Seahawks fans upset by Kaepernick headphone ad

A lot of Seahawks fans were heated during Seattle’s loss to San Francisco, just not for the reasons you might expect. They weren’t mad about the calls going against their team (OK, fans were mad about that too), or about the way their team was playing. No, a lot of fans were and still are upset about they way they were portrayed in a new Beats by Dre commercial staring 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

You can watch an extended version of the commercial here:

As you can see, while nothing in the ad explicitly said Seattle or Seahawks, it’s clear by the color of the fans’ gear, the rainy weather, etc., that the ad is meant to portray Kaepernick facing a hostile crowd in Seattle, then tuning out that noise thanks to his fancy noise-canceling headphones. Plenty of fans probably don’t care much about this commercial, others may take pride in it, but plenty are quite upset that the ad portrays them as abusive, aggressive, obscene, and sometimes prone to urinate on buses (0:53 mark). Just check out the comments on this post at SportsRadioKJR.com. Or if you’re friends with a lot of Seahawks fans on Facebook or Twitter, you’ve no doubt been seeing comments on this already.

My thoughts? Well for starters, it appears Beats by Dre put together a very successful commercial, because while riling up some fans, they also have a ton of people talking about their product. And secondly, if that company wanted to illustrate the effectiveness of their product, they could have gone about doing it a better way. The premise of the ad is that Kaepernick is able to tune out the hostile fans and got to his happy place, so to speak, because of his headphones. But if that’s the message Beats is trying to get across, why show Kaepernick preparing for a game in Seattle? In two starts at CenturyLink Field, Kaepernick has completed just 50 percent of his passes for 371 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, and the 49ers have been outscored 71-16 in those games. That’s the performance you’re selling me, Beats by Dre? I’ll pass.

Anyway, on to the links…

In today’s Herald, a look at Pete Carroll’s decision to let the 49ers run down the clock and kick a field goal rather than let them score a touchdown, something he says was considered.

Danny O’Neil of 710 ESPN Seattle looks at what we learned from Seattle’s loss and what we’re still trying to figure out.

Despite the loss, the Seahawks are still atop most power rankings, including ESPN’s and CBSSports’.

Seahawks.com looks at the play of Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane, who have been put into bigger roles because of Brandon Browner’s injury and Walter Thurmond’s suspension.

Grantland.com’s weekly NFL roundup includes a take on the 49ers-Seahawks game, looking at the play of Colin Kaepernick as well as Carroll’s decision not to let the 49ers score.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Sports

Mountlake Terrace junior Owen Boswell (22) tries to break a tackle from Shorecrest senior Michael Quigley en route to 128 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Hawks' 29-0 win at Edmonds Stadium in Edmonds on Sept. 26, 2025. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace football shuts down Shorecrest

The Hawks rush for 315 net yards and notch their third shutout with a 29-0 win on Friday.

Marysville Pilchuck’s Christian Van Natta lifts the ball in the air to celebrate a turnover during the game against Marysville Getchell on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Last-second TD lifts Mavs over league-leading Warriors

Zekiah Gamble finds Kealoha Kepo’o-Sabate with 10 seconds left to give Meadowdale its first league win.

Snohomish’s Jo Cort takes a shot on goal as she slides to the ground in the goal box during the game against Stanwood on Sept. 25, 2025 in Stanwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Full Cort Shot: Snohomish girls soccer dispatches Stanwood

Junior Jo Cort scores long shot for Panthers to spark 5-0 win against Spartans on Thursday.

Does Washington stand a chance against No. 1 Ohio State?

Huskies face ‘incredible challenge’ as Buckeyes visit Husky Stadium Saturday.

Seahawks defensive players celebrate in the end zone during a game against the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (Photo courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks)
Seahawks avoid disaster in desert with late win over Arizona

Seattle blows a two-score lead before Jason Myers’ wins it with late field goal Thursday.

Stanwood's Michael Mascotti relays the next play to his teammates during football practice on Monday, Aug. 29, 2022 in Stanwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Experts make their Week 4 predictions

Our trio takes a crack at picking the winners for this week’s gridiron games.

Edmonds-Woodway’s Abby Peterson and Shorecrest’s Cora Quinn run after the ball during the game on Sept. 23, 2025 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds-Woodway wields six goal scorers in 6-1 win

The Warriors score five straight goals on Thursday to jump out to a 4-2-1 start.

Lake Stevens’ Olivia Gonzales blocks a tipped ball from coming over the net during the 4A district semifinal game on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens’ offense pushes Vikings to 5-0 start

Olivia Gonzales’ 48-assist game highlights Lake Stevens’ dominant win.

Shorewood football dominates to move to 4-0

Julien Woodruff throws four TDs to lead the Stormrays to a 56-0 win.

Lake Stevens volleyball players celebrate after scoring a point in their season opener against Curtis High School in Lake Stevens, Wash., on Sept. 11, 2024. (Taras McCurdie / The Herald)
Lake Stevens ranked third in state volleyball poll

Archbishop Murphy, Granite Falls, Darrington also voted in by coaches.

Jackson, Shorewood continue undefeated league starts

The Timberwolves and Stormrays both improve to 8-0 atop their respective leagues Thursday.

Mason Wilson tucks the ball and runs out of the pocket during practice at Mountlake Terrace High School on Sept. 23, 2025. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
Mason Wilson’s evolution at QB powering Hawks to strong start

The Mountlake Terrace junior plays both sides while growing as a signal-caller.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.