More than 200 players don’t stand for anthem

President Donald Trump’s criticism of players who kneel during the national anthem sparked a mass increase in such protests around the NFL on Sunday, as about 200 players sat, knelt or raised their fists in defiance during early games.

A week ago, six players protested. Most of the players on Sunday locked arms with their teammates — some standing, others kneeling — in show of solidarity. A handful of teams stayed off the field until after “The Star-Spangled Banner” to avoid the issue altogether.

As he prepared to board Air Force One to return to Washington from New Jersey, Trump said the players protesting the anthem were “very disrespectful to our country” and called again on owners to stop what he considers unpatriotic displays in America’s most popular sport.

“This has nothing to do with race,” Trump said. “This has to do with respect for our country.”

The president’s attack on athletes turned the anthems — usually sung during commercials — into mustwatch television shown live by the networks. In some NFL stadiums, crowds booed or yelled at players to stand. There also was some applause.

The NFL and its players, often at odds, used Sunday’s anthems to show unity. One of Trump’s biggest supporters in the NFL, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, joined the chorus when he expressed “deep disappointment” with Trump.

“I like Bob very much. He’s my friend. He gave me a Super Bowl ring a month ago. So he’s a good friend of mine and I want him to do what he wants to do,” Trump said. “We have great people representing our country, especially our soldiers our first responders and they should be treated with respect.

“And when you get on your knee and you don’t respect the American flag or the anthem.”

The protests started more than a year ago when former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the anthem as a protest of police treatment of minorities.

This season, no team has signed him, and some supporters believe NFL owners are avoiding him because of the controversy.

A handful of white players didn’t stand Sunday, but the vast majority of those actively protesting were black.