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Colin Kaepernick will probably never play in the NFL again. One knee during the national anthem of the 2016 season in protest of racial injustice and police brutality snowballed into a highly-politicized movement that kept him from a job. However, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback took them to Super Bowl XLVII, and he was considered one of the league's best starting quarterbacks and NFL players at the time. Despite having not played since 2017, Kaepernick built a sizable fortune from his playing days, endorsement deals and a settlement with the NFL. Born Colin Rand Kaepernick to Heidi Russo, he was adopted by Rick and Teresa Kaepernick and moved to California at a young age. Kaepernick was a star baseball player in high school before becoming a college football standout at the University of Nevada where he was named WAC Offensive Player of the Year twice. The 49ers traded up in the 2011 NFL Draft and selected Kaepernick in the second round. Kaepernick's rookie signing bonus was just over $2.2 million, and he made about $43.5 million over six seasons in San Francisco. Most of that came from a seven-year, $126 million extension in 2014 following a NFC Championship Game loss to the Seahawks. After one of his best statistical seasons, and the 49ers going 1-10 in his starts, he opted out of his last year and became a free agent because the 49ers were going to cut him. While the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native hasn't played since, he's doing fine without football. Nike made Kaepernick the face of its 30th anniversary "Just Do It" ad campaign in 2018. It's estimated Kaepernick made "millions of dollars" per year in that deal. As Yahoo's Charles Robinson reported, Nike planned a whole branded line in Kaepernick's name. Kaepernick's endorsement deals rumored to make him around $3 million per year in at one point. Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL owners in 2017, accusing the league of blackballing him. Kaepernick and teammate Eric Reid's collusion case ended in February 2019, as the NFL paid an undisclosed amount to settle the case. Kaepernick has also done plenty of charity work. His "Million Dollar Pledge" took off, and star athletes like Serena Williams, Steph Curry, Odell Beckham Jr., and Kobe Bryant raised thousands for various organizations. After factoring in his NFL contracts, endorsements and legal battle with the NFL, Kaepernick's net worth is estimated to be about $20 million. See more at fanbuzz.com

Softball and baseball have been around for years, but one question never seems answered: which sport is really harder to play? The biggest difference is the pitching style. Baseball pitchers throw overhand, and softball pitchers throw underhand. Both deliveries offer advantages and disadvantages, but the most notable is the range of pitches thrown in baseball. All softball pitchers master a few to start with, like the fastball, drop ball and rise ball. These pitchers learn various grips and releases, which gives them a varied arsenal. However, from two-seam fastballs to screwballs to the eephus pitch, baseball pitches offer a wide variety. Classic overhand deliveries and sidearm specialists changes baseball pitcher's delivery adds so many possibilities to what a batter sees. When comparing softball and baseball fields, you see another dramatic difference. Major League Baseball field sizes differ along the outfield fence depending on the ballpark, but everything inside the lines remain the same. A baseball pitchers mound raised above the ground farther from home plate, but softball pitching mounds are flat on the ground, have a designated pitching area, and pitching distance is only about 35 to 43 feet to home plate. The base paths in softball are just 60 feet away from each other, which are actually identical to Little League baseball fields. Also, baseball players can lead off, while softball players cannot. Softball fields are much more compact, which makes it more difficult to reach base. This is evidenced by the number of no-hitters and complete games thrown by softball pitchers at every level compared to baseball pitchers. Score this one for softball by a landslide. In softball, the size of the ball is larger and heavier, but the gloves make up the difference. Softball gloves have a deeper pocket while baseball gloves are more shallow. Softball bats are typically longer, but baseball bats have a larger diameter to strike the ball with. While MLB players use wooden bats, all softball teams, college baseball teams, high school levels, and on down through youth baseball use composite or alloy bats. No advantage here with equipment. ESPN broke down the game speeds, pointing out that a 70 mph softball pitch from the shorter distance reaches home plate faster than a 100 mph baseball pitch, which means a softball player has less time to swing. Need proof? USA Softball's Jennie Finch made MLB slugger Albert Pujols, a three-time MVP with over 600 career home runs, look like a fool. Softball games are commonly seven innings, just like college and high school baseball games. One of the biggest knocks on the MLB is that nine-inning games are so long. Even with Major League Baseball trying to shorten games, professional baseball games last about three hours. Softball games are shorter, which means fewer chances to score and, obviously, win. Chalk up another win for softball. Softball is harder to play, requires faster reaction time, and is much more fun for fans to watch. Major League Baseball isn't going anywhere, but home run distance and gaudy numbers doesn't equal a harder sport. Overall, fast-pitch softball is harder to play and, honestly, a lot more fun to watch than baseball. See more at fanbuzz.com

