Steelers President Art Rooney II in a statement yesterday said that the team "never intended to boycott the anthem" by staying in the locker room during the playing of the song before Sunday's game, according to the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Rooney wrote that the action was "meant to unify the team and focus on playing football -- not disrespect the military or the nation." Rooney: "I received an email from a Steelers fan who said tell the players to just play football. That is exactly what they wanted to do. They wanted their sole focus to be on playing the game, while also coming together as a unified team" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/27).
PATRIOT WAY? CSN New England's Gary Tanguay cited a source as saying that "every Patriots player will stand for the anthem prior to Sunday's game" against the Panthers (CSNNE.com, 9/26). In Boston, Karen Guregian writes Sunday’s protest on the sideline was "disjointed and surprising" for a Bill Belichick-led team. Sixteen players knelt while others "stood locked arm in arm," but there was "no unified presentation." The Patriots now are in "uncharted territory," as it marks the "first time in the Belichick era we’ve seen a Patriots team allow an outside issue to overtake the primary objective before kickoff." Former Patriots OT Matt Light, who on Monday said he was "ashamed" that some Patriots players took a knee during the anthem, "questions how unified the Patriots actually are about this issue." Light: "This is the first time I’ve seen guys ignore those principles and act on their own and in the interest of something other than winning a football game. The players can talk all they want about not being divided, but their actions have spoken, and it tells a much different story" (BOSTON HERALD, 9/27).
BACK TO FOOTBALL: Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper yesterday said that he "respects the decision" of Broncos players who protested during the national anthem on Sunday. He said, "Politics generally doesn’t mix with sports very well. ... That being said, when things reach that pitch, people feel the need to make that expression of what they believe, and I respect that" (DENVER POST, 9/27). Meanwhile, Broncos Exec VP/Football Operations & GM John Elway touched on the subject, saying, "I’m one that really believes in standing for the flag. I understand the players and the way they felt from the comments that were made earlier in the week. They felt that they had to go down and kneel and that’s up to them. Hopefully as we go forward we can start concentrating on football a little bit more. Take the politics out of football" (DENVER POST, 9/27).
