F--- Eric Reid

[art vandelay]

Thank God the Eagles didn't sign this guy.

Puts a late hit on Wentz due to a grudge he has against Malcolm Jenkins. He holds a grudge against Malcolm Jenkins because he stopped raising his fist when the NFL donated money to social justice initiatives. Apparently this makes Jenkins a "neocolonialist," yet it's completely OK for Reid to settle his collusion case against the NFL, take the money, and ensure that zero justice is served.

Fuck this guy.

[McCarthy12]

Jenkins "settled" by getting millions directed to the communities he was protesting on behalf of. Reid settled by getting millions directed to his pocket.

[art vandelay]

Exactly.

[broadstreetparade]

Jenkins "settled" by getting millions directed to the communities he was protesting on behalf of. Reid settled by getting millions directed to his pocket.

Well stated.

[BigSlizz]

This.

[slag]

I'm no Eric Reid fan but what justice did you think the two of them were attempting to serve with a lawsuit against the NFL, aside from the notion that the owners colluded to keep them from getting a contract and, thus, paid?

[McCarthy12]

I don't think that's the point. Reid insulted Jenkins for not taking his battle with the NFL further and instead working with the NFL on an agreement. Reid, in his battle with the NFL, took the money rather than taking it the distance. That's fine, but glass houses and all that. Also, last I checked, Reid is employed.

[art vandelay]

This. If Reid were a man of principles, he would have exposed the NFL's text and emails that prove collusion. Others may know more about this than me, but I'm guessing that wealthy entities like the NFL settle out of court all the time, and that it's not an admission of guilt as much as it is an avoidance of future costs/headaches.

Also, Reid thought that Jenkins "co-opted" the players' movement by raising money for his own causes and not demanding that a team sign Kaepernick. Reid just did the exact same thing, while pocketing the money instead of raising it for the community. By Reid's own definition, this makes him a "neocolonialist." And I can't believe I just said "neocolonialist."

edit: If the question is whether or not there is a difference between a team signing Kaepernick (Kaep gets paid), and Reid/Kaepernick winning their lawsuit or a team just signing Kaepernick (Kaep also gets paid), then yes, I think there is a difference. And by Eric Reid's standards, there should be a huge difference.

[slag]

Not exactly ... Reid left the Player's Coalition that partnered with the NFL on social issues over some disagreement that I'm unclear about and also alleged that Jenkins used the movement started by Kapaernick to get his (Jenkins') personal organization funded.

But that is entirely beside the point that this particular lawsuit had nothing to do with social injustice ... and only had to do with alleged collusion against the two of them, and the attendant money they lost as a result.

They settled what they sued over ... which, to repeat, wasn't general social injustice.

[slag]

Oh please ... the lawsuit was about the NFL not paying Reid and Kaepernick ... period.

[slag]

PS - on the "neocolonialist" thing ... I don't exactly get how he's using the term but I assume it is a reference to players (including Jenkins) selling out to the "power" (ie. the NFL) and by going along with the joint player/NFL Players Coalition.

But Jenkins gets his salary and Reid and Kaepernick didn't ... which is what the lawsuit was about ... I don't think I've seen anyone, including Reid, suggesting that players aren't "real" if they don't give all their money to the cause.

[art vandelay]

That's exactly the problem. Eric Reid said that he couldn't be happy until Kaepernick was signed, and he called the Players Coalition an "NFL funded subversion group" for accepting money from the NFL while not demanding anything regarding Kaepernick. According to him this was about systemic oppression. But when the NFL offers him money to make the lawsuit go away, he has no problem participating in the "neocolonialism" that he says he's protesting.

So yeah, it was about money, and Eric Reid is a fraud. He is a dirty player who holds other activists to higher standards than he holds himself.

[McCarthy12]

I understand what you are saying. I see a connection between the two. I'm not equating the two. I don't think his lawsuit was just about lost wages....until it was.

[slag]

Kaepernick getting money is the same as Kaepernick getting signed.

And neocolonialism is not settling a lawsuit and getting paid after you believe collusion among the bosses has prevented you from making a living.

You want to stretch making a living into social activism because you don't like the guy.

I don't like him either .... but that doesn't mean there isn't a distinction between an employment lawsuit and social activism.

[slag]

I never saw it as anything else ... even if the reason for the lost wages was because owners didn't want these two guys bringing headaches to their franchises that stemmed from the Kaepernick-originated protest.

So, yes, there was that connection.

But it was still about the money those two players allegedly lost due to collusion ... not about getting the NFL to support anthem-kneeling or to contribute to social causes.

I frankly think the owners had a legit business reason to avoid players that generate a PR headache ... but I also think the NFL was happy to get this thing in the rear view mirror and that's why they paid off.