NFL Protests: Standing With Locked Arms

740 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Role of politics in sports

Touch-down! It’s the all-American game, it’s football! Two teams, 90 minutes, all composed through American traditions taking the United States all the way back to 1869. It’s a ritual for Americans to stand up, put their hand on their heart, and give their full attention to the national anthem. As Francis Scott Key said, “For the land of the free, and the home of the brave.” Freedom is granted to everyone in the United States, and kneeling or locking arms during the national anthem should not be considered something wrong. In the article, “Trump responds to NFL protests: 'Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable” by Caroline Kenny, states logical reasons and numerous quotes to support this topic. Therefore, this topic should …show more content…

This is demonstrated by the sitting president, Mr. Donald J. Trump. “On Sunday morning, Trump slammed the league's ratings in a post on Twitter and said again players should be fired or suspended for such protests -- reiterating remarks he made at a rally in Alabama Friday night.” Kenny notes. The recent presidential election has caused a spiraling amount of controversy throughout the country. The president mentions his distaste for kneeling, yet supports locked arms. But the NFL league should be able to show their disliking for what they feel is wrong too! The topic is entirely unfair, and although many have different sides to this argument, the all-American game we all know and love began to “demonstrate the power of football to bring people together,” the league …show more content…

The players of numerous football teams are utterly disappointed in what the president has said about this issue. Robert Kraft, a close friend of Trump’s and the owner of the New England Patriots, has showed his disagreement with the president’s opinion. In essence, the NFL teams should be allowed to decide how they handle the national anthem without the president or any other person’s opinion. There is always a point in time where what is wanted is not received. There has to be compromise to have what is essential for success. Stated by Colin Kaepernick, who is currently without a team, told the NFL media his view on the issue. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that opposes black people and people of color.” Kaepernick’s point defines the conflict of this issue. “A number of players wore shirts during warmup Sunday that said “#IMWITHKAP” in support of Kaepernick.” mentioned in a Fox News article. All things considered, the NFL is a multi-million dollar business. Fans of all ages watch at the ends of their fingertips or fly to the hundred yard field. In the article, “Seahawks, Titans, Steelers Stay in Locker Rooms during National Anthem as More Players Protest” by Katherine Iam from Fox News, a more conservative network, evinces several teams showing their influence on each other. Owners have joined in as well

Show More
Related

  • Cost of Glory: The Issues Surrounding Football Injuries

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    America’s newfound favorite pastime, football, came from a bizarre chain of events. Football started when a soccer player got fed up with just kicking the ball, so he picked up the ball and ran to the goal. His actions of picking up the ball and running with it fathered a new European sport, rugby, which was soon brought over to American shores, and was altered slightly, the shape of the ball and a few other small rules. The sport became organized into a league and produced the NFL(National Football League). The NFL had a slow beginning, but has picked up popularity, currently having a $9 billion yearly revenue.

    Read More

  • Colin Kaepernick And The Question Of Who Gets To Be Called A 'Patriot'

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Dallas Cowboys Essay

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Colin Kaepernick Controversy

    1485 Words  | 3 Pages

    If you are a big football fan then you might have noticed at the beginning of the season,that a player for the San Francisco 49ers, did not stand for the national anthem. The player's name is Colin Kaepernick. To some it might not have been a big deal, but to others it was a major controversy. They couldn't understand why Kaepernick did not stand for the anthem. From an online article by Steve Wyche, Kaepernick explains why he didn't stand for the anthem. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." () Kaepernick is referring to all the police shooting of African Americans that have been happening. Since Kaepernick started sitting out for the anthem others in the NFL and in other sports have also started to sit out for the anthem. The issue starts with the black

    Read More

  • Racism In Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric

    1585 Words  | 4 Pages

    At one point african american athletes were not able to fight racism by being the best in the world at what they loved. In the past couple of years that has changed. Now days african american athletes are the idols fro many white and black individuals. Because of this whole change on how white people sees the professional black athletes in comparison to the black communities indicates that they way race and gender are represented in sports has no connection to our society. Is not an accurate comparison at all. While some policemen are being racist to the black communities, those same policemen pay money to see their african american idol do what they love to do. This is why I believe african american professional athlete should use their platform to spread their perspective on the racial issues this country is going through. Many people does not like the way Colin Kaepernick is protesting against the racial injustice, but by just kneeling during the anthem he is bringing the racial injustice topic to be seen as a national level. This are the type of action african american professional athletes should be doing to try to equal the respect they get in the court to the respect a black individual should have in the

    Read More

  • Kneeling In Protest During The National Anthem Essay

    513 Words  | 2 Pages

    compassion they might need in their reason for protesting? NFL players kneeling during our National Anthem is showing how Americans have the ability to exercise their right to have a voice and that should give no reason to allow such a disrespect towards it like what has been seen throughout our country

    Read More

  • National Anthem Kneeling

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    It’s not only fans who find this protest wrong, but even some players do, including Drew Brees. Brees says he agrees with the context of the protest, but not the actions of it, stating, "[I]t's an oxymoron that you're sitting down, disrespecting that flag that has given you the freedom to speak out."

