Colin Kaepernick, the ex-San Francisco 49ers quarterback who’s caught up in a political hurricane, has had his name scrubbed from a song on the soundtrack of Madden NFL 19. The song, Big Bank by YG, has various profanities which have been digitally edited out in order to maintain the American football game’s age rating – but also among the words censored is the 30-year-old QB’s name.
The player was the first to start NFL protests against racial injustice in the United States by kneeling during the National Anthem prior to matches. He opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March 2017 and has been without a team ever since, despite the fact that he could probably walk in to several rosters.
EA Sports, to its credit, has said that it “messed up” and will correct the mistake with a patch prior to release next week. “Members of our team misunderstood the fact that while we don't have rights to include Colin Kaepernick in the game, this doesn't affect soundtracks,” a spokesperson said. “We meant no disrespect, and we apologize to Colin, to YG and Big Sean, to the NFL, to all of their fans, and our players for this mistake.”
It’s a reasonable response from the publisher, but we can’t help but wonder whether this really was a mistake or if it was a result of pressure from the NFL itself. Kaepernick, after all, is currently engaged in a legal battle with the organisation, who he believes is strong-arming other teams into not signing him.
[source bbc.co.uk]
Comments 27
It is a strange story. Why even include the song, when you're censoring Colin's name? It has to be an honest mistake.
Also, it's sad that someone so talented doesn't even have a team.
Jesus Colin, you really did this to yourself. Many times protests come with consequences, and this is yours. Don’t point the finger at other people when your the one that shot himself on the foot.
@Kidfried I doubt its an honest mistake, by I don't think it's an EA as a whole mistake. But somebody or a few people felt like it should be censored.
@NintendoFan4Lyf ea don't have the rights to me, but if my name is mentioned on a song, I doubt its censored.
@thatguyEZ So he shouldn't use his position to amplify his opinion? I don't think he deserves to be blacklisted by the league personally, and that's clearly what's happened.
@thatguyEZ You think someone should lose their job for just kneeling, not hurting anyone, not committing any crime? That's a wicked cause-effect relationship, which sounds more like something that would happen in North Korea.
@thatguyEZ protest is MEANT to come with consequences; the consequences of change for the better.
Many of CK's peers joined him in his peaceful, lawful, respectful protest. They can still get a game.
@get2sammyb With respect, I think it's a bit unnecessary to immediately follow up EA's quite reasonable, honest explanation (and promise of a quick patch fix next week) with a paragraph inferring or even creating conspiracy where none would appear to exist.
If the NFL did send a diktat to EA ordering the song's editing or removal, EA wouldn't be able to immediately respond and say "sorry, we're fixing it". This is EA we're talking about. They bow to money before anything else and would want to comply with the NFL, and so they'd put out something cleverly-worded to reflect that and get away with not changing things back. Call me a sucker, but I believe EA's statement 100% this time around. Legal rights are incredibly complex when it comes to this sort of thing, especially with the larger ongoing story with the player in question. I'm surprised that this doesn't happen more often.
This is indeed an unfortuante situation, but the tendency nowadays for everybody to try and find "drama" in everything is what's causing a lot of these problems to begin with.
@RogerRoger Fair enough, I just wanted to include another possibility. But you're right, it's perfectly plausible that it was just an oversight, and like you say, it's going to get rectified next week anyway.
@get2sammyb Oh, hey, you're the journalist and your job is to question the official line. I just (personally, of course, and I could be wrong) feel like there are times to do that, and times to maybe recognise that a story is dramatic enough and give everybody involved the benefit of the doubt.
It's a tricky line, and I don't have to walk it every day like you, so apologies for the armchair criticism.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Right Colin?
@NintendoFan4Lyf For sure, that's something everyone needs to be wary of nowadays, unfortunately! I've even had my own fair share of social media backlash a few years ago, albeit on a far smaller scale of course. Doesn't feel good.
And what your describing is something I see happening here in Europe as well at times. Trying not to be hateful myself, is the only way I know to fight it.
@Kidfried He doesn't have a team because he's damaged goods. Because he doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut anything he does reflects on the team when he puts on that uniform When he puts on that uniform he represtns the team and the NFL whether he wants to other not people just see it like that. It would be like me putting on a McDonalds uniform and goose stepping while saluting on a video or what not. You'd think McDonalds is going to want me representing them?
Part of the reason today is people cannot separate an individual from an organization. Just because one works for something like Disney, NFL etc doesnt mean they dont have there own thoughts, ideas etc.
@Tasuki You seem to be contradicting yourself.
