On Saturday, Baltimore Ravens players knelt while holding each other’s hands just prior to the pre-game national anthem. Following boos from the audience, the kneeling players rose and stood during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Watch the moment below:
The Ravens hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD.
Last Sunday while playing in London, Ravens players knelt during the U.S. national anthem but stood during “God Save the Queen.”
Beginning with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s regular kneeling during pre-game national anthems, the demonstration saw a surge in popularity after President Trump ripped the “son of a b**** anthem protesters.” Read about the genesis of Kaepernick’s leftist activism here.
Assorted left-leaning media outlets frame disrespecting the national anthem as rooted in opposition to “racial injustice” and support for “social justice,” downplaying Kaerpernick’s own explanation of its anti-American premise.
Various celebrities have expressed support for the protests, including Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder, television writer and producer Norman Lear, musician and singer Stevie Wonder, and the cast of the TV series Star Trek: Discovery.
A recent Morning Consult poll suggests the NFL is suffering damage to the likability of its brand as a result of protests from its players, coaches, and team owners.
Fox Sports recently decided to end live coverage of pre-game recitals of the national anthem at NFL games.
H/T Josh Feldman at Mediaite.
Follow Robert Kraychik on Twitter.
