Kneel In Sports

Now starting the new NFL 2017-18 season more players started their own way of protesting by either raising their fists’ or locking arms during the anthem. Recently President Trump made some controversial remarks regarding players kneeling. President Trump told NFL owners about how players should stand during the Anthem as a sign of respect and that NFL owners should fire players who protest. Trump said he wished owners’ would tell players who kneel to “Get That Son Of A B**** Off The Field” ! The following Sunday NFL Owners and Players’ responded very strongly by locking arms and taking a kneel showing The President this is about equity and equality not “disrespecting our country”

Picture this, a NFL player getting on the field and warming-up. Then, as the game gets closer to starting the field clears so they could get the flag on the field to do the national anthem. This is when tragic happens. This is when some NFL players kneel during the national anthem. Many people think that protesting the national anthem by kneeling is a bad thing. However, it’s what the players feel like doing even though it is a little disrespectful. Many players kneeled on one day and that was when president Trump made a comment about football.

NFL players, teams and owners across the league responded Sunday to President Trump's criticism of players kneeling in protest during the national anthem, with some kneeling, others locking arms and still others choosing not to participate in the national anthem ceremony at all.

If you ask many of the kneelers why they are kneeling they would tell you its because they believe the flag symbols racial inequality and bigotry and they don’t want to stand for that. However, that is no where close to what the American flag stands for. The flag and Star Spangled Banner symbolize courage, hope, and compassion. Many men and women of all colors have fought to give us our freedoms. And many have died to give me and you the freedoms and lives we have today. The professional athletes that kneel need to think through the fact that our soldiers have fought and some died to give these athletes the ability to play a game and make millions of dollars. And these soldiers have families just like everyone else and these families give up more then we will ever know, many not knowing if their family member will come back alive. Everyone, not just athletes, should be eternally grateful to these men, women, and families who have served our country and the least we can do is stand and respect the flag and national anthem (Deasey). William H. McRaven, chancellor of the University of Texas System and retired Navy admiral, sent out letters to many college presidents and athletic directors asking them to encourage their athletes to stand and show respect throughout the anthem. In his letters he said, “I spent 37 years defending freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Nothing is

Although NFL athletes are a huge figure in America today, they still choose to disrespect their country by kneeling during the National Anthem. I believe kneeling during the National Anthem is unpatriotic, separate’s teammates and the community, and is also bad publicity. This has caused people to protest the NFL by doing things such as burning their season tickets. Kneeling during the anthem has caused a huge controversial issue that is impacting many. This has not only caught the attention of adults but also children. The NFL is now losing its focus on football and putting more focus on politics.

“Taking a knee during the National Anthem these days screams disrespect for our flag,our country and troops.” People are seeing the message that the players are trying to send as disrespectful for our country and troops.”My son and the entire armed forces deserve better than that.” In response,people who are against the kneeling for the National Anthem are going to try to protest in a peaceful manner by not watching the NFL games and not going to the games.The big issue is that the National Anthem has nothing to do with the inequality in our country nor is it raced based.The National Anthem stands for more than what some people are making it out to be. The players are unaware of the true meaning of the National Anthem.

July 4, 1776 was the day America became its own country. 231,000 Americans fought for America’s independence in the American Revolution. The National Anthem was written in 1814, after the soldiers kept the flag standing during the bombs being dropped in the War of 1812. Every war or battle in American history has been for America’s freedom. Many people think that wearing hats during the National Anthem is rude and disrespectful to the soldiers who have fought or died for America’s freedom, but what about kneeling? Kneeling during the National Anthem is rude and disrespectful to the soldiers that have fought for America. The NFL players began kneeling last year during the National Anthem as a protest to police brutality against different races. President Trump spoke out against the kneeling and was accused of suppressing the NFL players natural right. President Trump is not suppressing the NFL players rights because no one has been fired and he has just as much a freedom of speech as any other man in the United States.

In 2017 controversy struck when the NFL tried “taking a stance” and protesting the National Anthem. In this protest, many NFL players one by one knelt down while the National Anthem played at their sporting event. The National Anthem is a song for our country and symbol to represent all of the men and women who have fought in our military. This song is not played just for our entertainment, it is to honor the flag and what it stands for. The protesting was started by Colin Kaepernick, last season, when he was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. He was the first player to take a knee during the playing of the National Anthem, now many other NFL players this season are following in his path and doing the same thing. Many players and viewers claim it is for police brutality and the injustice that is being served, while other viewers see it as entitled millionaires disrespecting the flag and the military. Everyone has different opinions on the issue, but no matter what the country needs to respect one another as humans and be united; the American Flag is a symbol of our freedom and the NFL needs to recognize the National Anthem rather than kneeling and disrespecting what it stands for.

