At the first preseason NFL games on August 9, players continued to protest racial inequity and police violence by kneeling or raising a fist during the US national anthem, writes Dave Zirin.
NFL
There has been a flurry of articles recently proclaiming that NFL player protests against racism and police brutality were winding down and entering a new stage: what聽 moving 鈥渇rom protest to progress鈥.
Then along came Bob McNair.
United States President Donald Trump has tried to focus the nation鈥檚 ire on anti-racist Black athletes. He tried to demonise them on the highest possible stage, calling for them to lose their jobs.
His transparent aim was to find a bogeyman to distract people from a cascade of scandal and failed legislation, and his administration鈥檚 disastrous response to the suffering in Puerto Rico.
Well, the results of this idiotic effort are in.
A rally聽gathered in front of the NFL鈥檚 Park Avenue Headquarters in New York on August 23. A聽host of聽聽protested the exile-status聽of free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick 鈥 the star quarterback formerly of the San Francisco 49ers who caused waves by taking to his knee during the US national anthem as an anti-racist protest.
On September 11 in the United States, a small group of National Football League players risked their careers, their endorsements and their livelihoods. They did so through the simple act of refusal.