Speaking of Oakland, formerly retired Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch (above, left) sat down during the National Anthem last night in his own protest.
From The Guardian:
Lynch, a five-time Pro Bowler, is known for shunning the media and did not elaborate on his decision to sit out the anthem. The Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said he had spoken to the running back about his decision after the game.
The Raiders helped unite the divisions in Oakland. What happens when they leave?“[Lynch] said, ‘This is something I’ve done for 11 years. It’s not a form of anything other than me being myself,’” Del Rio said. “I said, ‘So you understand how I feel. I very strongly believe in standing for the national anthem, but I’m going to respect you as a man. You do your thing, and we’ll do ours.’ So that’s a non-issue for me.”
Photos suggest Lynch stood for the anthem during his previous career in the NFL but last year he expressed his support for Kaepernick’s protest.
Take a look:
#Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sits during the national anthem prior to #NFL game against Cardinals. @usatodaysports @azcentral pic.twitter.com/OAUOfZ39SH
— Mark J. Rebilas (@rebilasphoto) August 13, 2017
After something like Charlottesville happens, we’re told by society at large that it’s time to seek unity, or healing, or other nice-sounding things. But what we got was another angry protest in California, and another highly paid and successful sports star sitting down in opposition to our National Anthem.
Some unity.