The NFL season is barely underway, but already the focus is being taken away from the field and directed at the sidelines.
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49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick continued his national anthem protest Monday night with a kneel, and discussed certain aspects of it after the game.
On the day when the country observed the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, what was the reaction during the season-opening National Football League games?
Players from several teams took a knee during the anthem on Sunday, raised a fist, or, in the case of the Seattle Seahawks, stood with arms interlinked.
Four members of the Dolphins knelt while the “Star-Spangled Banner” played on Sunday. The Dolphins lost the game 10-12. From slavery, to the women’s suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, anti-war protests and gay and lesbians rights, America has had its challenges and will continue to have its challenges, just like every other country.
The Chiefs beat the Chargers 33-27.
During the New England Patriots game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, safety Devin McCourty and tight end Martellus Bennett stood for the anthem, but also raised their fists when it ended. The townsfolk sing a version of the national anthem with the famous lines replaced by commentary about Kaepernick and police brutality in the United Sates.
The Twittersphere was divided between support and condemnation for the athlete. “Those guys standing up on the side or hugging one another, they ain’t drop no bombs but what they are saying is ‘hey man something is broken and it’s time that we fixed this.’ Not tomorrow, not next year, but start to fix it today and it’s growing”. “So national unity and respect for the flag are particularly sensitive issues”.
In addition to Kaepernick, Niners safety Antoine Bethea and linebacker Eli Harold joined their teammate Monday night by holding up fists.
‘Sitting down during the national anthem on September 11 is even more horrific, ‘ she added. She could face punishment after her post went viral. He had previously sat out the anthem ahead of other preseason games, but during those occasions had not dressed.
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The protest has angered some fans, who see it as disrespectful to the US flag, the military and the nation.
