Players lock arms, kneel during national anthem
East Rutherford, N.J. — Most of the Miami Dolphins stood for the national anthem before Sunday’s 20-6 loss to the New York Jets with arms locked, and with team owner Steve Ross linked into the human chain.
Therewere also a handful of players, including Jay Ajayi, Kenny Stills, Laremy Tunsil and Julius Thomas, who knelt during the anthem, joining Colin Kaepernick’s crusade against social injustice, and push for racial equality, which began last season.
Numerous Dolphins players also wore T-shirts that read “#IMWITHKAP” during the team’s pregame warmups as a response to the remarks President Donald Trump made on Friday when he urged NFL owners to fire protesting players, whom he called “sons of bitches” during a speech in Alabama.
Ross supported the Dolphins who chose to kneel last year, and said he’ll will continue to support those who want to do so during the national anthem.
“It shows that the team’s together,” Ross said after the game of the Dolphins locking arms during the anthem. “They didn’t like the comments being made about them and it shows a lot of unity. I think most people feel the way the players feel.”
Every Jets player, coach and staff member linked arms during the anthem, including acting owner Christopher Johnson, the younger brother of owner and U.S. ambassador to the U.K. Woody Johnson, who was appointed by Trump.
The political stance, and T-shirt, which were provided by Stills, are a sign of support for Kaepernick, whose decision to take a knee during the national anthem last season was an attempt to create awareness for social injustices and inequality. Kaepernick, a former NFL starter for the San Francisco 49ers, remains unsigned.
Four Dolphins players took a knee during last year’s season opener. Stills and safety Michael Thomas took a knee the entire season. Thomas and Stills stood for last week’s national anthem because they said people were losing the point of their protest.
Stills changed his mind after Trump’s comments and kneeled again Sunday.
After the game, Thomas started to tear up while explaining why hewas one of the individuals who led a seven-minute team meeting to decide what the team’s approach would be to address Trump’s comments.
“As a man, as a father, as an African-American man, someone in the NFL who is one of those ‘sons of bitches,’ yeah I took it personal,” said Thomas, who is in his second season as a team captain. “I’ve got a daughter who is going to have to live in this world. I’m going to do whatever I have to do tomake sure she can look at her dad and say hedid something tomake a change.”
Ross joined other NFL owners and league Commissioner Roger Goodell in questioning Trump’s call to cut NFL players who don’t stand for the national anthem.
“Our country needs unifying leadership right now, not more divisiveness,” Ross said in a statement Saturday.