Ex-ESPN Employee Blasts GQ For Naming Colin Kaepernick Citizen Of The Year

Former ESPN employee Britt McHenry has some issues with GQ Magazine naming Colin Kaepernick the 2017 "Citizen of the Year." McHenry took to social media to voice her complaints, citing several reasons why she thinks someone like JJ Watt was more deserving of GQ's honor.

In a string of tweets, McHenry stated,

"JJ Watt raised $37 million for Hurricane Harvey victims. 37 MILLION! But Kaepernick refused to stand for our national anthem (a year ago) and is Citizen of the Year. Right..."

"Wear socks depicting police officers as pigs; wear Fidel Castro as a fashion statement IN MIAMI; sue NFL for collusion when gf compares owners to slave owners...Win Citizen of the Year. Serve in the US military...nothing. What a joke, GQ. #Kaepernick"

“For those who think I don’t get the reason for protest you’re wrong. Eagles Malcolm Jenkins met with lawmakers to help community. Dolphins Kenny Stills met with Miami police. More examples of Citizen of the Year.”

In addition to her comments on twitter, McHenry spoke with Fox News about the "Citizen of the Year" award and reiterated her opinion that GQ should've went with Watt because of the money he raised for Hurricane Harvey victims.

Per Fox News, 

"I see that magazine cover and I think if we want to go with a football player, Houston Texans' JJ Watt raised $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief. Why is he not the citizen of the year."

"There's a huge disconnect with reality and the NFL right now and they need to figure it out."

In speaking with Fox, McHenry also called out NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for not putting in place a rule that would prevent players from kneeling during the national anthem. 

"If [Roger Goodell] had come out before this season even started...and just said "New rules: we are not allowing kneeling" just like U.S. soccer did, just like the NBA did, then perhaps it wouldn't have grown to this level."

In the GQ cover story, titled, "Colin Kaepernick Will Not Be Silenced," Kaepernick posed for a series of photos in Harlem, although he declined to provide quotes for the story itself, citing his desire to remain silent. The article states, "As his public identity has begun to shift from football star to embattled activist, he has grown wise to the power of his silence."

GQ's "Men of the Year" issues also honor Late-night host Stephen Colbert, actress Gal Gadot and Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, who was named "Champion of the Year."