When you're looking for moral arbiters in this crazy world, convicted armed robber and star of 'the trail of the century' OJ Simpson would be a long way down the list. The 70-year-old, who was controversially acquitted of the murders of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, recently sat down with Buffalo News in an expansive interview about his NFL career.
Among some of the topics that came up was Colin Kaepernick. Simpson was asked his thoughts on Kaepernick, the quarter back who controversially took a knee during the American national anthem in 2016 to protest the way blacks were being treated in America:
I think Colin made a mistake, I really appreciate what he was trying to say. I thought he made a bad choice in attacking the flag.
I grew up at a time when deacons were in the KKK. I don't disrespect the Bible because of those guys. The flag shouldn't be disrespected because of what cops do. The flag represents what we want America to be.
Simpson added that he was a firm believer in doing what you think is right but stated that he would always stand for the flag. Though inflammatory as Simpson's words inevitably are they should not come as a surprise, the former NFL running back has in the past distanced himself from 'Black America'; famously saying that "I'm not black, I'm O.J", his statement on Kaepernick is another soundbite that distances himself from race politics in America.
Kaepernick spent 2017 without an NFL job, his protest a major reason for his unemployment, but the 30-year-old is still hopeful of landing a contract.
Simpson's criticism of Kaepernick rounds off a surreal week where we have seen Vinnie 'convicted of assaulting his neighbour' Jones and Joey 'stubbed a cigar out on someone's face' Barton climb up on their moral high horse to slam Jamie Carragher, who was suspended from Sky Sports for spitting at a Manchester United fan and his daughter.
H/T: Buffalo News