The Super Bowl is the most-watched television event in the United States. The game is the obvious draw, but it's the commercials and halftime show performances that bring millions of casual fans to the game. Back on October 1, 1979, Coca-Cola first aired a commercial starring Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle "Mean" Joe Greene and a 9-year-old superfan played by Tommy Okon. The story the advertisement told stood the test of time, and anyone who watches it today gets all the feels when Mean Joe famously calls out, "Hey kid, catch!" Heading for Steelers' locker room, a young fan offers to help the NFL Hall of Famer. The boy tells 'Mean' Joe that he thinks the NFL star is the best ever and offers him a bottle of Coke. After downing the entire thing, Greene tosses his iconic jersey to the kid. The iconic Super Bowl ad puts a smile on everyone's face to this day. The commercial still ranks as one of the greatest Super Bowl ads in history. Not only did Coca-Cola capitalize at the height of the Steelers' dynasty, which culminated with the team's fourth title of the 1970s in Super Bowl XIV, but Mean Joe's commercial famously re-aired during that very game. The Super Bowl commercial won a Clio Award for one of the best commercials of 1979, and "Have a Coke and a Smile" stamped the iconic ad campaign and jingle as one of the most-effective ever, thanks to the writing of Penny Hawkey and director Roger Mosconi. In 2017, the co-stars reunited at Apogee Stadium in Texas, where Greene recalled chugging 18 bottles of Coke before getting the commercial right. For someone with a "mean" reputation on the field, the commercial showed that football players, even a Hall of Famer and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, are nice guys with a softer side off the field. During Super Bowl XLIII, Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu brought the great commercial back to life with a few hilarious twists for the company's Coke Zero products. The Super Bowl's greatest commercials are more than just good laughs and selling products. The best have an emotional connection, which remind us all that it's only a football game, and even tough guy football stars aren't any more important than a young kid looking to dish out a smile. See more at fanbuzz.com

Few debates in baseball, or in sports, are as hotly contested as whether Major League Baseball should allow Pete Rose into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, or rather eligible for election, which is decided by the Baseball Writer’s Association of America. Rose, of course, infamously bet on his own team’s baseball games as a manager and player for the Cincinnati Reds and received a lifetime ban from commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989 following the Dowd Report. An important distinction to that is no evidence exists of him betting against his team or throwing games like the 1919 Chicago White Sox (Black Sox) when they fixed the World Series and changed the future of baseball as well as Rose’s fate. Rose doesn’t mind that he’s been blackballed by MLB, because he’s acknowledged his mistakes and admitted his screw-ups. Despite him saying his ineligibility for the Hall in Cooperstown, New York, is no big deal, it has to be. He was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2016 at Great American Ball Park, which he said meant more to him anyway because Cincinnati is his hometown. Rose earned the nickname “Charlie Hustle” for his playing style. Baseball’s all-time hits leader collected 4,256 base knocks, played in 17 All-Star Games, won the National League MVP in 1973 (he just missed out on a second one finishing running up to St. Louis’ Bob Gibson in 1968) and three World Series titles. The Hit King holds the records for most games (3,562), plate appearances (15,890), at-bats (14,053) and was a key member of the Cincinnati Reds “Big Red Machine” in the 1970s before going on to play with the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos. The Hall of Fame doubled down on its decision to keep Rose off the ballot after a 1991 ruling determined ineligible players can’t be considered for election. He applied for reinstatement but was shot down by the Hall’s board of directors. Maybe MLB commissioner Rob Manfred should reconsider. Obviously, players, umpires and employees of teams are still not allowed to gamble on games according to Major League Rule 21, which Rose broke. But this sure looks like MLB is loosening its stance on gambling, especially because big money is in play. While the Hall of Fame continues to keep the door closed on Rose’s enshrinement hopes, it leaves it open for cheaters forever tied to steroid scandals like home run king Barry Bonds and welcomed that era’s commissioner Bud Selig into the HOF — so why not do the same for another baseball player who also broke the rules and admitted his mistakes? Perhaps MLB commissioner Rob Manfred should reconsider removing Pete Rose off the ineligible list and to a Hall of Famer. See more at fanbuzz.com

Need a vacation? Check out this amazing road trip to 14 cities and stadiums across the Southeastern U.S. right here at FanBuzz: https://fanbuzz.com/college-football/sec-stadium-road-trip/

In 1993, Ryan and Ventura turned the baseball diamond into a UFC octagon! Check out more about the legendary brawl right here: https://fanbuzz.com/mlb/nolan-ryan-robin-ventura-fight/

The Dallas Cowboys have been America's Team since 1979. In recent years, only one team has dominated pro football. Read more about the Patriots' claim to the title here: https://fanbuzz.com/nfl/americas-team-dallas-new-england/

The NFL's greatest quarterback of all-time racked up a massive fortune during his career. Check out how Tom Brady made his money here: https://fanbuzz.com/nfl/tom-brady-net-worth/

Every year, the same debate rages: could the best college team could actually beat the worst team in the NFL!? Read about the 2018 debate here: https://fanbuzz.com/college-football/bills-alabama-game/