A white sports columnist is facing outrage after he compared the tattooed quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers to the residents of San Quentin state prison.
Sporting News writer David Whitley has been labeled a racist by some for his sweeping generalisations after he penned an article that bemoaned the amount of tattoos that year-old Colin Kaepernick had on his body. Claiming that the position of quarterback is hallowed and Kaepernick's body art brings it down in tone, Whitley said that because of his tattoos, the 49ers player can never be a legitimate hero.
But he later defended himself against accusations of racism, saying: 'If they were old enough to read, my two adopted African-American daughters would certainly be disappointed to find out I'm a racist. It is the extensive body art of Colin Kaepernick - the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers that has so upset sports columnist David Whitely.
The furious response overwhelmed Whitley, who had to fend off accusations of racial profiling, prompting his editor-in-chief to take the unusual step of writing a defence of the opinion piece in which he admitted Whitley could have finessed certain points. Whitley, who is the father of two adopted African-American daughters, was even criticised by Kaepernick's parents - who revealed that his tattoos are in fact verses from the Bible. Sporting News columnist David Whitley has sparked outrage with his opinion piece that compares the ownership of tattoos to being incarcerated in prison.
The column which was published on Wednesday, seems to take aim at the new tattoed breed of sporting stars and declare that it is inappropriate for someone in his position on the team to possess them.
