Panthers QB Cam Newton after scoring in yesterday's 33-30 win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium "bowed his head and raised his left arm, hand clenched, as a salute to black power," according to Nancy Armour of USA TODAY. Newton after the game said, "I did it to show black pride because I am an African American. But more or less, I want all people just to see when I play, I want them to see the joy that I go out there and play with." Armour notes pushing the issue "isn't Newton's way," but the "simplicity of his demonstration ... was not without its own power." By raising his fist after he scored, he "ensured his gesture would draw attention and spark conversation" (USA TODAY, 10/2). In Charlotte, Scott Fowler in a front-page piece writes Newton's raised fist was "something he decided to do rather than any sort of protest involving the national anthem -- which all Panthers players stood for" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/2). In N.Y., Pennington & Belson write Newton "found a way to make it about football and make it about more, offering a gesture directly related to race, as teams across the league sought to strike a balance between evocative demonstrations before or during the anthem and getting on with the game." Several Panthers players met with team Owner Jerry Richardson last week to "iron out differences over demonstrating." Newton's raised fist "reflected a desire by some players to express themselves but to avoid doing so during the anthem" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/2). Newton said, "A lot of situations that is going on right now in our country is trying to cause division. We get nowhere divided. ... I stand for the national anthem. I don't look down upon a person who doesn't feel they want to. You have to respect another man's judgment for why they are protesting" (ESPN.com, 10/1).
EAGLES MAKING THEIR VOICE KNOWN: Eagles DE Chris Long said that NFL protests during the national anthem have "lost their clarity since President Trump inserted himself into the debate." Long: "Sometimes it just gets convoluted. What are we protesting?" He added, "Initially, the thing being protested was not Donald Trump. He might play into that, but it’s not specifically him. It’s about what we were initially protesting." Long said Trump "knows that people are probably moving forward and there probably would be less people taking a knee, so he wants to position himself so it seems like he has control but he doesn’t have any control. The NFL is not his business" (USA TODAY, 10/2). Eagles S Malcolm Jenkins in a special to the WASHINGTON POST wrote, "Our demonstrations have never been about the symbols and traditions we use to honor America. They have been about us as citizens making sure we hold America to the ideals and promises that make this country great." Jenkins: "We believe our country can do better -- can be better." True patriotism is "loving your country and countrymen enough to want to make it better" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 9/30).
TOPIC OF DEBATE: USA TODAY's Armour writes as the original intent of the protests has "faded further into the background, many must have hoped that the furor would subside and the fans who have made the NFL a multi-billion-dollar industry would be placated." However, protests are "not supposed to be easy." Armour: "They’re meant to challenge one’s perceptions and provoke harsh introspection" (USA TODAY, 10/2). However, in Miami, Armando Salguero writes, "Count me [as] a member of the stick to sports club." Salguero: "I believe athletes, be they liberals or conservatives, should stick to sports when they’re playing. You’re there to win the game. That’s it. That’s all. So do your job." More Salguero: "I believe sports journalists, be they liberals or conservatives, should stick to sports when they’re working. You’re there to cover the game. That’s it. That’s all. Do your job" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/2).
