Eric Reid calls out NFL over partnership with Jay-Z
Eric Reid called out the NFL on Twitter over the league’s partnership with Jay-Z.
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports formed a partnership with the NFL on entertainment and social justice matters that was announced on Tuesday. Jay-Z will help advise the NFL on music selections for some of the league’s events and work with the league on its Inspire Change initiative.
“With its global reach, the National Football League has the platform and opportunity to inspire change across the country,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “Roc Nation has shown that entertainment and enacting change are not mutually exclusive ideas — instead, we unify them. This partnership is an opportunity to strengthen the fabric of communities across America.”
Reid does not care for the partnership and said so on Twitter later that night. He stated that Colin Kaepernick is not part of this partnership.
about people of color by forming numerous disingenuous partnerships to address social injustice while collectively blackballing Colin, the person who brought oppression and social injustice to the forefront of the NFL platform.
— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) August 14, 2019
Interesting timing on the partnership with Jay-Z on the heels of Stephen Ross’ fundraiser for Donald Trump and the backlash his other companies are getting because of it. #PayAttentionFolks
— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) August 14, 2019
Reid started kneeling alongside Kaepernick when the two were teammates on the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. Kaepernick has not played since that season. Reid went unsigned during the offseason prior to the 2018 season before the Carolina Panthers signed him in September that year. He joined Kaepernick in a collusion lawsuit against the league.
Reid now has a job, proving that he isn’t being blackballed. The public would love to know whether there was a directive throughout the league telling owners to avoid signing Kaepernick, but we may never know because Kaep and Reid took settlements from the league in exchange for their silence.