For all the controversy that usually surrounds Skip Bayless comments, when it comes to race he usually non-bias in his thoughts and opinions. Skip and Shannon Sharpe were discussing the player protest from the 1st week of the NFL when Skip gave his opinion on the protest. Skip unlike many of his colleagues in the media has taking the side of Kaepernick and other NFL players in their rights to protest.
Skip particularly took issue with Trent Dilfer comments regarding Colin Kaepernick needing to know his place as a back up quarterback.
“Let’s get back to Trent Dilfer. That was typical old school quarterback mentality that you just spoke of. That was so typical. Dispassionate. Disconnected to the point of being clueless. Sort of ex-white quarterback mentality. This is how you do it. You should be thankful and you should be honored to be in the NFL quarterback fraternity. So if you’re a starter, you can speak out a little more. But if you’re a backup, to use your line again, and it’s my favorite line, you are to be seen and not heard. You are to prepare for the game and be ready to play in case of. And you are to remain in the shadows so as not to distract or disturb or wreck your team unity. …Obviously, I’m not not black. But this is one thing I do know after years and years of working with a lot of black players and black commentators on many networks: That if you go to the place of you’re telling a black man, or a black woman, that ‘You should know your place and stay in it,’ when you get to there, them’s fighting words. That smacks of plantation mentality. You cannot go there — and he went there. Because no matter what you’re trying to say in the football context, we’re not in the football context any more. We have risen above it to an issue that is far more important than any football game.”
Skip was correct this transcends football, the anthem and the flag. This is about players seeing something that they feel is wrong and speaking out against. In a peaceful manner that draw the attention of many who otherwise would’ve just ignored the issues.
The whole clip on Skip and Shannon Sharpe new show Undisputed was a really good take on players right to protest. For Skip’s take start around the 4 minute mark.