Baltimore Ravens players took a knee to pray before the national anthem and got booed by the home crowd.
Last weekend was full of national anthem protests in response to comments made by Donald Trump. This Sunday those protests continued albeit in a little less in-your-face- way. Whether or not the narrative of the original anthem protest was lost or not, everyone had an opinion about whether players should be kneeling or not, regardless of why they were doing it.
That sentiment continued this weekend, as players once again showed a sign of unity by locking arms during the anthem. Most teams remained standing, but the Baltimore Ravens decided to take a knee as a team before the anthem started.
We saw this last Monday night when the Dallas Cowboys took a knee before the anthem and then stood while the song was played. The Ravens reportedly knelt for a prayer before the anthem, but fans weren’t going to stand for that.
Players stood for the actual anthem, but it was the knee before the anthem started that fans apparently took exception to.
Ravens all kneeling in a prayer while the crowd is booing. Now, standing up for anthem.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) October 1, 2017
Some were quick t point out that this is a case of just never being able to make anyone happy. The players knelt before the anthem even started, stood and still were booed for protesting (they were actually praying, but whatever).
Baltimore proving most people aren't booing the anthem. They're booing a protest they don't understand.
— Adam Strangis (@Bucn4life) October 1, 2017
Awful lot of people wearing the American flag booing Ravens' pre-anthem prayer. Reminder: Flag Code says flag not to be worn as apparel.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) October 1, 2017
The protests this weekend were tamer than they were last Sunday, but it’s clear that emotions remain high. Fans booed the protests last weekend and they repeated that again this Sunday, meaning this rift isn’t going to close anytime soon.
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It’s a little jarring to hear fans booing a show of unity before the anthem even started, especially when the players stood and honored the flag during the anthem, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions.