Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall took a knee on Thursday night, and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters raised a fist a la Tommie Smith and John Carlos today.
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“We encourage all members of our organization to stand at attention during the national anthem out of respect and appreciation for the freedoms we are afforded as Americans”, the statement said. On Aug. 28, he told the Miami Herald that he understood why 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat during the anthem, but wouldn’t personally follow Kaepernick’s tactics. The four men stood during a video tribute to the September 11 terrorist attacks, then took a knee for the anthem. It has already impacted athletes among multiple sports, as many of them have taken to kneeling while “The Star-Spangled Banner” plays.
“It’s our job as professional athletes to make a positive impact on our communities and to be proactive when change is needed”, the Chiefs players said in a statement released by the team .
It should be interesting to see how this is going to be received moving forward. The players wanted “to express a desire to bring people together”, he wrote. He said some of his teammates will join him.
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Elsewhere around the league this afternoon, fan and journalist reports indicate almost all players simply stood as the anthem was played. The anthem has become a flashpoint for such protests since Kaepernick first declined to stand for the anthem during a preseason game. According to media reports, multiple members of the road team made a decision to take a knee for the anthem as a sign of solidarity with Kaepernick and his fight against oppression in the United States. Captains from Watkins Mills in the Washington, D.C., area knelt before a game Friday.
