Anthem Protests Nothing New, But Little Guidance Exists

Paul Steinbach Headshot

The inescapable story in sports is how athletes — particularly NFL players — are treating the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” before games. Ever since the 2016 NFL preseason, when Colin Kaeperknick, then a member of the San Francisco 49ers, did not stand for the national anthem as a protest against the treatment of people of color in the United States, the act of sitting or kneeling during the anthem has stirred debate among players and fans, and between professional leagues and politicians.

The inevitable trickle-down effect has been evidenced at virtually every level of competition. A Cahokia, Ill., youth football team of seven- and eight-year-olds knelt for the anthem at a game Sept. 17. A high school football team in Seattle, Wash., likewise took a knee for the anthem before a game Friday night.

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