@Tasuki I wish people were able to distinguish that kind of stuff here, because then we wouldn't be having this situation. Kaepernick is a great quarterback AND he has an opinion that isn't shared by everyone on his team nor its fans. Well, if he is good enough at his game, he should be able to stay on. I don't see what his political opinion has to do with that.
He's "damaged goods" because some people didn't want to see him play anymore, because of his personal opinion. They are the people who aren't able to distinguish one thing from the other.
@KALofKRYPTON How so??
@Tasuki But he didn't step on geese, did he? He used his position to make a point that people want to close their ears to. There's certainly a view that he should just shut his mouth and play football, but... That's wrong IMO.
The NFL is a big proponent of players contributing locally to their communities, they even have that end of season award for it. Now obviously what Kaepernick did is miles away from packing groceries and raising money for charity, but I still believe his intention was to use his position for positive change.
I don't think he deserves to be blacklisted for it.
@Tasuki
Your first and second paragraphs seem like you're coming at it form both angles.
Put on the uniform and tow the line/everyone is individual type thing.
One of the (admittedly few) things I really like about America is the way they do pro-sports; specifically, a pro has to get educated. I'm not keen on the franchising model etc, but the requirement of getting sports an education is brilliant. They should do the same with football.
Kaepernick being blacklisted and genuinely hated by a decent percentage of NFL fans is one of those things that I will simply never understand.
@get2sammyb It was how he went about it that was wrong. While yes he did have an important message you don't say it while stepping on the toes of others.
Kaepernick doesn't deserve being blacklisted, but that is the price you pay when you combat hatred.
@roe @get2sammyb whilst I agree that his actions should not blacklist him. Kapernick was a sub-par player whose only claim to fame is a protest which caused the NFL to lose a lot of money.
He may have gained some fame with the Trump haters, but to football fans he was just an annoyance. I am an American Football fan. I’m not American so bending the knee doesn’t offend me. But when all you hear about is someone who doesn’t even play, but gets tons of publicity for a stunt, it isn’t what we watch the game for. It would be like a substitute for Liverpool getting all the headlines in the league and yet he only gets on the pitch for five minutes in the entire season and no one knew his name before he pulled the stunt.
He isn’t signed because he is a bad player. He pulled his stunt because he couldn’t get headlines otherwise.
@GraveLordXD It's not in their contract. That's not true, sorry.
And, yes, I can understand his political statements make him less interesting for teams, because of the $. I get why things work that way, but that doesn't mean that I want the world to be that way honestly. Just like I disagree with the firing of James Gunn, or some boycotting Kanye West, because of his support of Trump.
@GraveLordXD You're from the US, so you might be more knowledgeable than me. Do you have a source on this? Because I've never seen a source stating that players should stand for the anthem contract wise.
I don't think Kaepernick is a clown, by the way.
@Kidfried should probably stand for national anthem out of respect. I'm from US and I think what he did was disrespectful. There are better ways to send a message. And he's really not that great of a quarterback. He's a awesome athlete, kinda like Micheal Vick.
@GraveLordXD I wouldn't have asked it if I could find it. I know of its developments more recently, but I never heard it existing before the whole drama. I would be gladly corrected on the matter, though.
I don't say you need to take him seriously or anything. You can disagree with his opinion or the kneeling, which is fine, but that doesn't mean clubs should blacklist him because of that.
Just like I don't agree with Barr's show being pulled from ABC. I don't agree with her comments, but that doesn't mean I want her TV show to be cancelled. I wish people would look at these things less in black and white.
That's what I mean with "the world being this way", I don't like that whole mob mentality, and people losing their job over it. He won't end up in any hall of fame, but he was good enough for the 49'ers.
@GraveLordXD I was thinking about this small discussion again while standing in the shower, and it made me think of a few things.
First, I think the way I formulated the NK part was not in good taste, I feel in hindsight. So excuse to anyone taking issue with it.
What I meant to say is that I'm a proponent of free speech and am thankful of that freedom, which isn't a given everywhere on this planet. And I wouldn't want that freedom (as long as it's not hurting anyone) to be restricted by either the government or any private company. I didn't mean to say the NFL, or the whole States for that matter, are like NK, but my choice of words was clearly wrong here.
Another thing, you asked me what I meant with 'I get why things work that way, but that doesn't mean that I want the world to be that way honestly". I just meant to say I understand all parties are in their juridical right to act the way they do. They're not breaking their law or anything. But even if they are, that doesn't mean I agree with what they're doing, that's just my point.
I hope I made myself a bit clearer that way.
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