How the Seattle Seahawks became the social justice warriors of the NFL

They were on the plane when they heard what Trump said.

On a late Friday night in September, the Seattle Seahawks were en route to Nashville, where they would face the Tennessee Titans, when the news started blowing up with President Donald Trump's comments about NFL players who had been sitting during the national anthem.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He's fired. He's fired!'" Trump said at a rally in Alabama.

It was September 22nd. Puerto Rico was under water, millions of people were without electricity and were running out of food and medicine. Texas was still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, and there was the distinct possibility that North Korea would take Trump up on his Twitter threats and start a nuclear war.

They were flabbergasted. "North Korea is going on right now and this is what you are talking about?" says defensive end Cliff Avril.

The President of the United States was calling them sons of bitches and threatening their livelihoods. This was more than a dog whistle. It was a bullhorn. They knew they had to do something.

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