A week ago, Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson said he “would hope” his players all stand for the national anthem rather than taking a knee in protest.
“I think everybody has a right to do, and I get it, but the National Anthem means a lot to myself personally, the organization and our football team,” Jackson said. “I hope — again I can’t speak, I haven’t really talked to our team about it — I would hope that we don’t have those issues.”
Well, so much for that. On Monday, a group of Browns took a knee prior to their preseason game against the New York Giants.
Included in the group to protest during the anthem was former Michigan standout, Jabrill Peppers.
A week after Hue Jackson said "I would hope we don’t have those issues,” Browns players knelt during the anthem https://t.co/fn5Zx3Cqfq pic.twitter.com/l8YBUapj5V
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 22, 2017
Woah. A ton of Browns kneeling during the national anthem here pic.twitter.com/Qv6qSPs6kX
— Jordan Zirm (@JordanZirm) August 22, 2017
After being called out for his comments by Shannon Sharpe of Fox Sports 1, Jackson clarified, stressing that he believes his players have the right to a peaceful protest.
“Our players know that I have a great appreciation for every single one of them. I respect and support their right for peaceful protest; a right afforded to every American. We’ve always made it clear to our players that they should embrace the platform they have as NFL players to improve our community and use their platform in a positive, thoughtful and responsible manner.” Jackson said. “There are issues in our country right now that are far bigger than football and I understand and respect that these issues impact our players and will compel them to react in many different ways.”
Very disappointed in Jabrill Peppers (being a Michigan fan) and all that disrespected our national anthem! I hope they are all soon out of a job just like Colin. Do you not realize the majority of your fans HATE that you show so much disrespect? This is not the place to protest ESPECIALLY not by kneeling to our countries anthem!! Whatever equal opportunity your fighting for, I would personally love to know. This country has given these players everything and should be role model instead of being disrespectful thugs. If you really wanted to make a difference, the black community should start focusing on themselves and fixing the cultural problem and REALLY addressing the real issues. Drop out rate, children with no fathers, the drug problem, the murder rate, the theft rate…the list goes on and on. And to blame America for cultural cycles is a joke. The only people that can help break this cycle is the Black community themselves! Stop being lazy and acting like a hero by kneeling to the Flag and Country that has given you everything and go into the Black communities and start fixing the community from within. Only then, you will see positive strides to your so called “equal opportunity”. Disrespecting our anthem and Flag is the biggest slap in the face to we as hard working Americans who don’t give excuses for our actions. Grow up, you self absorbed football players and if you really want a change. You can start by stop disrespecting our countries anthem.
As for the NFL, if you really want to have the lowest viewing numbers for the second year in a row, I would advise you grow a back bone and stand up for America/Americans and stop letting these whining, lazy thugs disrespect our country!!! I am not even a Browns fan, but I was going to watch the Browns games due to Jabrill, but myself and my family will DEFINITELY be boycotting the Browns and Jabrill. #BoycottBrowns #BoycottJabrill #CulturalIssue
I think you need to work on your empathy a little, Zach. I am white as well so neither of us fully appreciate the reason why they are protesting but consider the following. The lyrics to the anthem (the music is an old English drinking song) were written by Francis Scott Key, a slave owner from Baltimore. Owning slaves in 1812 in Maryland was increasingly rare but not unheard of. His brother in law, however, was Roger Taney, chief justice appointed by Andrew Jackson (himself a slave owner) who later wrote the decision on the Dred Scott case which i) ruled that blacks could not be citizens of the US, free or slave; and ii) opened slavery to all new territories. (Side note: then president Buchanan had tried several times to buy or lease Cuba and Nicaragua to use for the expansion of slavery with lots of pressure from southern slave owners who feared that northerners would try to outlaw slavery). Anyway, Dred Scott made the Civil War inevitable. And that war was for many reasons but absolutely a primary reason was the maintenance of slavery. Think about that. You could own a human and do whatever you wanted with them. Fast forward 150 years and there are a lot (maybe some deservedly but many other not) of black men being shot by the police and the country elects an opely white nationalistic presidential administration (Miller, Bannon and yes Trump). Then we ask black players in a white-owned league to honor that history? C’mon. I don’t agree with the white nationalists in Charlottesville but I will fight to the death to protect their right to speak and protest. It’s the same thing here.
Well said ????????
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