The pre-Super Bowl hits keep coming, as former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's lawyer has blasted Maroon 5 for deciding weeks ago to perform at halftime on Sunday.
Mark Geragos, Kaepernick's lawyer, referred to Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine's rationale for performing in the face of much activist criticism a "cop out" when the attorney appeared on Good Morning America Friday, as the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
"If you're going to cross this ideological or intellectual picket line, then own it, and Adam Levine certainly isn't owning it," Geragos said.
However, Levine hinted on Entertainment Tonight on Thursday that his band will honor the protests against racial equality and police brutality to which Kaepernick is now devoted. Seemingly, Kaepernick is a now a full-time social activist. He hasn't actively played professional football for a few years, an apparent consequence of his leading protest.
Furthermore, Levine said he did not take lightly the decision to perform despite pressure to boycott the NFL during the racial-based Take a Knee movement.
"No one put more thought and love into this than I did," said Levine, as several media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times reported. "I spoke to many people. Most importantly, though, I silenced all the noise and listened to myself, and made my decision about how I felt."
In the face of the ongoing criticism, Levine added:
"We'd like to move on from it and ... speak through the music."
Geragos maintained that the band, as well as rapper Travis Scott and Big Boi of Outkast–who are set to perform at halftime–should have declined the gig and instead supported Kaepernick and the boycott.
"It's a cop out when you start talking about, 'I'm not a politician; I'm just doing the music,'" said Geragos. "Most of the musicians who have any kind of consciousness whatsoever understand what's going on here."
While saving the performance as a surprise for game viewers and fans in the stands, Levine wants the public to know he understands the issues and that the universal language of music is his voice:
"They will be [heard] — that's all I want to say because I don't want to spoil anything," he said. "And once again, I like to think that people know where I stand as a human being after two decades doing this. I'm not a public speaker. I do speak, but it's through the music. My life's work and what I put out into the universe has been positive and hopefully inspiring. So, what I would say is, you know, we are going to do what we keep on doing, hopefully without becoming politicians and continuing to use the one voice we know how to use properly."
Basically, Levine said he wants "to make people understand." He added: "We got you."
Kaepernick, previously a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers, helped start a wave of protests by kneeling during the national anthem before a pre-season game on September 1, 2016, to raise awareness of police brutality, racial inequality and other social justice issues.
"Colin took a knee in a very deferential way to express what he sees as systemic oppression and racism in America," Geragos said. "He has been blackballed because of that."
The following year, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing its owners of colluding by not signing him.
The NFL announced Tuesday on Twitter that Maroon 5 would forego the traditional pre-Super Bowl press conference. Without providing details, Levine said it was strictly an NFL decision and not his band's.
Legendary pop, rhythm-and-blues singer Gladys Knight has also taken some heat, as she will sing the national anthem in Atlanta, her home town, before the 6:30 p.m. ET kick-off Sunday at Atlanta's Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Agreed https://t.co/ENvGB21q3x
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) January 31, 2019
