Jenkins coalition, with Commissioner Roger Goodell's active involvement, lobbying for prison reform and talking with public safety officials, and the Kaepernick-Reid duo patting each other on the back and ripping America as a racist nation, on social media. Reid speaks up for his friend and wears an "I'm with Kap" t-shirt. On Sunday, Kaepernick tweeted support for his former 49ers' teammate, ''Eric Reid!!! Enough said!!!’
