The Reverend Jesse Jackson gave his take on the situation surrounding Colin Kaepernick and the NFL while appearing on Real Time with Bill Maher. Jackson echoed the popular sentiment that team owners have conspired against the quarterback in order to punish him for his National Anthem protest. The Civil Rights leader stated, "He should have the right to express himself," adding, "He’s not burning the flag, he’s not hustling drugs to teammates, he’s not shooting people with guns.” This comes on the heels of football legend and community leader Jim Brown suggesting that Kaepernick should choose between activism and a playing career. In the case of Jesse Jackson, he believes "he [Kaepernick] should have the right to play and express himself at the same time.”