Four years ago, ESPN commissioned a documentary series from Spike Lee on Colin Kaepernick. Now, it might not be televised by ESPN, after all.
Via John Ourand of Puck, ESPN does not plan to debut Da Saga of Colin Kaepernick for at least another year. If that’s not fast enough for Lee, Kaepernick, and producer Jemele Hill, ESPN will allow them to shop it elsewhere.
Ourand explains that the project has been delayed by Lee’s schedule and “heated disagreements between Kaepernick [and Lee] over the direction of the project.” Kaepernick and Lee have largely resolved their issues, per Ourand; apparently, Kaepernick wanted the series to focus on his experience and Lee wanted to “expand the series far beyond” Kaepernick. The final cut will show how they struck the balance.
Kaepernick last played in the NFL during the 2016 season. His career ended in a haze of collusion fueled by false narratives to justify his shunning. Only the Seahawks invited him for a visit in 2017. In 2022, the Raiders gave him a workout.
In 2019, the NFL tried to engineer a workout for Kaepernick to which all teams would be invited. A fight over the language of the NFL’s waiver derailed the workout, prompting Kaepernick to do something on his own. Ultimately, both sides were to blame (in our assessment) for what happened five years ago.
Several weeks back, Kaepernick (who turns 37 in November) said he still wants to play in the NFL. Right or wrong, that window has slammed shut. Now, the biggest question is when or if the curtain will be raised on Lee’s docuseries about Kaepernick.