Where are the white boys in solidarity? Hopefully, they're just at the other end of the line.
Amen. (Except calling this an "anthem protest" may be a little misleading. It's a racial injustice protest.)Taking the field in London, Ravens Coach John Harbaugh joined his players, linking arms, and Ravens Hall of Famer Ray Lewis took a knee. Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, who had contributed $1 million to the Trump inauguration, locked arms with his players and the Jaguars’ coaches in what is believed to be the first visible participation in relation to anthem protests by a league owner.
[...]
One owner who was placed in an awkward position was the Patriots’ Robert Kraft, who also gave $1 million to Trump’s inaugural and presented him with a Super Bowl LI ring. In a statement Sunday, he said he was “deeply disappointed by the tone” of Trump’s comments.
“I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities,” Kraft said. “Their efforts, both on and off the field, help bring people together and make our community stronger. There is no greater unifier in this country than sports and, unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics. I think our political leaders could learn a lot from the lessons of teamwork and the importance of working together toward a common goal. Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful.”
WaPo
At least it looks like the whites locked arms with the black players. I'm not a football fan, but this video actually kind of choked me up.
(Staff standing behind kneeling players even have arms linked. If clicking on the picture doesn't get you the video, click here and scroll down to it - about half way.)
Never let anyone - let alone a racist, narcissistic bigot - dictate your conscience.
Three more NFL games coming up at noon. And, the whole Steelers team is staying in the locker room.
Giving the so-called president, who will probably next tweet that nobody watches NFL anyway, a big F.U. Trumped!
UPDATE: Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin's rationale:
FURTHER UPDATE: Also not taking the field during the anthem: Seahawks and Titans.
"We're not participating in the anthem today. Not to be disrespectful to the anthem, to remove ourselves from the circumstance. People shouldn't have to choose. If a guy wants to go about his normal business and participate in the anthem, he shouldn't be forced to choose sides. If a guy feels the need to do something, he shouldn't be separated from his teammate who chooses not to. So we're not participating today. That's our decision. We're gonna be 100 percent. We came here to play a football game. That's our intentions, and we're gonna play and play to win."
Sporting News
Say what?? You idiot. Locked arms is in solidarity with the kneelers. Pull your head out of your big ass.
Reports from 1 p.m. games around the county showed that dozens of Broncos players knelt in Buffalo. About 10 Saints sat for the anthem at Carolina.
Spectators at the Colts’ home Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis booed loudly after many of the Browns players kneeled in a huddle during the national anthem. Colts players locked arms during the anthem despite the boos.
[...]
In Philadelphia, Eagles and Giants players and coaches locked arms as a massive American flag was unfurled over the field and military jets performed a flyover. A few players raised fists or knelt, while Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie locked arms with his players and police officers.
[...]
Rex Ryan, the former Jets and Bills coach who once introduced then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Buffalo, expressed his regret on the morning show “Sunday N.F.L. Countdown.”
“Everyone’s always been united. Yeah, the views are different but lemme tell you: I’m pissed off,” said Ryan, who now works as an ESPN commentator. “I’ll be honest with you. Because I supported Donald Trump. When he asked me to introduce him at a rally in Buffalo, I did that. But I’m reading these comments and it’s appalling to me and I’m sure it’s appalling to almost any citizen in our country. It should be.”
[...]
Robert K. Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and a longtime friend of the president’s, was among the first to reply [to Trump's slam against NFL protesters and call for owners to fire them], saying in a statement:
“I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday. I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities. Their efforts, both on and off the field, help bring people together and make our community stronger. There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics. I think our political leaders could learn a lot from the lessons of teamwork and the importance of working together toward a common goal. Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful.”
N.F.L. owners, most of them conservative and many of them large donors to President Trump, joined with Kraft and backed their players’ rights to protest during the national anthem and condemned Trump’s criticism.
Colts owner Jim Irsay said, “I am troubled by the president’s recent comments about our league and our players.”
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said, “I support them as they take their courage character and commitment into our communities to make them better or to call attention to injustice.”
Chargers owner Dean Spanos said, “The N.F.L. and its players, more than anything, have been a force for good.”
From Jimmy Haslam, owner of the Cleveland Browns: “We must not let misguided, uninformed and divisive comments from the President or anyone else deter us from our efforts to unify.”
Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement on Sunday morning that “what makes this the greatest country in the world are the liberties it was founded upon and the freedom to express oneself in a respectful and peaceful manner.”
He said the franchise was unified by “this divisive political situation.”
NYT
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