Mass Protests Within the NFL
This previous weekend has seen a rise in national anthem protests in NFL games across the country, sparking a reaction from citizens and President Trump. These protests were inspired by Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who started taking a knee during the national anthem in 2016 in reaction to black oppression in the United States. A number of teams were involved in protests including the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Miami Dolphins, the Seattle Seahawks, to name a few.
Not all of the teams involved in protests took a knee. The Seattle Seahawks and the Tennessee Titans remained in their locker rooms for the entirety of national anthem, as did the majority of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some teams opted to stand with arms locked during the anthem, as a sign of solidarity, including the Green Bay Packers, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles. Some notable players of the NFL made quite the impact with their participation, including Tom Brady of the New England Patriots who locked arms, Aaron Rogers of the Packers who also locked arms, and Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens took a knee.
These protests reached further than just the players. The head coach of the New York Jets, Todd Bowles, joined the team in linking arms as protest, as did the entire coaching staff of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The owners of the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, and Jacksonville Jaguars are joined their players in linking arms.
Teams released multiple statements regarding their plans to take a knee prior to doing so. These statements explained how they were not protesting out of dislike for their country but rather to promote freedom and justice for people of color. A statement from the Seattle Seahawks explained that, “Out of love for our country and in honor of the sacrifices made on our behalf, we unite to oppose those that would deny our most basic freedoms. We remain committed in continuing to work towards equality and justice for all.”
President Trump responded disapprovingly to these protests. In response to the series of knees taken and arms locked across the country he stated that, “When you get on your knee and you don’t respect the American flag or the anthem that is not being treated with respect… This has nothing to do with race or anything else. This has to do with respect for our country, and respect for our flag.” He later explained that he approved of the linking of arms when he tweeted that, “Great solidarity for our National Anthem and for our Country. Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable.” He was quick to restate his overall stance on the protests by tweeting that, “Sports fans should never condone players that do not stand proud for their National Anthem or their Country. NFL should change policy!”
Citizens and NFL fans throughout the country responded with varying reactions and statements. This weekend was the first of mass protests in the NFL and has ignited lots of conversation and reactions. We will have to wait and see if this is the beginning of continued NFL protests and how citizens and fans will continue to react.