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Credit: ITMThe American entertainment industry has cultivated and inspired generations of artists to create captivating stories for a variety of platforms. While film projects for movies and television are two of the biggest, social media content and video games have become the dominant sources of creative expression. Professional sports are also part of this industry. They showcase tales of formidable foes, unlikely underdogs, and last-minute heroics. Like most narratives, there are heroes, and there are villains. Now, one of football’s greatest “villains” has returned: Colin Kaepernick.
Colin Kaepernick was a prolific star in the National Football League (NFL) in the 2010s. The quarterback drafted from Nevada played for the San Francisco Forty Niners. He would make his starting debut in 2012 when he took over for the injured Alex Smith. The 6’4″, 225 pounds. speedy QB would excel in the role as he led his team to the Super Bowl. Even after the loss, Kaepernick would helm another successful 12-win season the following year.
However, the following seasons until his 2016 scandal would suffer a considerable decline in efficiency. His reputation would undergo a permanent reconstruction when he chose to publicly protest unaccountable police brutality in the country. Kaepernick would use his platform to sit down then later bend down on one knee during the American national anthem.
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When sports news reporters questioned his behavior, Kaepernick expressed that it was a silent objection to take pride in an act for a country that continues to oppress many Black Americans and other people of color. His protest would make global headlines which garnered a firestorm of social media commentary to either support or condemn his actions. Many felt his demonstration was offensive to the U.S. military and proud American citizens. The quarterback would become a social pariah within the NFL as no team offered to sign him when he went into free agency.
Kaepernick would file a formal grievance that accused NFL team owners of discrimination for his advocacy for social justice. His retaliation would show merit as it led to an undisclosed settlement with the NFL. Even though the settlement would allow him to still be picked up by a team, no offers would come his way. Even at 35-years-old, Kaepernick has claimed that he is still in professional shape and could still play on football’s biggest stage.
This controversial athlete got his chance to return to football in a new video game that sought to overtake EA’s Madden as the pro-football gaming franchise. Wild Card Football was released on October 9, 2023, and featured real-life footballers such as Steelers’ T.J. Watt, the Rams’ Aaron Donald and the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts. However, players cannot play as an NFL team like the Raiders or the Seahawks, rather gamers create their own customized team. It is a “reimagined playground-style” of football with gamers playing seven-on-seven teams.
Aside from the structural differences compared to Madden, it also features legacy players in which Colin Kaepernick is a prominent one. The provocative civil rights activist confessed that his love for football has not changed even after the politics of it. He stated that what he loves about this new game is that it is player-driven. The teams are the players, which shifts the power dynamics.
Colin lamented that this game gives him a little taste of being back on the field and getting some of the competition until the door opens for him to do that in reality. While this might be true for the former all-pro quarterback, the game veers away from the realistic gameplay of Madden. Instead, it has exaggerated features that include bobble head versions of pro players, gravity defying super moves, and even an alien invasion.
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Wild Card Football is set to be released for all major gaming consoles and PC.