By Young Se Choi ‘18, Sports Editor

On September 1st, 2016, San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick sparked a nationwide protest that has since garnered the attention of sports fans and even politicians. 2016 was a year riddled with police brutality incidents and racial tensions, creating a complicated social outlook in the United States of America. In response, Kaepernick did what no other NFL player had done before: kneel during the national anthem. After being asked what his intentions were for kneeling during a postgame interview, Kaepernick stated, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

His statements struck a chord for some players because, soon afterwards, players started to take Kaepernick’s lead. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane decided to kneel during the last preseason game that same year. During Week 1, Denver Bronco’s linebacker Brandon Marshall followed suit. One by one, week after week, a new player would decide to kneel as a form of protest. Fast forwarding a year later, teams began to kneel and interlock arms in unison. This new form of protest has even crept into professional baseball, basketball, and ice hockey leagues.

But in today’s heated political climate, this has been a point of controversy for sports fans and politicians alike. On one hand, people believe players are disrespecting the nation and the military by not standing for the national anthem. On the other hand, people feel as though it is within the players’ rights to kneel. Fans often responded to these protests with a cacophony of “boos” and jeers at their own players. However, not every sports fan has held the same sentiments about kneeling.  

President Donald Trump also held strong opinions on the matter claiming that NFL owners should fire players for kneeling during the national anthem. He even went to the extent of calling this action a “disrespect of our heritage.” Likewise, Vice President Mike Pence left a football game between the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers after players decided to kneel once again. Disgusted, Pence vented his frustration to Twitter, saying, “I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our flag, and our National Anthem.”

During a time where we, as citizens of the United States, are constantly engaged in politics through discourse or debate both in school and out of school, the US national anthem protests can be frustrating for us sports fans. Sports fans watch sports for entertainment. There’s nothing better than coming back from school on a Thursday night and kicking back to watch your favorite team play and for once get away from the chaos of politics and our society. For a long time, the United States’s sports have stayed that way. But in a society full of differing opinions and conflicts, politics and sports have become intertwined to the disappointment of some. Brahm Wieseneck ‘18, an avid NFL fan, shared his thoughts on the overlap between politics and sports: “I think sports serve best when they provide a release from the societal pressures and politics that weigh on society but with greater access between players and society. Obviously it’s impossible to really separate the two.”

The national anthem protests are past the point of no return. Viewership and TV ratings have drastically gone down alongside fan attendance at stadiums. But looking past these numbers, Kaepernick has brought up serious flaws within our nation. And perhaps as the nation’s constituents, we should put our differences aside and address the problems within society.