When we lived in Reno, (then) UNR quarterback Colin Kaepernick was all the rage – the man was an amazing athlete, and his personal story was just as compelling as his skill. Adopted at a young age to a couple who lost two sons to heart defects, he seemed humble and hard-working, kind and generous to fans.

Fast-forward a few years, and he’s now the starting QB for the San Francisco 49ers. Which seems like a storybook ending to his journey. Except, now, he’s in the news for an entirely different reason besides sports: He’s decided to remain seated during the National Anthem in protest to what he feels are wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in America.

Let the backlash begin.

Fellow teammates are “calling him out” for being unpatriotic, many military veterans are upset, and lots of fans are cringing at what they feel is a sign of disrespect to a country that provided Colin with so much (my husband seems to be leading that charge).

But, one teammate got my attention when he said this: I agree with the message, but not with the method. Now, THAT, got me thinking: Can we separate the message from the method? Does the message get lost when someone chooses an unwise method? Does the method really matter?

Well, here’s what I think: The method DOES matter. When you choose a worthy message, but send that message in an inappropriate way, then you deserve the consequences. Sorry, but it’s true.

Turns out, Colin’s inspired few to talk about race relations in America, but all the sports fans I know are talking about what a disrespectful young man he is. And, I’m certain that’s not the message he meant to send.

Britt