Skip to main content
SI

Colin Kaepernick’s ‘Madden’ Return Features Black Power Touchdown Celebration

In Wednesday’s Hot Clicks: what Colin Kaepernick looks like in ‘Madden 21’, a single at-bat that lasted more than 10 minutes and more.
Dan Gartland|
Colin Kaepernick’s ‘Madden’ Return Features Black Power Touchdown Celebration
Colin Kaepernick’s ‘Madden’ Return Features Black Power Touchdown Celebration

Now let’s see him do it on real grass

For the first time since 2016, Colin Kaepernick is back in EA Sports’ Madden NFL series.

EA lost the rights to Kaepernick’s likeness when he lost his job in the NFL, but after negotiating with him individually, gamers can once again play as Kaepernick in the popular video game series. 

The Undefeated’s Aaron Dodson reports that Kaepernick took a “hands on” approach to his inclusion in the game, lobbying for his digital avatar to have an Afro (as opposed to the cornrows he had in Madden 17) and to use the Black Power fist as a touchdown celebration, as he did in his most recent NFL season.

Here’s what it looks like in action. 

The announcing team of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis also recorded new commentary specially for Kaepernick. 

“It’s so difficult to prepare and try to defend Colin Kaepernick,” Davis says. “Not just because of the physical skills—they’re always on display, whether it’s throwing the ball downfield or running with the ball as well. But how about the leadership he exhibits? How his team will follow him, the smarts he has in playing the game and, of course, the overall toughness. You can’t run the football the way that he does without being a guy who’s willing to take a hit.”

Kaepernick is rated an 81 overall in the game, tied with Ben Roethlisberger for the 15th-best QB. He ranks as the top free-agent QB in the game and has a better rating than 17 projected Week 1 starters, including Ryan Tannehill, Derek Carr and Cam Newton. That has certain people all upset, because Kaepernick was rated a 76 in Madden 17. But he had had three surgeries in the year before that game came out, including a season-ending operation for a torn labrum in his shoulder. Observers were right to question how he’d respond. EA says his Madden 21 rating is meant to reflect the grade he was given when he was healthy, an 81 in Madden 16. 

The best of SI

A fall without football will be devastating for college towns. ... The biggest offseason questions for Giannis and the Bucks after they were eliminated by the Heat in five games. ... Some hitters are struggling to adjust to MLB’s ban on in-game viewing of video footage. Will the policy be here to stay? ... Gary Sánchez is totally floundering as the Yankees are suddenly faced with a battle to stay above .500.

Around the sports world

MLB just rolled out a new video archive called Film Room that features 3.5 million searchable highlights. ... Division II football player Jamain Stephens died after contracting COVID-19. ... Iman Shumpert and his wife, Teyana Taylor, welcomed their second child, born in the family’s bathroom, just like the couple’s first child, but this time according to plan. 

Without Giannis, the Bucks got sent packing by the Heat

Matt Wieters had a 19-pitch at-bat that lasted almost 11 minutes

The Pirates won on a very sloppy walk-off

He’s being a tough older brother, but he’s also right

What a guy

This is especially awkward because his old QB, Blaine Gabbert, is his teammate again in Tampa Bay

How many towels is that?

Doesn’t the public deserve to know whether the Sooners are an outbreak waiting to happen?

Playing in Florida means taking ice baths in a thunderstorm

This Italian high jumper has been wearing his beard like this for almost a decade now

Ernie Johnson is a real one

Fun guy, from the beginning

Not sports

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a trove of intact 2,500-year-old coffins. ... Thai Airways is opening pop-up restaurants (complete with plane seats!) and serving airplane food. ... Despite the pandemic snarling production, Netflix still expects to produce more original programming than the year before.

The fires in Oregon are scary as hell

Not surprisingly, this appears 100% improvised

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published | Modified
Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland writes Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and is the host of the “Stadium Wonders” video series. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

Home/Extra Mustard