NFL Flag Protest Americans stand up and put their right hand over their heart for the people that saved our flag and gave us the freedom in this country that we have today. So why don’t a lot of NFL players and coaches support the flag? It all started with Colin Kaepernick. Stites, a writer for SBNation.com, wrote, “...he chose to sit to protest the oppression of people of color in the United States and ongoing issues with police brutality”(Stites). Stites wrote about what Kaepernick said id the reason why he doesn’t stand for the flag, he was the first to not stand in the on going protest. Many of Kaepernick’s colleagues agree with what he is doing, but are they right for protesting the flag? Should these NFL players be punished? These players protesting weren’t protesting for the right reasons, they have the wrong idea on what the flag stands for. The way they are protesting is a very ineffective way to protest, and this issue is starting to …show more content…
Kaepernick is protesting against the flag for this reason: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." The flag does not just represent random people in the US it represents the people that risked their lives for us, the people that saved our flag and made this country possible. "The national anthem pays respect to the people who have risked their lives, been injured, or died defending the United States." These people that fought for the flag and our freedom is what the flag represents. When you do protest the flag, like Kaepernick, you are disrespecting the people that saved us. Since Kaepernick is an NFL player, people believe what he says, especially kids. Kids will be growing up and won’t stand for the flag because they think the flag represents something that it actually doesn’t representing. This is only one of the reasons why the NFL should require the team owners to punish their
First of all, kneeling the National Anthem is an ineffective and, counterproductive way to promote a cause. Knelling for the National Anthem isn't going to change anything besides lowering the rates on TV and getting negative comments online. Football coach Dabu Swinney said "I don’t think it's good to be a distraction to your team. I don’t think it's good to use your team as the platform." Patti Armstrong States that" you don’t get respect from showing disrespect." Philadelphia Eagles support the protest but disagree with the way he did so. Kneeling for the National Anthem is not a proper way to protest police brutality for colored ("Refusing"). These are some of the few reasons kneeling for the national anthem is an ineffective way of protesting.
The issue of being unpatriotic during the National Anthem was raised by people when NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel during the national anthem before a preseason game. Later, Kaepernick addressed the media by saying this act was a stance against “police brutality on people of color”. By raising the
Looking at the severity of injuries in the NFL in this day and age, and then looking at what the NFL does to protect players, the NFL is a business. Everything is politics. It has turned into who has the best stadium rather than who has the best players. The NFL is all about who has the best fans, not who has the best coach. The better fans you have, the more money you make, but the better coach you get, the more money you have to pay him. Growing up as a fan of the NFL, it saddens me to see the decline of the sport I love so much, but it is nearly inevitable. Soon enough, everyone in the NFL will be injured, and football will be over. The way things are going, players are dropping faster than we are gaining them. We only draft new players into the league once a...
So, now that we have you all caught up, let's dig into the question at hand. Do NFL players have the right to protest the National Anthem while they are on the clock? Players are saying it is freedom of speech. While everyday Americans are saying it is a double standard and they could not do that without being fired from their jobs.
In the face of inequality and race, one man has expressed his rights more than others and that man was Colin Kaepernick. Kaleem (2016) says while Kaepernick set the national debate about race on a course with many of the other worlds problems, his stance on the national anthem has sparked controversial conflict among people of color and people of a different race. Next, almost no one seems to be aware that even if the U.S were a perfect country today, it would be bizarre to expect African-American players to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Why? Because it literally celebrates the murder of African-Americans. Furthermore, people keep asking the question about what freedom is and how it can be defined, and with Kaepernick, he kneeled for something that is being looked at as patriotic but some may argue that it’s a disgrace. Kaleem
Mascots are beloved figure heads for sports teams everywhere almost every sport team has a mascot of some kind; that said, sometimes instead of bring people together it can cause a rift between two cultures. Such as Washington’s D.C.’s football team the “Redskins” often the word redskin was a derogatory word used against the Native Americans and while it may seem as though paying homage to the Native American community the overall stereotyped actions of the fans themselves as well as the sugarcoating of the previously racial slur has done little to bring the two cultures together and instead created a larger disconnect between white and Native American. The name Redskin should be retired and replaced so that rather
This protest began on August 26, 2016 when Colin Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, first took a seat on the sideline bench at a preseason game during the National Anthem. Later he transitioned to kneeling alongside his standing teammates. The reason behind Kaepernick’s protest was to draw attention to racial injustice and police brutality in the United States against African Americans. After the public noticed Kaepernick’s revolt, a national discussion sparked. Many people think that kneeling during the National Anthem was not the most respectful approach Kaepernick could’ve taken. The certain group of people that
College football has been a sport in American society for decades. Yet the players playing the sport are not receiving their fair cut of the prize. It has been debated whether or not college football players should get paid for playing. The supporters say that the players are not being compensated fairly and the non-supporters say that the education the players receive is payment enough. They also say that the universities the players attend are providing them with the basic necessities so they should not get paid. College football players should be paid though because they put their bodies at risk, make a lot of money for their school, and the play to entertain audiences.
