Colin Kaepernick seems to get an inordinate number of idiotic columns written about him. And his parents have taken notice.
In 2012, Kaepernick’s parents were offended by a moronic column from David Whitley of Sporting News, who ripped Kaepernick for daring to have tattoos on his arms. Now we have a ridiculous column from Lowell Cohn of the Press Democrat, who takes the report that Kaepernick wants $18 million a year on his next contract as a personal affront.
It’s completely reasonable to argue that Kaepernick isn’t worth $18 million a year, that the 49ers could better allocate their salary cap space elsewhere, or that the 49ers should wait to negotiate Kaepernick’s next contract until he has played the final season on his current contract. But Cohn’s bizarre personal attacks on Kaepernick are way over the top. A sampling:
-- “If Kaepernick doesn’t get that kind of dough, he says he’ll go back to kindergarten and knock over his blocks and hold his breath until he turns blue.”
-- “Someone should slap a Boston cream pie in Kaepernick’s smug face.”
-- “Colin Kaepernick is not an attractive personality. Usually he doesn’t say jack. And that’s not attractive. When he says jack — and more — he’s even less attractive.”
-- “It’s like he’s saying, ‘To hell with the team. I want mine.’ There are words to describe his position starting with ‘hypocrite’ and ending with ‘phony.’”
-- “Advice to Jed York: If Kaepernick persists in his unrealistic, impertinent, rude demands, give him jack.”
Cohn also writes, “If he wins the Super Bowl, sure, give him Cutler money.” Cohn is apparently unaware that Jay Cutler hasn’t won a Super Bowl with the Bears, and that Kaepernick has come closer to winning the Super Bowl with the 49ers than Cutler has with the Bears.
All of that made Kaepernick’s mom unhappy.
“When one has an inability to articulate their thoughts intelligently, they often resort to name calling,” Teresa Kaepernick wrote on Twitter. “Talking about lack of decency and professionalism.”
Kaepernick’s mom is right. Calling Kaepernick a “hypocrite” and a “phony” because he wants to be well paid is silly. The idea that it’s a “rude demand” to ask for a certain amount of money is ridiculous.
Look, Kaepernick is entitled to ask for whatever he thinks he’s worth. If what he’s asking for is more than the 49ers think he’s worth, the 49ers are entitled to refuse to meet his demands. (The 49ers, thanks to the franchise tag, have the added advantage that they can keep Kaepernick from finding out what he’s worth on the open market.)
There’s no reason that the negotiations between the 49ers and Kaepernick need to grow acrimonious. Cohn seems like he’s going out of his way to create a controversy.