[183], Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio, Anthony Alford and Santiago Espinal of the Toronto Blue Jays knelt during the anthem prior to their game against the Tampa Bay Rays. I chose to sacrifice my moment today at the top of the podium to call attention to issues that I believe need to be addressed. [147] The FA, the governing body in England, announced that it would take "a commonsense approach" if Premier League players took a knee in protest at the murder of George Floyd. DJ LeMahieu tapped both players on the shoulder following the conclusion of the anthem in a show of solidarity. When you hear one person say 'black lives matter' or 'blue lives matter,' all lives matter." The protest had supporters outside the U.S. as well. The NFL is still trying to figure out to handle protests before games Its going on two years since Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the national anthem. Fears of his shoulder injury hampering him prevented any teams from taking a chance on him. [216][217][218] During a Senate hearing, Lankford said: "We watched, even this weekend, the Russians and their troll farms, their internet folks, start hashtagging out #TakeAKnee and also hashtagging out #BoycottNFL. This One Player Just REDEEMED the Entire Kneeling NFL Its often been said, Youre never too important to be kind to people. Recently, Philadelphia Eagles Key's father was very supportive of his son's work and even bought him out rights to the poem which allowed him to make some money. John Stone is a sport enthusiast. [180] The same members of the San Francisco Giants that knelt during the preseason continued their protest. [203][204], Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard also chose to stand with his hand over his heart. What does it mean to be an American? #BlackLivesMatter t.co/Bboaowdou3", "Cleveland Indians stood for the national anthem. The investigation was rapidly dropped after Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, the world governing body, publicly stated that such protests are worthy of applause not punishment. He added that he was "not condemning anybody or criticizing anybody" in his remarks. [189], Matt Kemp was the only member of the Colorado Rockies to kneel during the national anthem before their game against the Texas Rangers. Some say they're doing so in support of black victims of police violence while others explain that they're simply using their platforms to raise awareness about important issues such as social justice or even just showing pride in the United States flag. [176], Prior to each game on opening day, players knelt in unison while holding a black rope. [126], The Jacksonville Jaguars remained in the locker room while Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich was the only person on the visiting sidelines to kneel. [240], Throughout the remainder of the 2016 season, Kaepernick received public backlash for his protest, with an anonymous NFL executive calling Kaepernick "a traitor". [50] In the games immediately following Trump's statements, the protest gained broader participation when over 200 players sat or knelt during the anthem, others linked arms with their teammates or raised fists, and three teams chose to stay in the locker room for the anthem. [155], In September 2017, Principal Waylon Bates of Parkway High School in Louisiana referred to the national anthem protests as a "disruption" and threatened to kick any player out of the football team if he knelt during the national anthem. America is an idea. [52][53][54] Reasons cited by players, owners, and coaches included supporting freedom of speech and opposing what they considered intimidation by Trump. [295], During the George Floyd protests on June 4, 2020, about 20 players released a video reciting the names of victims, demanding that the NFL condemn racism and admit its policy against peaceful protests were wrong and to affirm that black lives matter. Again, I understand why people are outraged, why they are angry, why they are upset and why its considered disrespectful and unpatriotic. "[221], On September 25, 2017, U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee knelt on the floor of the House of Representatives. However, the athletes received public support from University officials. "[219], In September 2016, President Barack Obama stated that Kaepernick was "exercising his constitutional right" to protest. When he ran, I thought it was a joke, and the joke continues. [130], Jerick McKinnon and Richie James of the San Francisco 49ers both sat on the bench while the visiting Arizona Cardinals remained in the locker room. Middleton also raised his fist while kneeling. But the military is involved in the playing of the anthem. Are NFL players still kneeling during the Anthem or are they all standing now? [290] The tweets brought enormous amounts of media attention to the participating players and found people on two sides of the issue; one group that supported Kaepernick and many other players that were protesting to bring awareness to the police brutality that black people faced and the other group that believed kneeling was disrespectful to the country, flag, or the military. Thanks to the sacrifices of many, we live in a country of unparalleled freedoms and countless liberties, including the right to peacefully express one's opinion. [69] Two members of the New England Patriots, Devin McCourty and Martellus Bennett, raised their fists on Sunday Night Football. WebThe 2022 USFL