San Francisco 49ers

Supreme Court Justice apologizes for Colin Kaepernick criticism

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is now retracting her comments made about Colin Kaepernick and other athletes protesting the national anthem.

Earlier this week, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made headlines when she publicly spoke out against the national anthem protests by multiple athletes, including San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. On Friday, she apologized for her comments.

In an interview with Yahoo News on Monday, she quoted Kaepernick’s actions as being “stupid.” It was in response to the quarterback starting a movement to kneel instead of stand during the national anthem, in a protest against police brutality and racial oppression. And her original comments were straight to the point when she said his anthem protest was dumb and disrespectful.

Kaepernick’s protest has been supported by multiple athletes across the country, both professionally and even on high school fields. But Justice Ginsburg and others have spoken out against him and those that side with Kaepernick. Since her original comments, she has apologized for her words. She admitted she made a mistake and backtracked off her comments.

Some of you have inquired about a book interview in which I was asked how I felt about Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who refused to stand for the national anthem. Barely aware of the incident or its purpose, my comments were inappropriately dismissive and harsh. I should have declined to respond.

The quarterback also responded, saying he was disappointed in her calling the protest dumb. Kaepernick is slated to be in the starting role on Sunday as his 49ers will travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills. It will be interesting to see how he is received, as he will be making his season debut. The team is looking to rebound after losing four straight under the direction of Blaine Gabbert, but you would have to wonder if more attention will be focused on the game itself, or the drama surrounding Kaepernick .