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Student 2 Former Student Professor Dawson EGL-1010-LD00 11 April 2019 Controversial Kneel Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the National Anthem may have been the most controversial protest in sports this generation

English Jun 23, 2021

Student 2

Former Student

Professor Dawson

EGL-1010-LD00

11 April 2019

Controversial Kneel

Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the National Anthem may have been the most controversial protest in sports this generation. Millions of Americans watch football each week and each season like routine. It is no surprise that when Colin Kaepernick kneeled for the National Anthem, that it was seen nationwide and quickly became the talk of the sports industry. Kaepernick was kneeling to protest police brutality against people of color, but the NFL took it as a sign of disrespect and prohibited any player from joining him in kneeling during the anthem. This gesture caused angst amongst the NFL league, the players, and the public, including the President of the Unites States.

The NFL’s national anthem policy states that “a team will be fined by the league for any protest by its players. It gives players the option to remain in the locker room during the anthem but says any player who is on the field is expected to stand for the anthem.” This policy was introduced in July of 2018 but since then the policy has been put on hold between the NLF league and the National Players Association (Maske). Putting this policy on hold makes the league look like they cannot come to a decision of what they stand for. It also confuses players on whether or not they will be penalized or fined for current or future protest demonstrations.

NFL players were put in a position to choose a side of the controversial protest. Some of Kaepernick’s teammates opted out of kneeling and decided to link arms as a sign of unity. There was no negative backlash mentioned about that form of protest. Some owners participated in linking arms as well. Others decided to stay in the locker room and avoid the whole controversy, but the NFL told them that they would forfeit the coin toss and be in danger of a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct (Romero). The right to protest takes a different perspective when if effects a person’s job and how they feed their family. Many players were also worried about how kneeling would affect their endorsements and how they would be viewed by their fans. But nevertheless, this protest still brought teams together as a united front, whether kneeling, linking arms, or staying in the locker room together.

In 2016 viewership of NFL games drop drastically. One of the biggest reason’s fans stopped watching the game and ratings fell off was because of the kneeling controversy. The protest became more important than the game itself. Now more people tuned in to see who was or was not kneeling. Fans of the game were now forced to think about serious issues. The public seemed to have split opinions on this subject. According to two polls taken by Reuters many of Americans disagree with Kaepernick’s gesture but they believe he has the right. In a survey of 1,795 Americans, 54% agreed with the NFL’s ‘No Kneeling’ policy. The approval of the participants increased by how hardcore of an NFL fan they were (Breech). Fans still disagreed with Kaepernick saying he was disrespecting the flag, after he clearly stated why he was kneeling. When fans pay their hard-earned money and spend their entire day going to games to see their favorite teams play, they do not want to deal with controversy. For many the game of football is an outlet and a form of unity and Kaepernick’s protest was turning into politics.

The President of the United States expressed special interest in Colin Kaepernick on March twentieth, 2017. Trump attended a rally in Louisville, Kentucky where he publicly criticized the athlete for his gesture (Hill). This caused the NFL owners not to sign the quarter back due to the public scrutiny from Trump. The President took pride in being responsible for Kaepernick’s career downfall and even used profanity to demonstrate how he would have handled the situation as an NFL owner. After Trumps several rallies criticizing the athlete and his protest, Nike, one of the largest brands in the world, endorsed Kaepernick despite the negative backlash he was receiving. The President thought he was doing a good thing and being patriotic, but his speaking out against the protest actually caused a domino effect of more protest in almost every area of sports. Professional Players began declining visits to the White House because of the President’s agenda. One player, Vernon Davis, a tight end for the Washington Redskins said that he would still visit the White House if invited only to tell the president that, “We love the flag. Let’s focus on solutions rather than attacking those protesting” (McLaughlin).

Colin Kaepernick used his platform to protest an ongoing issue in America. This protest reached millions of Americans, whether they were fans of the game of football or not. Regardless of the mass of people effected by the protest, the initial motive was taken out of context. So much so, that a solution for police brutality has yet to be offered and Kaepernick will probably never play in the NFL again. Colin Kaepernick’s right to kneel should not have kept him from doing his job.

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