The Star Spangled Banner is a sacred song in the United States of America. It not only is a symbol of the fight that soldiers have had to go through, but also a representation of freedom. When the National Anthem plays out of respect for our country, and those who fought for it, everyone is supposed to stand and remove their hats. Currently in the National Football League (NFL) there is a handful of players, mainly African Americans, that have been taking a knee or raising a fist during the play of our National Anthem. This I believe, is a great sign of disrespect for our country and our veterans. This I believe, is very immature and unnecessary. This I believe, should be put to a stop by the NFL and the players should be ashamed of himself for doing this. I am aware that the players have the right to do this, but there are many reasons why this should not be taking place.
When I was told to pick a topic that was problematic and related to civil disobedience, I immediately thought of an event that got more media coverage than anything else in August of 2016. Headlines resembling phrases like “Disrespect to Our Great Nation”, “Black Lives Matter Advocate Crosses Line”, and “Footballer Disrespects Military”. Other headlines included ones like “Football Player Takes a Stand by Taking a Knee”, and “NFL Player Uses Platform for Social Justice”. The national anthem in sports has traditionally been known and characterized with celebrities, and elaborate performances. However, in August of 2016 Colin Kaepernick changed that by taking a knee in protest for the mistreatment and oppression of people of color. Initially,
“I Fought to Defend Colin Kaepernick’s Actions” by Brian Adams Jones. In his article he talks about his service in the military and how the flag was used when
Football is a culture and within that culture is the desire to make money. In the 2014-2015 season, the NFL made $7.24 billion. Many dedicated fans travel to the stadium on a Sunday afternoon to experience the culture of football: the tailgate in the parking lot, the hundreds of dollars they pay to publicly display their favorite team’s gear, the front row seats to the game for them and their best buddy, the hotdogs and beer from the concussion stands. Many fans will participate in the NFL’s lifestyle every week. But the question is, do they really care about the actual sport or is it just the comradery and entertainment that it
The truth is, yes, he can. This fact was decided in the Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson in which the Supreme Court decided that an action such as not standing for the National Anthem, or in the Court’s case burning the American flag, was protected under the First Amendment as “symbolic speech” [6]. However, just because he is allowed to does not mean he should. By refusing to stand for the National Anthem, Kaepernick displayed more than just “symbolic speech”. He actively and willingly disrespected the American nation and those who died to protect
In 2016, there was a National Football League (NFL), football game. That football game was not normal, it was a little different than the normal football game you go to or watch and either see your favorite team win or lose. It was a football game that will most likely be remembered for a long time to come. One professional NFL player decided to sit during the national anthem instead of standing with all of his friends, teammates, and coaches on the sideline just like every other game that he has been to or played in. Colin Kaepernick was the football player who decided to sit during the national anthem, he sat on the bench on the sideline while his team stood with their hand on their heart looking at the American flag.
The news story that will be discussed will be about the National Football League and how many people felt that kneeing during the national anthem was disrespectful. The National Football League teams are made up of players from all types of cultures from around the world. As football is the most observed and popular sport in the United States that people watch. The players have a platform in which they can use to help make change to social issues. The players of the National Football League have 15 million viewers easily that watches the game during a single season, which could help promote change. The payers were not going against America in any way; they were still offering respect along with promoting change in an encouraging way. Therefore, this paper will provide more insight as to how this is affecting ethical, moral and social responsibility of organizations to their fans.