San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick came under fire in recent weeks for refusing to stand during the national anthem at games in protest of discrimination against people of color in the U.S.
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It opened a wide debate and put the microscope on a pregame tradition that has, for decades, been routine. Kaepernick has been sitting or kneeling during the playing of the anthem prior to games. But people are still talking about his national anthem protest, an action that pushed Donald Trump’s buttons and led to rumors that he may be converting to the Islam faith.
Neighbors in the subdivision where the Kaepernicks have lived for about three years said the American flag was up before August 28, when Kaepernick sat during the national anthem before the 49ers’ game against the Green Bay Packers and sparked a heated national conversation.
“I support our players when they want to see change in society, and we don’t live in a flawless society”, Goodell said. “On the other hand, we believe very strongly in patriotism in the NFL”.
“Based upon my military background, as you would expect, I have very, very strong feelings about the national anthem”.
The player also suggested that his fellow National Football League players are afraid to speak out in support of his decision to protest. With that comes responsibility to use those platforms properly.
“We have to choose respectful ways of doing that so that we can achieve the outcomes we ultimately want and do it with the values and ideals that make our country great”, Goodell said. I know a lot of people who are Muslim and they are phenomenal people.
“It’s a lofty name, but it’s not a stretch, ” Cornell William Brooks, president of the NAACP, told USA TODAY Sports of comparing the San Francisco 49ers quarterback to the civil rights activist.
Since Colin Kaepernick’s protest of the mistreatment of Black Americans last month, his jersey sales have skyrocketed to number one.
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Kaepernick, who has said he plans to take the protest “a step further”, said on Wednesday he has met and talked with different activists in communities around the country. The surge is remarkable given that Kaepernick is beginning the season as a backup behind Blaine Gabbert.
