Five New Mexico players took a knee on the sideline during the national anthem on Saturday night in a game against Air Force. Others locked arms during "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Now while kneeling during the anthem certainly isn't a new phenomenon at sports events these days as players have done so to protest racial injustice, this one was somewhat unique.
Due to inclement weather, the anthem wasn't played before the game as normally scheduled -- with both teams in the locker room. Instead, it was played at halftime.
Bc of lightning delay, Air Force & New Mexico did anthem at halftime. 5 NM players took a knee. Some linked arms. @CBSSportsNet
— Cassie G. McKinney (@CassieMcKinney_) October 1, 2017
During National Anthem in Air Force at New Mexico game, at least 4 UNM players decided to #TakeAKnee (2 pics here via @rosalesquique) #mwfb pic.twitter.com/cQGRO1vE8C
— Geoff Grammer (@GeoffGrammer) October 1, 2017
Protests during the national anthem have been a hot-button issue in football since last year. In recent weeks, they've grown more frequent after drawing the attention of President Donald Trump, leading to NFL players from all over the country demonstrating during the anthem.
We've even seen high school players in Texas kicked off their team after they protested, and another high school in Louisiana has threatened to remove any players from the team if they demonstrate during the anthem.
