Colin Kaepernick continues to be a polarizing figure for the NFL and corporate America. Kapernick kneeled during the National Anthem in order to bring attention to the police killings of unarmed African Americans, and inequality in general. He has since been blackballed by the NFL. EA Sports recently removed his name from a Big Sean verse for the Madden NFL 19 game:
Kaepernick’s name was digitally removed from the song Big Bank by YG, which normally appears in a verse by rapper Big Sean and EA said it “should never have happened”.
Big Sean posted on social media to say he was “disappointed and appalled” that the name was removed “like a curse word”, adding: “He’s not a curse, he’s a gift.”
EA said it will correct the mistake on an update to the game on Monday.
It’s disappointing and appalling @NFL & @EA took @Kaepernick7’s name out of my verse on Big Bank for Madden 19, like it was a curse word. When he's not a curse, he's a gift! Nobody from my team approved any of this.
— Sean Don (@BigSean) August 2, 2018
Much love brother! Thank you for having my back!✊? https://t.co/yKz3nBMiPb
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) August 2, 2018
It is unclear whether EA Sports deleted Kaepernick’s name themselves or if the NFL told them to do it. Either way, it was a shady move. It appears after President Trump implored NFL owners to fire those “son of a bitch players” for not standing for the flag, corporations have gotten more aggressive with players.
