All eyes went to Colin Kaepernick on Monday night in San Francisco, as he was afforded a prime-time platform to take a knee during the national anthem.
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At first it wasn’t clear if the gesture was meant as a form of protest, but players have since described it as a show of unity and a way “to be respectful of everyone’s opinions”.
Last week, cornerback Jeremy Lane sat out during the national anthem in a similar act of protest to Kaepernick.
Kansas City Chiefs players also locked arms to show unity while the player at the end of their line, Marcus Peters, raised a black-gloved fist – a gesture reminiscent of United States sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos as they stood on the podium following their 200m final at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
Also in preseason, Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall knelt during the national anthem before Thursday night’s 21-20 win over the Carolina Panthers, his actions costing him an endorsement deal with the Air Academy Federal Credit Union. “He’s trying to bring a voice to people that he doesn’t feel have one, and I think we want to do the same thing and try to help”.
The gesture on Sunday by Peters, 23, who is African-American, recalled the raised fist demonstration by black athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos during their medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
Peters didn’t say he felt the need to demonstrate personally, but gave Kaepernick his full support.
With those protests now pervading the sports world, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones recently was asked why the movement hasn’t spread to Major League Baseball, where a busy schedule provides a daily platform for players to send a message.
But it was the four Miami Dolphins’ players who took a knee during the national anthem, and the response it triggered from one supermodel, that set social media off Sunday, which happened to be 9/11. “We respect these liberties and appreciate the sacrifices that everyone has made for our country, especially on this day of remembrance”.
Kaepernick and the 49ers do not begin the season until today at home against the Los Angeles Rams. Bush attended the Giants-Cowboys match in Arlington, Texas, while Vice President Joe Biden was in Philadelphia for Browns-Eagles. Obama has defended Kaepernick, saying this week the player is exercising a constitutional right and provoking conversation “around some topics that need to be talked about”.
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He has said that he will continue to do so until he sees “significant change”. “We’re a patriotic league”.
