Colin Kaepernick’s first coach, Jim Harbaugh, didn’t hold back when asked today what he thinks of Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem.
“I acknowledge his right to do that, but I don’t respect the motivation or the action,” Harbaugh said today.
With some time to reflect, Harbaugh changed that, to say that he does support the motivation — just not the action.
“I apologize for misspeaking my true sentiments. To clarify, I support Colin’s motivation. It’s his method of action that I take exception to,” Harbaugh wrote on Twitter.
Harbaugh seems to be saying that he thinks Kaepernick’s concerns about police brutality are valid, but Harbaugh doesn’t agree that sitting out the anthem is the right way to express those concerns. That’s been a common response to Kaepernick’s decision, which has quickly become the biggest controversy in the NFL.