Teams and NFL leadership made a statement this past weekend, now the work begins to keep the real message at the forefront.
Now that the NFL Week 3 games are over, the real work begins. Millions tuned into the action on Sunday to see what the response would be to President Donald Trump and his words while speaking in Alabama on Friday. That response was clear and open defiance. Now that Sept. 24 has passed, the world needs to be reminded that the work to dispel social injustice is far from over and this is an opportunity for the NFL to lead.
There is a fact at the base of this conversation that needs to be understood: these protests are not about Donald Trump, nor are they protests against the national anthem or the American flag. Instead, the movement is meant to bring attention to the social ills that plague much of the minority communities across the country.
While Trump’s statements are meant to turn his base of supporters against millionaire athletes for using their platform to draw attention, the truth remains that they are in one of the best positions to take act as a voice for the voiceless.
As Week 4 quickly approaches, the question becomes whether or not the teams will continue the actions that they demonstrated on Sunday. Trump has continued his plight against the players that kneel.
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Will teams continue to kneel and link arms in the coming weeks? Only time will tell. But those that go back to the status quo should be questioned as to why they took the action to begin with. Colin Kaepernick did not start kneeling to protest the flag, the anthem or to upset political parties. Instead, his action is akin to the moments made famous by John Carlos or Tommie Lee Smith; to the activism by the likes of Jim Brown; to the open opposition from the likes of Muhammed Ali.
This was a movement that doesn’t end with what happened across the NFL on Sept. 24. In fact, this weekend saw the movement spread to the MLB where Bruce Maxwell became the first player in professional baseball to take a knee while the anthem played.
The question for the league and ownership is what happens if these protests continue and fans express their anger. In July, ESPN revealed a poll where fans stated that player protesting was one of the main reasons that caused them to tune out of games, negatively impacting ratings.
If ratings and attendance drastically fall in the coming weeks, will the NFL and ownership still be ready to stand beside these players? Will they still be ready to stand behind the real cause they are supporting? That will be the real litmus test.
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NFL players need to continue to be at the forefront of the push for social change. Many believe that sports are an avenue that is devoid of the social ills many face and that’s far from the truth. Players and owners across the league made a statement before games over the weekend and on Monday. It will be interesting to see who continues the practice now that the moment has come and gone.