Colin Kaepernick’s former coach has weighed in on his actions during the national anthem Saturday.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh did not hold back when asked about Kaepernick refusing to stand for the national anthem, and he is not taking his former quarterback’s side. Harbaugh said that he did not respect Kaepernick’s motives or the way he went about it when speaking to the media on Monday.
Jim Harbaugh on Colin Kaepernick: "I acknowledge his right to do it. But I don't respect the motivation or the action."
— Kyle Rowland (@KyleRowland) August 29, 2016
Harbaugh was roundly criticized on social media immediately, particularly for the “motivation” comment, which was taken by some to mean that he did not respect Kaepernick’s cause of protesting oppression. Harbaugh promptly took to Twitter to clarify his remarks.
I apologize for misspeaking my true sentiments. To clarify, I support Colin's motivation. It's his method of action that I take exception to
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) August 29, 2016
It’s worth noting that Kaepernick and Harbaugh have long been allies on football matters. Harbaugh championed Kaepernick when the pair were together in San Francisco, and even after the coach left and the quarterback was on the outs with management, Kaepernick congratulated Harbaugh on his success at Michigan.
