NFL icon, Jim Brown, has many saying “What the hell?!!” following his recent comments about ousted NFL player, Colin Kaepernick- who exercised his first amendment rights to peacefully protest the thousands of murders of African Americans at the hands of police and against other injustices in America.

Brown The Activist?

Let me first remind everyone of who Jim Brown is…or was: He’s an NFL Hall of Famer-turned actor-turned activist. Now he wholeheartedly disagrees with Kaepernick’s activism. Confused much? Understood, I was too…at first.

Brown’s Odd Message About Kaepernick’s Activism

Brown recently had this to say about Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the singing of the National Anthem of NFL games and Kaepernick’s current difficulty now finding placement on an NFL team this year:

Via ThePostGame: “I want to be in his corner…God bless him,” Brown told ThePostGame. “I’m going to give you the real deal: I’m an American.’ … “I don’t desecrate my flag and my national anthem. I’m not gonna do anything against the flag and national anthem. I’m going to work within those situations. But this is my country, and I’ll work out the problems, but I’ll do it in an intelligent manner. If you have a cause, I think you should organize it, present it in a manner where it’s not only you standing or sitting on one knee, but a lot of people that is gonna get behind each other and do something about it,” Brown said. “If I ask you one question: Who is Colin calling on to follow what he’s talking about?”

Brown probably forgot in that moment, that when Muhammad Ali (the man Jim Brown backed) took a stand against the government during his 1967 draft refusal, he stood ALONE, without asking anyone to join him at first, because that’s what leaders oftentimes do. But there’s more…

Via ThePostGame: “Colin has to make up his mind whether he’s truly an activist or he’s a football player,” Brown said. “Football is commercial. You have owners. You have fans. And you want to honor that if you’re making that kind of money. … You have to understand there’s intelligence that’s involved, OK? I can’t be two things at once that contradict each other. If I sign for money, then the people I sign with, they have rules and regulations.”

Where’s the “rule” in the NFL handbook, that says players cannot peacefully exercise their freedom of speech as an American citizen?

Whether anyone agrees, or disagrees with Kaepernick, here’s the undeniable factor that Mr. Brown should remember: Maybe EVERY player doesn’t just “sign for money”…maybe they do it because they love it as well. Maybe they also live by a personal motto that no amount of money can buy their submission as a human being, much like what Kaepernick has displayed.

Brown’s Life Parallels His Own Advice…& “Roots”

After reading Brown’s comments, it reminded me of another interview he did recently, discussing the difference between athletes like him and Ray Lewis (who is also against Kaepernick’s fight against injustices), verses athletes like Ali, Kareem Abdul Jabar, and Kapernick. Then it all made sense:

Via Esquire: “When Kareem stood with us at the Summit, when we backed Muhammad Ali’s position on the draft, he was the youngest person there. He was going on to great stardom,” [explained Jim Brown]. “The risk he took to be there was unbelievable, because it could have killed his whole career. By standing up, you could lose endorsement deals. You could lose contracts. People were not interested in you standing up; they wanted you to play whatever sport it was they signed you to play.”

Brown continued:

“So you’ll find there’s a brotherhood of individuals. I’m a brother to Ray Lewis, a different generation. Curtis Martin. I still love Kareem and the fact he is an activist. We have great respect for each other that goes beyond the field of play. There are great athletes, and there are athletes that are great—that go beyond their greatness on the field or on the court. Those are the guys that are really like-minded individuals, who will stand up forever to try to make things better for themselves and for the people who come after them.”

Jim Brown stood with Muhammad Ali in 1967 as Ali risked his career by refusing to be drafted for the Vietnam War because it went against his social and religious beliefs. Brown’s current advice to Kaepernick runs parallel his own life, because Brown stood by Ali, only after he, himself, had just retired from the NFL. Brown also stated that he didn’t fully agree with Ali’s stance, but he did have great respect for his bravery and felt that Ali had a right as an American to stand up for what he believed in.

Some could also argue that Jim Brown’s life has a great parallel to the 70’s classic film, Roots, as well: Ali and Kaepernick vs. Brown is like “Kunte Kinte” and “Fiddler. Fiddler was the “Yessuh Massa” slave who ultimately gained great respect for Kunta’s bravery of trying to escape the plantation…even though Fiddler never found that courage for himself.