Kaepernick Accuses NFL Owners of Colluding Against Macklemore After 4 Tour Acts Quit
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 16
Kaepernick Accuses NFL Owners of Colluding Against Macklemore After 4 Tour Acts Quit
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 16
Summary
Colin Kaepernick said NFL owners "openly colluded" against Macklemore after the rapper was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour over pro-Palestine remarks at MetLife Stadium.
Robert Kraft and several owners of NFL stadiums on the tour refused to let Macklemore perform at their venues, prompting his removal; Kraft cited "recent actions" and what he called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric.
Four supporting acts for Sheeran’s upcoming dates have since withdrawn in support of Macklemore, widening the fallout beyond the original venue dispute.
Kaepernick tied the episode to his own NFL exile after his 2016 anthem protests, saying owners similarly moved to protect their power and interests; his 2017 collusion grievance against the league was settled in 2019.
The dispute landed amid broader sports-world tensions over Palestine on Wednesday, with Kyrie Irving saying he would pay the NFL’s $11,492 fine against Azeez Al-Shaair.