No Colin Kaepernick, No NFL Games For 2 South Loop Bars

CHICAGO, IL — Two South Loop bars blocks away from Soldier Field are refusing to show NFL games until a team signs controversial quarterback Colin Kaepernick to a contract. The owner of the Velvet Lounge and Bureau Bar made the move to keep the pro football league's games off his nightspots' TVs as a show of support for Kaepernick, who made headlines last season with the San Francisco 49ers by taking a knee during the national anthem to protest racism and police violence.

Kenny Johnson — who owns the Velvet Lounge, 67 Cermak Road, and Bureau Bar, 75 E. 16th St. — announced his decision on the Instagram accounts of both of the bars he owns. The establishments will boycott NFL games "until something changes." That "something" would be a team signing Kaepernick, who has been a free agent since March, leading some fans, such as Johnson, to believe the quarterback has been blackballed by the league for his political stance.

"I have two young sons. I want to teach them … you have to be able to stand up for what's right, and there shouldn't be any repercussions because of that," Johnson told ABC 7 Chicago about his decision. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app).

Like Kaepernick's national anthem protest, Johnson's decision has elicited mixed responses from potential customers who commented online at the bars' Facebook and Instagram accounts.

"Thank you for having the courage to put your money where your mouth is in support of justice … something many refused to do in the 60s and even now," Ayanna Aretwo wrote. "We need more business owners to have the courage to do the same … the Black community thanks you … and eventually the other groups will benefit from our struggle as history has shown us."

"An NFL contract is a privilege, not a right. And you lose that privilege if your play on the field cannot make up for the distraction you are causing your team," Michael P. Beahan commented. "He knew that there might be consequences for his actions and now he is paying the price for it.

"This is a bad business decision but you are free to make it. Just don't expect Colin to support you when you lose money on Sundays and Mondays," Beahan added.

Earlier this week, hundreds of people rallied outside NFL headquarters in New York City to support Kaepernick and protest his unfair treatment by the league. Baseball's home run king Hank Aaron also backed Kaepernick this week, saying he's getting "a raw deal" by the NFL.

RELATED: Hundreds Rally In Support Of Colin Kaepernick At NFL's Headquarters

But NFL legend Jim Brown, someone who was a vocal activist during the civil rights movement in the 1960s, was critical of how the quarterback expressed his views

"I want to be in his corner, and I do think, 'God bless him,'" Brown told ThePostGame in an interview published Friday.

RELATED: Hank Aaron: Colin Kaepernick Is 'Getting A Raw Deal'

"I'm going to give you the real deal: I'm an American," the former Cleveland Browns star said. "I don't desecrate my flag and my national anthem. I'm not gonna do anything against the flag and national anthem. I'm going to work within those situations. But this is my country, and I'll work out the problems, but I'll do it in an intelligent manner."

The NFL regular season begins Sept. 7 when the Kansas City Chiefs face the New England Patriots.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. (Photo by Tony Avelar | Associated Press)

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