Late last month, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, one-time golden boy turned public enemy number one, reignited the old American tradition of athletes demonstrating their beliefs and fans reacting negatively. Kaepernick's actions have spawned numerous heated, mostly obnoxious, discussions across social media. I not only find his actions brave, but also ingenious, as they were able to bring attention to what would have been a rather lackluster season for the quarterback.

Colin Kaepernick is the talk of the sports world. His jersey is the best-selling item for the San Francisco 49ers, despite the fact that he is a backup quarterback, and he’s had more airtime on SportsCenter in the past week than in the last year. And it's because he sat. Throughout the preseason, Kaepernick has refused to stand up during the national anthem, instead sitting on the bench in protest.