As Americans across the country paid tribute to our nation's veterans this weekend, three National Football League players continued to take a knee during the national anthem at Sunday’s game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.
On the 49ers’ side, safety Eric Reid and receiver Marquise Goodwin protested the national anthem. All team members of the Giants stood except for Oliver Vernon.
#49ers Eric Reid and Marquise Goodwin knelt during the anthem. All #Giants locked arms except Olivier Vernon who knelt. #NYGvsSF #SaluteToService pic.twitter.com/ilpVaAYoJM
— Jennifer Lee Chan (@jenniferleechan) November 12, 2017
A number of NFL fans planned to protest watching Sunday’s game, with Facebook page Boycott the NFL calling on followers to skip watching “in solidarity with veterans around the country.”
Conservative watchdog group 2ndVote meanwhile asked supporters to “stiff-arm the NFL.”
“We’re sending the National Football League, its corporate sponsors, and the television networks a message this Veterans Day weekend!” said 2ndVote. “Americans are sick of the disrespectful National Anthem protests that the NFL has not only allowed to continue, but has institutionalized in pregame ceremonies.”
“Remember, several of the companies that do business with the NFL like DirecTV and Anheuser-Busch have signaled just how bad of a PR disaster the protests have been,” 2ndVote, which launched the hashtag #STANDwithVets, added. “Join us this weekend and we’ll hit the NFL and all of its sponsors where it counts!”
Aside from the few protests that took place Sunday, the majority of NFL players paid tribute to veterans Sunday, including bringing vets, members of the military and their families on the field for pregame festivities.
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