People burn jerseys all the time. Usually, fans will burn jerseys of former players who have left their team. Rarely do fans burn the jerseys of current players, not to mention their potential starting quarterback.
But, when Colin Kaepernick did not stand for the national anthem at the San Francisco 49ers' preseason game on Friday night, he hit a nerve.
It has become a thing now on social media to buy a Kaepernick No. 7 jersey, douse it in lighter fluid and set the overpriced article of clothing ablaze.
One 49ers fan on Instagram, whose handle is nate3914, bought a $50 No. 7 jersey just to make a video of him burning it.
"People die every single day defending that flag that you refuse to stand for, and I won't stand for that," he said in the video.
Most of the videos of people burning Kaepernick jerseys are laced with expletives directed toward Kaepernick. However, one man's post has gone more viral than the rest.
The man, dressed in a Patrick Willis jersey, sets the jersey on fire while the national anthem plays. He subsequently takes off his hat, salutes and stands at attention while the flames violently incinerate the jersey into ash.
Salty 49ers fan burns #Kaepernick's jersey. Oh brother... pic.twitter.com/zp9aLasYAW
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) August 28, 2016
Kaepernick explained his protest after Friday's game, saying he would not stand for the anthem of a country that oppresses black people. While many are disgusted with his protest, others have lauded Kaepernick, arguing he was using his celebrity and First Amendment right to highlight the issue of police brutality.
The quarterback, who is vying for the team's starting quarterback job, knew there would be backlash, but he did not care.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder,” he said to reporters after the game.
"This is not something that I am going to run by anybody,” Kaepernick added. “I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. … If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right."
