Recap: NFL players raise fist in protest instead of kneeling
Gracie Fletcher, Staff Writer
It all began when a half-black and half-white San Francisco professional football player took a knee as the roar of the United States national anthem filled the stadium during the 2016 NFL season. This same athletic household name, 49ers Colin Kaepernick, is not even benched this season as no team has signed him for the 2017 term.
But that has not ceased the kneeling.
Athletes alike protested of not just police brutality against African Americans but also in protest of the President of the United States’ remarks towards the NFL and those who kneel. President Donald Trump took to Twitter following his comment of profanity at a rally in Huntsville, Ala. stating that any player who takes a knee as the anthem plays deserves to be fired, encouraging owners of NFL teams to take action.
In response to Trumps words, numerous NFL players and teams took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the protest of their fellow teammates.
“I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday. I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities…,” Chairman and CEO of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft said.
As Week 4 of the NFL season came to a close, players were seen not only kneeling but standing with a fist raised high in the air during the National Anthem. This included the Philadelphia Eagles, whose team remained standing during the anthem with players Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod with raised fists in sign of protest. Olivier Vernon of the New York Giants knelt as the anthem played surrounded by his teammates who chose to stand linked arm in arm.
NGU junior Savannah Hovis believed that Kaepernick’s influence as the first one to kneel prompted other players in the league to do the same, no matter the repercussions within the business. “Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem was to make a statement, which he did and many soon followed. Despite what Kaepernick thought he was doing for social justice later turned into him legally breaking his NFL contract and sparked others to do the same,” Hovis said.
Hovis thinks that the president should leave the business side of the NFL to the league and keep his focus towards business in the white house. “The NFL is a business and President Trump should know that better than anyone. If the NFL has a problem with the players kneeling then it’s the NFL’s problem, not the President’s,” Hovis said.
