Reid: Team plans unity during anthem
During the 49ers’ first three regular-season games, safety Eric Reid has been the lone player to kneel during the national anthem.
On Sunday, it’s expected that Reid will join his teammates in a show of unity during the anthem before the 49ers’ meeting against the Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz. That doesn’t necessarily mean Reid won’t kneel, but the 49ers plan to show solidarity after their 12-man leadership council met with head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch this week in the aftermath of President Trump’s angry comments about protesting NFL players.
“Kyle and John have expressed that we’re going to do something together as team,” Reid said. “We’re not going to force anybody to do anything they don’t want to do. This topic, the anthem, is sensitive. Some people have family members in the military and they still feel
that it disrespects them. And that’s OK.”
Said quarterback Brian Hoyer, who is on the leadership council with Reid: “For me, because I don’t want to kneel during the national anthem, doesn’t mean I can’t support a teammate and brother that feels like he wants to. Whatever we do, we’re going to do as a team.”
Reid began kneeling during the anthem last year with quarterback Colin Kaepernick to protest racial inequality and police brutality.
On Sunday, two days after Trump’s comments, more than 200 players silently protested during the anthem. Trump said players who protest during the anthem should be “fired” and referred to a player who did so as a “son of a bitch.”
On Wednesday, Shanahan joined CEO Jed York in expressing dismay over Trump’s comments. On Saturday, York termed Trump’s words “callous and offensive” while becoming the third NFL owner to issue a statement.
“I was pretty bothered by it,” Shanahan said, “I think the same way most people were. … The most bothersome thing is just how everyone sees that position in our country. You expect that position to be the best leader possible. When I think of being a leader, I think of bringing people together. All I know is the quotes I read. And when I read those quotes, I think that’s the opposite of what you expect.”
Said Reid: “I don’t know why any president would use that kind of language on any subject. But we’ve just got to be positive about it.”
The positive? To Reid, Trump unintentionally has spotlighted anthem protests, and Reid hopes, more discussion about issues surrounding racism will result.
However, the message about racial division in America could be getting lost as teams focus on displays of unity. The majority of NFL teams had players lock arms during the anthem and they were joined by their owners in some cases. Jacksonville’s Shad Khan, Dallas’ Jerry Jones and Washington’s Daniel Snyder, who donated to Trump’s campaign, locked arms with players after Trump also disparaged the NFL’s rules to promote player safety.
On Sunday, Trump, via Twitter, applauded such displays: “Great solidarity for our National Anthem and for our Country. Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable.”
Arizona safety Antoine Bethea, who raised a fist during the anthem last year when he was with the 49ers, linked arms with his teammates Monday night. He agreed that the social issues Kaepernick and Reid sought to spotlight last year could be getting obscured in demonstrations of unity.
“Of course, I think so,” Bethea said. “Don’t get me wrong, linking arms is a great thing. We do want to be unified. At the end day, unity is going to help bring us together. But I do think sometimes you lose what the point people are trying to get across when people are taking that peaceful protest. I do believe that. … Trust me, it’s a tough situation. This is a team sport. And, at times, you don’t want to single yourself out or be that individual. And then you fight with things — what do you really believe in?”
On Wednesday, Reid identified Kaepernick as the leader of the NFL movement that recently swelled. However, Kaepernick remains unemployed and has not spoken publicly since the end of last season.
Reid indicated he’s urged Kaepernick to lend his voice to the movement.
“I’ll ask him again,” Reid said, “but I’m hoping that he does say something.”
Reid and Kaepernick speak often, and they recently discussed the wave of protests that swept across the NFL on Sunday.
“He said that it was a direct response to what the president said,” Reid said. “He wishes this many people were involved last year. I don’t think the narrative would have gone in as many directions as it went if we had more solidarity.
“… But we have to be pragmatic about it. We have this opportunity now, and it’s important we discuss the issues and make changes.”