"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," says San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, after taking a knee during the national anthem. Two months after this event, sports teams across the nation have started to participate in the movement. Taking a knee is causing players to receive threats, lose endorsements or scholarships, and is outright disrespectful. Taking part in this action is clearly a bad idea.
First, players started to receive threats. Lindsay Gibbs, a Sports Reporter for ThinkProgress, tells us that Rodney Axson, a football player at Brunswick High School, knelt while the school's band played the anthem. Gibbs states that shortly after, he received threats such as "F*** Rodney", "Ni**er", and "Let's lynch ni**ers," (Gibbs). Before the game, Axson overheard his teammates calling blacks on the other team offensive names. He felt that these threats were directed or aimed towards him as well, so he spoke up. Despite his team telling him not to worry, Axson continued to feel bad; consequently taking a knee on the field. Yes, this player was protesting against something that was personal to him, yet he was ridiculed …show more content…
Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos took a knee just a week after Colin first did. Since then, he has lost two endorsements; one from the Colorado Credit Union, and one from CenturyLink. "While we acknowledge Brandon's right, we also believe that whatever issues we face, we also occasionally must stand together to show our allegiance to our common bond as a nation," Century link said in a statement. "In our view, the national anthem is one of those moments. For this reason, while we wish Brandon the best this season, we are politely terminating our agreement with him," (Jhabvala). Players may be counting on these funds and support for their
First, players started to receive threats. Lindsay Gibbs, a Sports Reporter for ThinkProgress, tells us that Rodney Axson, a football player at Brunswick High School, knelt while the school's band played the anthem. Gibbs states that shortly after, he received threats such as "F*** Rodney", "Ni**er", and "Let's lynch ni**ers," (Gibbs). Before the game, Axson overheard his teammates calling blacks on the other team offensive names. He felt that these threats were directed or aimed towards him as well, so he spoke up. Despite his team telling him not to worry, Axson continued to feel bad; consequently taking a knee on the field. Yes, this player was protesting against something that was personal to him, yet he was ridiculed …show more content…
Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos took a knee just a week after Colin first did. Since then, he has lost two endorsements; one from the Colorado Credit Union, and one from CenturyLink. "While we acknowledge Brandon's right, we also believe that whatever issues we face, we also occasionally must stand together to show our allegiance to our common bond as a nation," Century link said in a statement. "In our view, the national anthem is one of those moments. For this reason, while we wish Brandon the best this season, we are politely terminating our agreement with him," (Jhabvala). Players may be counting on these funds and support for their