Add Twitter, Samuel L. Jackson and a New York City radio host to the myriad alleged reasons Colin Kaepernick doesn’t have a job.
Ray Lewis trotted out his side of the story Tuesday, when he claimed the Ravens were on the verge of signing the most polarizing player in football before his girlfriend ended the interest with one tweet.
Nessa Diab, a Hot 97 host and Kaepernick’s girlfriend, tagged Lewis in an Aug. 2 tweet that contained a pair of images: one of Lewis cozying up to Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti, the second a similarly posing Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio in “Django Unchained” — in which Jackson played a house slave to DiCaprio.
Lewis, on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL,” played the victim, asserting that a Kaepernick ally equating the Ravens to slave owners and Lewis to an Uncle Tom burned that bridge.
“When me and Steve Bisciotti were talking, this is what we were talking about, Judy [Bautista],” Lewis said. “We were talking about giving this kid an opportunity to get back in the National Football League. … But then his girl [Nessa] goes out and put out this racist gesture and doesn’t know … we are in the back office about to try to get this guy to sign.
“… The only thing that went bad was that image when she tried to make us racist individuals. That’s the sad part about this story.”
However, Nessa’s tweet came the night of Aug. 2 and seemed a response to an ESPN report that Bisciotti was the one resisting a push from coach John Harbaugh and GM Ozzie Newsome to sign Kaepernick.
Kaepernick never signed with the Ravens, who were seeking Joe Flacco insurance and calling upon past and present players, as well as fans, to get a gauge of whether they should sign him. Lewis’ inclusion in this crowd-sourcing was controversial; asking a person once accused of murder whether a former national anthem protester is brand friendly is a strange optic. His input itself also was contentious, as he publicly advised Kaepernick to shut up.
“If you do nothing else, young man, get back on the football field and let your play speak for itself,” Lewis had said.
Lewis was clearly upset by how he was characterized during the Kaepernick discussions, claiming he campaigned for the former 49er until the tweet.
“Steve Bisciotti has said himself, ‘How can you crucify Ray Lewis when Ray Lewis is the one calling for Colin Kaepernick?” Lewis said. “… Look, this is what I wanted to share with people. I have been fighting for this kid behind the table like nobody has. Nobody had this kid a job in the National Football League. I can say I did. I’ve never been against Colin Kaepernick. But I am against the way he’s done it.”