Reilly's Kaepernick column

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No idea what that means... The "rumor" has been around for awhile. I'm surprised there hasn't been more said about it this week, even to come out and say that it's not true.

Shaq's birth father was tracked down during the NBA finals several years back.

I don't agree with the practice, but it's become commonplace and it's interesting that quite a bit has been written about Kaepernick's birth mother, but nothing has been said about his father.

When the Niners drafted Kaepernick, I read a story in one of the Bay Area papers where his adopted parents said his biological father may have been a professional athlete.

 

Another good example...

 

Of what??

 

Of the stuff that gets dug up by the media when a players is adopted or if there are questions about who their parents are.

 

I liked the column but respect the young man's reasoning for not wanting to see his birth mother. It's a very personal issue. Hopefully, one day, the two will be able to sit down and talk.

 

Far be it for me to give any writer advice, but I wonder if this would have been better received with a slight tweak: Focus is more on the joys of Rae meeting her birth mom, do whatever you can to make it feel like less of a guilt trip for Kaepernick. Try to see it from his perspective, say you respect that, that he's under no obligation to do so, but if he's at all considering it, here are all the reasons why it would be worth it.

 

I didn't hate the column as it was written, but yeah. I agree. It probably would have been less preachy that way.

 

When you put it like that though, DD, we're reminded that this is less of a column about Kaepernick than it is about "look at this awesome thing I, Rick Reilly, did."

 

Not sure, but if I'm editing Reilly, I'd flip that suggestion the other way, and have him write Kaepernick's story without any overt reference to Reilly's own.

 

That didn't take long.

 

This was my thought as well.

I don't click on ESPN.com to read about Mr. Sportswriter Guy's life. Rick Reilly having an adopted daughter who met her birth mother means less than nothing to Kaepernick's life. He can make his own choice, regardless of what a great guy Rick Reilly was in understanding his daughter's desire to meet her mother.