Actor & Rapper 'Common' Compares Colin Kaepernick To Muhammad Ali
By Amanda Wicks
(RADIO.COM) – Colin Kaepernick has divided more than just sports fans with his decision not to stand for the national anthem as a means of protest. He also has fans and critics in the music world as well. Common appeared on ABC's The View on Wednesday, where he spoke about how much he admired the San Francisco 49ers quarterback and compared him to boxing great Muhammad Ali.
"I truly relate to what Colin Kaepernick is doing," Common said. "He's standing up for justice. He sees things going wrong in our country. I think we all see it. For people to ignore it is like we're not doing our duty as Americans, as children of God. I think the courage that Colin Kaepernick is showing is phenomenal…I haven't seen an athlete take that type of stand since Muhammad Ali." Ali criticized the Vietnam War and publicly resisted the draft in 1966 when the U.S. military changed its standards in order to make more men eligible for conscription.
Common isn't the only artist to come to Kaepernick's defense. John Legend proposed changing the national anthem to "America the Beautiful" after supporting Kaepernick's decision not to stand for "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Kid Rock, meanwhile, has criticized the football player, going so far as to incite his audience to shout "F— Kaepernick."
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