image: http://abcnews.go.com/US/nfl-players-kneel-lock-arms-solidarity-national-anthem/story?id=50056165
By: Erin Flood (’19), Staff Writer
Before I started writing this, I typed “Kneeling” into my Google search. Just that one word. Seconds later, headline after headline referenced the National Anthem, NFL protests, and of course Colin Kaepernick. This is no surprise though. Since the first game that Kaepernick decided to kneel during the National Anthem, the topic has been on the minds of sports fans, owners, and the players within the NFL and most recently the NBA. It’s clear that kneeling for the National Anthem has lead to talk and nonetheless controversy. But now, discussions requiring players to stand for the National Anthem have surfaced, first by Adam Silver of the NBA, and newly, several NFL owners.
Implementing a rule that requires players to stand for the National Anthem leads me to think of one word…problematic. By owners requiring players to stand they are not only oppressing the platform that players have to enable social change, but as owners they are showing that they do not fully understand the real purpose for kneeling. Many people, including some owners, see kneeling as a disrespect to the flag, the military, and most recently as Anti-Trump. Now I wouldn’t be surprised if several players were Anti-Trump….however these things are NOT the purpose behind kneeling. The purpose is and always has been to bring awareness to police brutality and the social consequences that Black Americans face due to the racist climate that still very much exists in the United States of America. Therefore, this form of protest should be seen as a peaceful, conscious way to spread awareness, not as an offensive way.
So when I heard that the NBA already had a rule that required players to stand, I thought…why? I learned that the rule was created when the NBA was first established in 1946, one year after the ending of World War II . Of course, during a time of strong patriotism, such as then, it’s understandable that the NBA wanted its players to stand for the National Anthem. However, this isn’t 1946. It’s 2017 and yet 71 years later, Black Americans are still facing significantly the same amount of racism. So, for Silver to keep a rule or to refuse to alter a rule during this time, does not elicit the strong patriotism that I’m sure it did in 1946. It instead is hindering players, many who are Black Americans, from protesting how they want to peacefully protest and restricting players from using their platforms to make change. To me, that’s regression, not patriotism, and it’s nowhere near progression, which I may add, that the NBA prides itself on. So in my opinion, the NBA needs to change the rule, or reflect on their supposed progressive brand.
The NFL is a different story. The establishment, unlike the NBA, does not have a rule that requires players to stand for the anthem. However, the fact that creating such a rule was even in the works, is problematic enough. At this point, the NFL has blackballed Kaepernick and has probably stunted any growth that they may have had in building their minority fan base. Fortunately, it was reported on the 18th of October, that NFL owners will not be voting on establishing a rule for the anthem.
For once, in the past few months, the NFL has made the right choice surrounding this topic. However, I unfortunately cannot say the same about the NBA. When the protests began with Colin Kaepernick, some football players began to follow in his footsteps. Then earlier this year, after Trump’s comments on kneeling, even more followed. Now, the NBA season has started and athletes, such as Stephen Curry and J.R. Smith have both supported Kaepernick and have referenced protesting in the same manner. The NBA has emphasized in the past that one of its main tenets is showcasing a genuine practice of diversity and inclusion in sport. So, if this is true, the rule surrounding the anthem should be altered and the NBA players should be allowed to follow in the NFL players footsteps. Otherwise, is it even genuine?