    Read More

  • College Athletes: Amateurs or Full Time Employees

    2012 Words  | 5 Pages

    This argument has reached its peak of debate when Northwestern University football players planned to form a union in order to receive some form of representation. Northwestern quarterback, Kain Colter, started this movement when he reached out to the President of the National College Players Association, Ramogi Huma. He said, “This is about finally giving college athletes a seat at the table. Athletes deserve an equal voice when it comes to their physical, academic, and financial protections” ( Farrey). Huma filed a petition to the office of the National Labor Relations board on behalf of the players of Northwestern. Besides this being the first move towards a labor union in college sports what’s important is that the athletes of Northwestern are not seeking unionization due to mistreatment by Northwestern. According to Colter, “The school is just playing by the rules of their governing body, the NCAA.” Also, this isn’t about just helping players at Northwestern. Colter expressed how he wan...

    Read More

  • How the Super Bowl Affects Society

    1728 Words  | 4 Pages

    Football is by all means an American sport. Since the day a baby is born in America whether it be a boy or a girl, one of the first words they learn to say is ball, and after a few months they add the word foot in front of the word ball, and by the time you know it your baby boy is playing football, and your little girl is cheering “Go Steeler’s go!” and without intention their cultural identity starts. As far back as I can remember, every year, uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends would gather at my family’s home to watch this event called theSuper Bowl. It was something that could not be missed, because if you did you were considered a lost cause.

    Read More

  • The National Football League ( Nfl )

    1307 Words  | 3 Pages

    The National Football League is made up of 32 teams that were once founded in 1920 by a group of people who helped form the league. In the beginning the league wasn’t really structured to what it is now. Teams will just play and no playoff games, seeding’s, or the game itself matter because not only was the game was overshadow by America’s past time baseball, but it was difficult because the college game was established as well. Owning a team was extremely hard because owner’s will spent large amounts of cash and participate in bidding wars for players. Fast-forward to today’s day and age it is safe to say the NFL may be the most brutal and exciting game to play. Rule’s and norms are intact for teams to do things more ethical. Money is what really drives this business and of course constant advertisement to promote its brand. With some of that revenue, the NFL has opened a program called NFL: Play 60. The purpose of this program is to encourage kids to be physically active for 60 minutes in a day to reduce America’s child obesity. The NFL has been successful because in 2010 the first lady Michelle Obama announced it would be teaming up with NFL PLAY 60 as a health imitative for children. This was a great move for the brand because The First Lady’s office and...

    Read More

  • History of American Football

    1537 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the modern day United States the sport American football has become not only entertainment but also a tradition whether it’s watching the BCS college championship or watching the super bowl with the family. The sport of American football is unique to the United States and has grown and became iconic over the years and has become a part of many Americans lives. American Football was made in 1869 and was modeled after the sport of rugby. They took the basics of rugby and changed it to make it fit better for them. The game has changed over the years but it also affected many Americans as the tradition of Monday Night football has begun. The game has had problems with the United States government as it was said to be too dangerous to play, this lead to an upgrade in the equipment and they tried very hard to make the equipment well ensuring player safety throughout the sport.

    Read More

  • American Football History

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    The roaring of the crowd on November 17 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC finally fell silent late in the fourth quarter after star linebacker Luke Kuechly was slow to get off the field after a huge hit to the head. American’s live to be entertained, and the football field is one of the main sources of enjoyment for many. Immediately after Kuechly’s hit, it was quiet in the stadium for the first time that day. The fans watched in fear, waiting to see if their star player could finish the game and bring out the win. However, they all became disappointed as Kuechly shed tears while being carted off the field, not because they were worried about the player and his head but because they feared about losing the game. Americans want excitement,

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Redskins

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    It not only incorporates racism but also reminds a minority group about their history with genocide. Not changing the team name showcases the notion that Native American people are not relevant enough to respect. Why is an NFL football team name more important than the general wellbeing of an entire group of people in our society? The continuation of the team name “Redskins” sends a clear message to Native American communities. By allowing the existence of this team name our society is reiterating that minorities are not that important. They are not important enough to help find resolutions for the historical trauma they experienced and continue to experience but they are important enough to “honor” at football games. But in this case, honoring consists of making fun of historical traumas, appropriating culture, and chanting racist slogans. Thus, the Washington Redskins team name is

    Read More

  • Why The Flag Should Be Banned Research Paper

    519 Words  | 2 Pages

    This new trend needs to stop! These athletes are picking the wrong place to protest. Protesting before games against the flag should be banned. Protesting during the national anthem is wrong because the flag is the reason that these players are making money, playing the sport that they love, and living free country.

    Read More

  • Science In Football Essay

    1820 Words  | 4 Pages

    Football is one of the three most popular sports in the United States. The modern game of football most likely originated from England (hornetfootball.org). Walter Camp, a football coach for Yale, is known as “the Father of American Football” because he made several changes to the game of football (historyoffootball.net). The first professional football league was established in 1920, and it was made popular because of the invention of the television. Football is a mixture of science and religion which can be proved in the science of football, the religious interpretation of football, and the players’ use of their religion.

    Read More

More about NFL Protests: Standing With Locked Arms

Open Document