You Mad at Jay-Z? But Should You Be?
Roger Goodell & Jay-Z. Image by Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Roc Nation
So, you stand with Kap, but mad at Jay-Z for breaking bread with the NFL in a new partnership to “enhance the NFL’s live game experiences and to amplify the league’s social justice efforts.” Got it. But let’s run the checklist and see if you really have a leg to stand on…from a logical sense.
1. Boycotting. Are you signed onto boycotting the NFL? If yes, do you know your strategy, the mechanics and how it should work? If not, here’s the rundown. You boycott an institution in an effort to negatively impact its bottom line so that said institution will make change in the direction you desire. In the NFL’s case, the expectation is that a boycott will result in reduced viewership and attendance, that in turn will result in reduced revenue from ticket sales, ads, etc.
2. Why boycott? Presumably, it is because of the NFL’s fostering of racial social injustice by blackballing Colin Kaepernick for bringing attention to police brutality, among other racism in America, by kneeling during the National Anthem. Boycott, make the NFL hurt, until it changes. I’ll put a pin right here, because there is a question of what changes can be made by the NFL to satisfy those boycotting. Get back to this later.
3. Kap settled. Colin Kaeparnick raised his beef with the NFL through the courts, asserting collusion with respect to joint efforts by franchises in disallowing him to engage in his trade to earn a living. Colin and the NFL entered into a Settlement Agreement. Colin came to an agreement with the NFL y’all. Folks celebrated him getting his money. The number and terms were undisclosed. Thus, the general public knows nothing specific; but it does know that Colin and the NFL agreed to terms to put his grievance behind them. If it is enough for Colin, should be enough for you. Kap can do a deal with the NFL but Jay-Z can’t?
4. Why everybody but the players? The blue collar worker who finishes a 5-day work week of 12 hour shifts can’t escape from the grind of her or his job by watching some of the most impressive athletes in the world compete on the gridiron on Sunday, but you don’t call for the actual players in the NFL to boycott? The people with the greatest ability to make the most direct impact regarding point 1 above aren’t asked to participate, despite being directly punished for engaging in similar acts as Kap. They have a union, they pay into it in preparation of a work stoppage when it’s time to renegotiate more millions in a CBA for themselves. You out here crying a river for them without any expectation they pitch in? Meanwhile, you expect the kid making your burger and earning minimum wage to forgo consuming a sport he is thrilled to watch and that takes his mind off the rude comments he deals with at the drive through all day.
5. Act like you know Shawn Carter. Jay-Z entered into a partnership, after snubbing the NFL, and being very vocal about his dissatisfaction with its polices, and is a well-known social justice champion, who puts his money behind his rhetoric. You screamed free Meek, he freed Meek. You call for more love for HBCU’s, the Queen of his family elevates them to the highest heights by incorporating their culture and legacy into her performances. He bails out fathers in jail for minor offenses, unable to afford bail, so they can spend time with their families on Father’s Day. He writes, produces and delivers music and visual media that exposes systemic racism and other injustices. Despite being an unabashed blackfist raising type, the NFL engaged him to “enhance the NFL’s live game experiences and to amplify the league’s social justice efforts.” Now I know we can’t be sure, but it’s possible the NFL is trying to make a true change.
6. Would you know it if you saw it? Yes, the genuine objective of this partnership is questionable, but if the NFL is going to make a change in its culture, what do you think it is going to look like? Is Kap being on a team the only action of progress acceptable to you? If so, does he have to start at the beginning of the season? Does it have to be on a franchise that is a Super Bowl contender, or will the Lions suffice? How long before he could be benched for failing to outperform the other QBs, or would they have to start him the entire season regardless? Would he have to be paid Russell Wilson money? There’s a conundrum with the focus on Kap. I’d rather the NFL actually implement recommendations from Jay-Z and Roc Nation, in a comprehensive way, about their marketing, their human resources, their communications, their community outreach, etc., than placating us by stashing Kap on a bum franchise.
Sure, this could all be a PR stunt. But if you aren’t going to accept any action but Kap on a roster as genuine, then you haven’t thought this through. Jay-Z has receipts for being for the culture. In fact, Jay and Bey have more receipts than 99% of the culture critics. I for one choose to give him the benefit of the doubt, and am hoping for the best from Roc Nation and the NFL. Let’s not throw the baby out with the Kap water. Besides, if nothing else changes, at least halftime is about to be lit.