The NFL has been in a nasty war with U.S. President Donald Trump.
It started last season when San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started to kneel during the singing of the national anthem before games. He wanted to stand up against continuing police brutality against African-Americans.
At the start of the current season, other players throughout the league also started to kneel.
On Sept. 22, Donald Trump started to bash the NFL at a rally and also on Twitter, where he also called for the NFL to “fire players for kneeling during the national anthem.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, fired back and said he supports his players one hundred per cent and that they are allowed to do anything during the national anthem, whether that be standing or kneeling.
Although this is happening in the U.S., the controversy is widespread in the sports community.
Jasbir Johal is a football coach for many young players in the Lower Mainland.
“It’s wild,” he said. “But if you think about it, they aren’t protesting for anything bad, but they are protesting for a change.”
Johal doesn’t support players kneeling during the national anthem, however.
“I actually don’t agree with that because we need to respect those people and soldiers that made life sacrifices for us so we can enjoy this freedom in our country right now,” he said.
This controversy is a hot topic right now. Most of Americans and NFL fans are split: some of them agree with the protests while others disagree. According to ABC News, 48 per cent of NFL fans disagree with the protests because they believe you don’t get respect by showing disrespect. Also, they think disrespecting the country inflames racial tensions rather than moving towards harmony, and it’s a slap in the face of the people who risked their lives for the country or lost loved ones doing so.
Ajay Riar played football in Vancouver for six years. Would he kneel during a national anthem if he played in the NFL?
“Obviously, yes,” he said, “because if the rest of my team is all together and are trying to prove something, then why wouldn’t I support them? At the end of the day, we are a sports family.”
At the end of the day, it seems as if this NFL controversy has a long way to go.
