Of course not. But Sunday at least, people on different sides of the fence will be on the same side when their beloved Panthers take the field.
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“I’m an African-American and I’m not happy how the justice has been dealt with over the years, and the state of oppression in our community, but we also as black people have to do right by ourselves”, Newton said.
Then, come Sunday at 1 p.m., the largest gathering of the weekend will be at Bank of America Stadium, when the Carolina Panthers welcome the Minnesota Vikings for their Week 3 matchup. We can’t be hypocrites. I think that’s what people are looking for.
Even as the National Football League was announcing yesterday that they planned to hold Sunday’s Panthers-Vikings game as scheduled, there was an awareness that it hinged on things staying calm overnight.
San Francisco 49ers coach Chip Kelly said that Colin Kaepernick’s protest during the national anthem is bringing attention to an issue that needs addressing.
Several Carolina Panthers used their platform as professional athletes in a thoughtful way Thursday, calling for peace as they addressed the fatal police shooting in Charlotte and the violent protests that have followed it. Davis said he told his boys they should always respect authority figures – police, parents, teachers, whomever – but also said it makes him nervous as a father when he sees images and videos of black people being shot with their hands in the air. Charlotte what are we doing? Protesters rushed police in riot gear at a downtown Charlotte hotel and officers have fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. “This is a tough time right now in our community in our city, and we need something that’s going to bring people together”.
Several NFL players have raised fists or knelt during pre-game performances of the US national anthem this season, a protest started by San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick during the preseason. I know they got a handle on things pretty well down here.
Panthers officials primary concern is “whether there will be enough police to handle the safety concerns of the city and keep the stadium secure”, ESPN’s David Newton reports.
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Said Olsen: “I called my wife and said, ‘Just go get the kids”. “Police are here to protect and serve us, but at the same time someone has to be held accountable for what is going on”. It’s not the fact that things are happening; it’s the way they’re being treated after they happen.
