Fueled by Trumps Tweets, Anthem Protests Grow to a Nationwide Rebuke
Source: nytimes
Ken Belson Sept 24, 2017
Members of the Detroit Lions knelt and held hands during the national anthem before their home game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
On three teams, nearly all the football players skipped the national anthem altogether. Dozens of others, from London to Los Angeles, knelt or locked arms on the sidelines, joined by several team owners in a league normally friendly to President Trump. Some of the sport’s biggest stars joined the kind of demonstration they have steadfastly avoided.
It was an unusual, sweeping wave of protest and defiance on the sidelines of the country’s most popular game, generated by Mr. Trump’s stream of calls to fire players who have declined to stand for the national anthem in order to raise awareness of police brutality and racial injustice.
What had been a modest round of anthem demonstrations this season led by a handful of African-American players mushroomed and morphed into a nationwide, diverse rebuke to Mr. Trump, with even some of his staunchest supporters in the N.F.L., including several owners, joining in or condemning Mr. Trump for divisiveness.
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.............Mr. Trump, in a speech on Friday and a weekend-long series of tweets, had all but baited athletes and the league to respond by saying that those who do not stand for the anthem should be fired. He added that the league was in decline for tolerating the protests and for taking steps to reduce brain damage among players........................................
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Link to tweet
Link to tweet
After Trump Blasts N.F.L. Again, Raiders and Redskins Kneel During Anthem
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/24/sports/nfl-trump-anthem-protests.html?src=trending&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Trending&pgtype=article
Benjamin Hoffman, Victor Mather and Jacey Fortin
23-29 minutes
N.F.L. players across the country demonstrated during the national anthem on Sunday in a show of solidarity against President Trump, who scolded the league and players on Twitter this weekend.
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■ The Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans both stayed in their respective locker rooms during the anthem in Nashville. The Steelers also skipped the anthem in Chicago.
■ After the demonstrations began, Trump weighed in on Twitter, saying he approved of players locking arms, but declaring that kneeling during the anthem was “not acceptable.”
Raiders and Redskins Put a Nightcap on Day of Protest
In Washington, the entire offensive line of the Oakland Raiders, the only line in the N.F.L. made up entirely of African-American players, was joined by virtually the entire team in kneeling or sitting during the national anthem before their game against the Washington Redskins. It was one of the strongest visual displays of the many protests today, and across the field, the Redskins stood with linked arms as some players chose to kneel............................
Tom Brady locked arms with teammates during the national anthem before the game against the Houston Texans on Sunday. Steven Senne/Associated Press..
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