regular season will begin April 16 and run through mid-June, followed by the playoffs. [139], As a member of the U.S. women's national soccer team, Rapinoe also knelt before an international friendly match against Thailand on September 16, despite public statements of disagreement with her protest methods issued before the match by the U.S. Soccer Federation and her coach Jill Ellis. Stay tuned! "[142] MLS to date, has yet to encounter national anthem protests. Jamal Adams of the Seahawks raised his fist while others either knelt, sat or remained in the locker room. On February 10, 2021, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban announced that he would not play the national anthem at home games stating that it was "too divisive". [113] The league later announced plans to play "Lift Every Voice and Sing", also known as the Black national anthem, prior to "The Star-Spangled Banner" during Week 1 games. The entire Seattle Seahawks team stood and interlocked arms. [209] Dumba regrets not kneeling for both anthems and plans to raise his fist instead of kneel for the rest of the playoffs. [271], Stevie Wonder knelt during the 2017 Global Citizen Festival on September 23, saying "Tonight, I'm taking a knee for America". [71] At the same time, a group of Jacksonville Jaguars players, led by cornerback Prince Amukamara, initially planned to join the protest but chose not to do so after photographs of Kaepernick wearing socks with a crude anti-police message during training camp were made public. Flag, Pledge of Allegiance, and National Anthem Etiquette", "N.F.L. Actor Damien Leake had been making a similar protest for almost 50 years, since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Some 12,000 tweets linked to 491 accounts linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency were sent from the end of 2014 to mid-2018; those tweets peaked on September 22, 2017, after President Donald Trump's speech in Huntsville, Alabama. All of the Orioles stood while linking arms. On October 1, at East Carolina University, about 19 members of the band knelt, while about another two held the American flag during the national anthem at the beginning of the football game against the University of Central Florida. [12][11][51] Many players, coaches and NFL teams protested and/or issued statements expressing dismay with Trump's comments:[77], On October 15, 2017 Colin Kaepernick filed a grievance for collusion against NFL owners. No other player has followed his lead since then, but many other reasons have been given for taking a knee or raising a fist during the song. Unfortunately, prior to the draft, it was discovered that he had sustained a torn labrum (shoulder). [156] There have been almost no such incidents involving college football players, for the simple reason that college players and coaches are typically in the locker room when the anthem is played. [58], In a May 2018 interview, Trump stated "You have to stand proudly for the national anthem, or you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there. Brees replied to Trump on Twitter that he has come to understand the protests were never about the American flag, and said it was wrong to use the flag to turn people away or distract people from issues facing African-Americans. [115] The two teams later joined together at midfield for a moment of unity and silence, while social justice messages were displayed. [155] After his protest, the player received racial threats. Though he did not endorse the action of kneeling during the anthem, Brees apologized, prompting criticism of the apology from President Trump. [264][266], NFL ratings have been in decline for the past couple years, except for the 2018 season, which saw an increase of 4%. The protests began last year when Kaepernick, then a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, refused to stand for the national anthem before games because, he said, he wanted to highlight racial injustice in America. Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger stood next to Betts with their hands on his shoulders. Their actions were taken as part of a campaign called "Take a Knee for Justice," which was started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (who is now with the New York Giants).if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3-0'); In a statement released through his representatives, Ross said he took a knee "to bring attention to the many issues that continue to plague our country today." [207], The Boston Bruins planned on linking arms during the playing of both the American and Canadian national anthems when the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs began. According to the same survey, 50% of the decline in rating in 2017 is because of players taking a knee before the game, whereas this action only accounts for 18% of the decline of rating in 2016. [57], Many players beyond the 2017 season have knelt or raised fists in protest against Trump's policies. Maybe you shouldnt be in the country. [8] Beginning in 2017, many players also protested against President Donald Trump's criticisms of those involved in the protest, and some against Trump's policies during his time in office. Did the Jacksonville Jaguars stand for the national anthem? You dont have to agree with how or why he has chosen to exercise the 1st Amendment before every game to acknowledge the hours he gives voluntarily, on his day off, to serve his fellow Americans. 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