Following Colin Kaepernick’s workout for NFL teams on Saturday in Atlanta, one of his former teammates and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith engaged in a war of words on Twitter about the situation.
Smith started things when he posted a video criticizing Kaepernick in which he said that the former 49er doesn’t actually want to play in the NFL as evidenced by his decision to move the location of his workout on Saturday at the last minute.
He doesn't want to play. pic.twitter.com/ZuSI1IVW9r
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) November 17, 2019
Carolina Panther defensive back Eric Reid, who was preparing for his game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, played with Kaepernick in San Francisco and also knelt during the playing of the national anthem. He did not take kindly to Smith’s video and accused the ESPN host of “tap dancing for the NFL.”
“Damn straight Colin wants to control the narrative!” Reid wrote. “He supposed to trust the organization that blackballed him and has done absolutely nothing in good faith??? Born on Tuesday, just not last Tuesday.”
He continued: “Malcolm X said, ‘If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.’ You embody this quote. You, Malcolm Jenkins, and Jay-Z prance around doing the NFL’s bidding to try 2 bury Colin. I stand 4 truth & justice above all else. You r mistaken by thinking that because u or anybody is black that you are spared from my criticism especially when you’ve been so blatantly on the NFL’s side in corrupting their own process to hinder Colin’s employment.”
Then it was Smith’s turn to fire back.
… The more you talk, the more ridiculous you sound, @E_Reid35: pic.twitter.com/Pf0KxSjqZy
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) November 17, 2019
Reid didn’t respond to Smith directly, but he did retweet a message from The View co-host Sunny Hostin.
“Wrong @stephenasmith,” she wrote. “Had Colin participated in a solely NFL filmed event & signed a waiver giving away all legal rights, NFL could have continued to collude & put out information about his ability with no legal recourse. That’s not a workout, that’s a setup. Sound ridiculous?”
This social media beef may not be over yet as the Kaepernick situation is far from resolved.
Reid’s Panthers got embarrassed by the Falcons 29-3 on Sunday.
Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
