When the NFL and Roc Nation announced a long-term partnership this past week, there were concerns that Jay-Z was no longer supporting Colin Kaepernick and was instead searching for more money. Both Jay-Z and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated that the partnership would be a platform to push for change concerning some of the biggest issues, but this sentiment rang hollow for some concerned parties.
Eric Reid, a safety for the Carolina Panthers, is one of Kaepernick’s closest friends and biggest supporters, and he has been a partner in the peaceful protests since 2016. Reid was part of the collusion case against the NFL that was settled this past year, so he is innately familiar with Kaepernick’s situation.
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Reid is also one of the bigger critics of Jay-Z’s impending partnership with the NFL, especially after TMZ Sports revealed on Friday that he would soon become a part-owner of one of the teams.
“Jay-Z claimed to be a supporter of Colin … and now he’s going to be a part owner. … It’s kind of despicable.”
Eric Reid spoke on reports that Jay-Z is interested in becoming part owner of an NFL team. pic.twitter.com/akYOt74rnE
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 17, 2019
“Jay-Z claimed to be a supporter of Colin,” Reid said following Friday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. “Wore his jersey, told people not to perform at the Super Bowl because of the treatment that the NFL did to Colin. And now he’s going to be a part-owner, and it’s kind of despicable.”
At this point, it’s unclear which team will have Jay-Z’s influence, but this change is nothing new to the music mogul. He was previously a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets, but he sold his stake in 2013. Will he be making any decisions for whatever team he is a part-owner of? According to the report by TMZ, Jay is not an NFL agent, and he will not take part in the operations of the NFL players that are currently associated with Roc Nation.
No matter what happens with Jay-Z’s ownership, however, it has become clear that he and Kaepernick will no longer be considered partners in the push to change modern society. Bringing a resolution to many modern issues is a priority, but these two figures have significantly different methods. From Reid’s standpoint, this partnership isn’t even about change anymore.
