More than 200 players around the NFL were observed “kneeling or sitting during the national anthem” yesterday. The highest total was in the Raiders-Redskins “SNF” game, where “nearly the entire” Raiders team protested, in addition to six Redskins. No one sat or knelt at the Steelers-Bears game, although the Steelers “stayed in the tunnel.” Both the Titans and Seahawks “remained inside through the anthem.” Only “four players were observed kneeling or sitting last weekend, and two others raised their fists” (AP, 9/25). A league source said that “no players will be fined this week for protesting or failing to be on the field for the anthem” (USATODAY.com, 9/24).
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said of Trump, “He has created more kneelers today, which I regret. Trump went too far, but the overwhelming majority of Americans do not want to see football players disrespect the national anthem” (N.Y. TIMES, 9/25).
Fans at Gillette Stadium "booed during the anthem and some shouted, 'Stand up!'" as more than a dozen Patriots players took a knee (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/25). The crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium for Browns-Colts was "booing loudly as players on both teams chose to either lock arms or kneel” (N.Y. TIMES, 9/25). Three Chargers "sat on the bench and three more knelt during the anthem" at StubHub Center, with a "few catcalls of 'Stand up!' from the crowd" (L.A. TIMES, 9/25).
