TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart It’s easy to do the “popular” or “politically correct” thing. It takes enormous courage to do what is right; to fight for your beliefs. I live in Northern Nevada and was privileged to live here when Colin Kaepernick was the quarterback for the University of Nevada’s Wolfpack. He played for three seasons, 2008-2011, leading his team to a 13-1 record and the WAC championship in his final year. His collegiate career produced more than 40,000 passing yards and more than 10,000 rushing yards, 82 passing touchdowns and 59 running. His passing and rushing yards stand alone in collegiate history. Kaepernick was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. Less than two years later, he led his team to the NFC championship, and a berth in Super Bowl XLVII. His opponent was the Baltimore Ravens. The game was competitive until the very end. The 49ers needed a touchdown to win. Kaepernick drove his team inside the red zone with less than two minutes remaining. He rifled a pas...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Over the last 10-15 years, NFL officials have decided the outcome of many games. Bad calls and no calls all too often decide the outcome of games critical to the success of teams and players in a single season. I offer you a few examples. In 2013, Super Bowl XLVII was a contest between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. Near the end of the game, 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick moved his team in position to win the game. He threw a pass to a receiver standing in the end zone. A Raven defender clearly interfered with the receiver’s opportunity to catch the ball. However, although an official was just a few feet away, no call was made. The Ravens were given a victory. Not only did this failure prevent a Super Bowl win for San Francisco, it prevented Kaepernick from becoming a Super Bowl winning quarterback. A few years later, he was blackballed from the NFL. In January of 2019, the NFC Championship Game was between the Los Angeles Rams and th...