Why Do Football Players Kneel

NFL players should be role models not someone people feel ashamed of looking at on the T.V. screen. NFL players should be role models. When I watch football most of the time I see a lot of showboating. Sometimes it 's cool, but other times it just gets annoying. Some people do think that showboating isn 't really that bad unless you get a penalty. Also, parents are getting more concerned about their children getting to sucked in with the taunts and showboating. It is a problem that will never go away.

Recently, there has been much debate over an athlete's right to stand or kneel during the national anthem. The

A teammate’s action outside of the workplace should not become spoken of inside the work place, due to an unnecessary invasion of privacy. Many players quit and leave the NFL in their past due to the amount of instigating and discipline the NFL provides. A person in the United States has the freedom to do what they want, whenever they want to, until they are found guilty of committing a crime, and when that does occur, it should have no effect or impact on their outside, daily

But, Bill Ryan, a NFL coach said “I think it's a way of showing pride and nationality but at the same time it is disrespecting our troops no matter how you do or say it.” Many athletes since then have started kneeling or sitting in large groups or praying together during the national anthem. Another famous player Brandon Marshall kneeled because he did not agree with police brutality. Colin has said he does not hate America but is against social injustice, not the troops of America. Thus, the same reasons players have started kneeling, praying or sitting during the anthem.

The National Anthem is something many Americans hold dear to their hearts. When football players started to kneel instead of stand with the others as a protest, Americans started to become angry. Football players should stand for the national anthem for the soldiers, to help unify America, and to find another way to protest.

As of 2015, the NFL consists of more than two thirds of African American and almost 90 percent of penalties were received by players of color. The league continually make racist comments towards certain athletes of different race. When looking at the case between Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Quarterback Michael Vick, we see how racism is portrayed through these two powerhouse Quarterbacks. Michael Vick (QB for Atlanta Falcons) was convicted on the terms of animal cruelty and was sentenced to 22 months in Prison. Ben Roethlisberger (QB for Pittsburgh Steelers) was found guilty for sexual harassment and was suspended for 6 games (later brought down to 4). Looking at the article “Race and Crime in Media Sports” we can see the clear cut definition of

"Should you stand for the American flag or should you kneel in protest?" A question Americans have began asking after the recent NFL national anthem kneel protest. I say, you should stand for the flag not only for pride but also what the flag stands for. As well as respect for fellow soldiers and veterans who have for fought for the flag to keep waving; but ironically, the American ideas give the right to do as you please to the flag from kneeling or even burning. Now should you really kneel for the flag in protest?

A controversial topic currently circulating throughout the media and society, is professional athletes kneeling during the National Anthem. In my opinion, this is a completely useless, unnecessary action done just for attention.

Kneeling during the national anthem is a form of peacefully protesting instead of choosing to stay silent and not have a voice. Former NFL player Colin Kaepernick who is currently a free agent brought the attention to “kneeling during the national anthem” when he decided to take a knee during a preseason game. Him kneeling brought an uproar of people who believed he was being “disrespectful” and “unpatriotic”, others believed he was being “brave” and a “hero”. Kaepernick had a reason for doing so, he was standing up for social justice and police brutality again African Americans.

Every American child is raised with the knowledge that they were born in a country that by law gives them freedom of self-expression and the right to protest. However, this right does not mean that people must agree with you and in many cases, groups wind up at odds over differing opinions. Over the past few years America has seen many examples of this, most notably football players protesting injustice by kneeling during the anthem. This form of protest has sparked much controversy and has caused more harm than good. The protesters have divided their fans and disrespected the nation.

The current debate over kneeling or sitting in protest during the National anthem ignited by Colin Kaepernick in 2016 has escalated to become a nationally divisive issue. Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers refuse to stand during “the Star Spangled Banner” Aug. 2016, to protest against racial injustice and police brutality in the United States. These athletics that chose not to stand for the national anthem because there was a message they wanted to send. Needless to say, an individual has a right to believe as they so choose. Kaepernick along with many others feel that not standing for the national anthem is a peaceful way to protest and release their feelings. People fail to comprehend, the words to the Star Spangled Banner has a meaning, which is

Ronald Reagan once said, “When we honor our flag we honor what we stand for as a Nation - freedom, equality, justice, and hope.” The Texas v. Johnson case is a vast problem that seems to be overpowering in today’s society. Since the case began there have been flag burnings all over the country, and no one seems to be concerned since people are not getting disciplined. People should not be burning the flag that so many people fight and lost their lives for. The burning of the American flag should not be protected by the First Amendment.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color” (Kaepernick, Colin). The flag protest has been a protest existing for a long time but, recently sparked lots of controversy. Although kneeling during the national anthem may seem disrespectful are often seen as a disrespect to the flag and troops, a inefficient way to promote a cause, and anger many people in shows division in the country, it can show that the ideals of freedom is justified, it generates conversation and awareness about topic, and is a legal form of peaceful protest.

The National Anthem goes on every single time before a game begins. Each time it is being sung everyone usually stands up to show respect for America. While, news said that a few athletic players that have been sitting down, while the National Anthem goes on. This keeps happening more and more slowly because those athletics don’t believe that America lives up to that potential in the song as it once represented. As well as the incidents that happened with the police of excessive force being used against people unassertively. But not a lot of people knew about this until, social media came into play with our society.

The opinion piece, “Arkansas State lifts ban on football helmet crosses, but players must foot bill for decals”, was written by Todd Starnes and published on Fox news on September 18, 2014. This article deals with the symbols on helmets of the Arkansas State University football team. The football players put a Christian cross on their helmets to honor two of their fallen teammates who passed away this year. After the game was nationally televised, some people complained that religious symbols should not be shown on televised sport matches.