Skip to main content

How NFL Teams, Players Observed National Anthem on Opening Sunday.

With added consideration being paid to the national anthem before each NFL game, Sunday's season-opening schedule included an different tone in comparison to the one that was available all through 2016.

 There were reports that the Cleveland police union wouldn't hold the flag before the Cleveland Browns' opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers after a few players on the team took a knee as the national anthem played prior a preseason game in August.

 There were reports that the Browns would use a pre-produced video during pregame ceremonies "in which players express worries about racial equality in America."

 This was the video that aired on the big screen in Cleveland's FirstEnergy stadium.



 In addition to the pregame video that was aired, Browns players were joined on the field by team proprietors Jimmy and Dee Haslam and different city authorities, including cops, firefighters and members of the United States armed forces.



 Numerous Cleveland players locked arms with each other and with first responders and were standing during the national anthem.



 Moving to Houston, which is as yet reeling from the staggering effect of Hurricane Harvey two weeks prior, the Texans hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars.

 Florida is in the midst of its own disastrous storm with Hurricane Irma hitting the state Sunday. The Texans and Jaguars took a traditional stand for the national anthem, with an enormous American flag covering the field at NRG Stadium:



 For the Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears, opera singer Jim Cornelison played out a blending version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Soldier Field:



 New Tennessee Titans wide receiver Eric Decker's better half, Jessie James Decker, played out the national anthem before the Titans game against the Oakland Raiders:



 During Decker's rendition of the anthem, Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch remained seated on the bench, as he did all through the preseason:



 Several fans at games across the country provided their perspective on what occurred on the sidelines during the national anthem:










 A year ago, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started a movement when he took a knee during the national anthem before each of the teams' games as a form of dissent against racial and social injustices across the United States. 

 One year after Kaepernick began his protest, his voice stays present while teams and players adopted their own strategy to what he began.

Comments

Post a Comment