This act of kneeling down should be considered as an act of patriotic criticism, rather than a betrayal of the nation. After all, patriotism does not mean that we should love and support everything that the government conducts, but rather we should criticize for the greater good of the government, so that it could improve. Government could only improve, if they can hear the voice from the people. Only after accepting the criticism can one improve. Therefore, the focus of such protest in the NFL should be why they protested, instead of the act of protesting. After all,

For many years, putting the American flag on bathing suits, bandannas, covers, phone cases, and sometimes on shirts with inappropriate designs are not represented as disrespecting the flag, but taking a simple knee is. John Stafford Smith wrote the national anthem at the end of the national anthem and throughout the web say’s that a person must be quit and stand with their right hand across their chest. In the NFL rule book does not state nothing about the national anthem( Fitzapatrick). Kneeling during the national anthem has created a big dispute between fans, reporters, and even the President of the United States. Should a man be penalizing for peacefully protesting what people thinks disrespect the veterans.

Sports, particularly football, has became a political debate in September. The author of the article, CNN Sophie Tatum, called “Athletes, activists spar on kneeling National Anthem protests”. She explained that President Donald Trump began to criticize players on his twitter account who would kneel during the national anthem to protest against police brutality. Sophie Tatum writes that Trump and his aides are arguing that the protests are unpatriotic and disrespectful to the flag. Trump also adds that it is disrespectful to the people who fought to protect our country. Although players argue that they are just exercising free speech. In the beginning of the article Sophie Tatum adds an interview, Spike Lee, who is speaking out for the players who take a knee. He defends the players that they are simply protesting against law enforcement and want to be heard on the issues at hand. Reading the title of the article before I read the rest and

In the article, “National Anthem Protests”, written by Steve Byas on The New American, on October 24, 2016, states that when the San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, decided to kneel during the national anthem that his protest wasn’t about the police brutality on blacks but to disrespect this country. Texas senator, Ted Cruz, states in the article that “it’s very easy when you’re sitting there, rolling in millions of dollars to disrespect this country” (13 Byas). Kaepernick and many other NFL players have stated that they are not disrespecting our flag but kneeling in protest to the police brutality on black people across the country. Although the players have said this, people beg to differ.

The National Football League players who are kneeling for the national anthem are disrespecting our country and what it stands for. Our flag stands for freedom and liberty. The players should respect that. Before every NFL game, the flag is brought out by an Honor Guard. This is part of a time-honored ceremony intended to present our nation’s colors (the flag) and National Anthem in a respectful manner. By kneeling during the national anthem, they are disrespecting the flag, the national anthem, all our nation stands for, the people currently serving in the armed forces and all of those who gave their lives in our nation’s service. As a result of all the players or coaches kneeling, long time NFL fans are burning jerseys, cancelling season tickets, not showing up for games, not watching games, and canceling the NFL Sunday ticket and well they should.

The anthem symbolises our freedom, and the cost of it. Many see the flag and anthem as an opportunity to pay their respects to all the men who have died in the military. When NFL players choose to kneel during the anthem, it appears to the public as though the players are not grateful for the sacrifices the members of the military made for them. Drew Brees said, “It's an oxymoron that you're sitting down, disrespecting that flag that has given you the freedom to speak out." Instead of creating a conversation about issues players are trying to protest, they are creating anger and division between players and the public hindering the players’ credibility to bring current and future social issues to light. Thus furthering Server’s claim that kneeling during the national anthem is

The current debate over kneeling or sitting in protest during the national anthem to protest police brutality was ignited by Kaepernick in 2016, and later adopted by many other professional football players, high school athletes, and professional athletes in other sports, all who have refused to stand for the national anthem. These protests have created disagreement and sparked a public conversation race, police brutality, the flag and if the NFL is the best forum for to protest such issue. Colin Kaepernick has since said “he’s not protesting the flag but police brutality against African Americans. www.Procon.org