Sunday's slate of Week 3 games began with the Ravens and Jaguars taking part in a large demonstration during the national anthem in London -- a response to the inflammatory comments made by Donald Trump on Friday. The final game on Sunday began in the same way, but this time the demonstration happened at FedEx Field in Maryland, just 30 or so minutes away from the White House.
On "Sunday Night Football," countless Raiders and Redskins players didn't stand for the national anthem. Most of those sitting were on the Raiders, while the majority of players on the Redskins' sideline stood up. All players linked arms.
Almost the entire Raiders team sit or kneels during the anthem, only three players on Washington did. Raiders entire black O-Line sitting. pic.twitter.com/Fn30bZTeYq
— Tyler R. Tynes (@TylerRickyTynes) September 25, 2017
According to NBC sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, the Raiders wanted to skip the anthem entirely -- like the Seahawks, Titans, and Steelers did earlier on Sunday -- but they didn't because it could've resulted in a 15-yard penalty due to a different coin toss procedure that's used for primetime games. Basically, the Raiders wouldn't have been able to skip the anthem and make it out onto the field in time for the coin toss. So instead, most of them stayed seated.
It's the most NFL thing ever that the Raiders couldn't skip the Anthem because it would have produced a 15-yard penalty on a technicality
— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) September 25, 2017
Meanwhile, Redskins owner and Trump donor Dan Snyder joined his players and linked arms on the sideline.
Dan Snyder locking arms with Redskins players. #Redskins pic.twitter.com/qw4ejJ6zgk
— Zac (@DCzWall) September 25, 2017
On Friday at a rally in Alabama, Trump criticized NFL players who protest racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem. He then called for NFL owners to fire players who don't stand for the anthem.
"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a b---- off the field right now," Trump said. "Out. He's fired. He's fired."
"You know, some owner is going to do that, he's going to say, 'That guy that disrespects our flag, he's fired,'" Trump continued. "And that owner, they don't know it -- they're friends of mine, many of them -- they don't know it, they'll be the most popular person for a week, they'll be the most popular person in this country, because that's a total disrespect of our heritage, that's a total disrespect of everything that we stand for."
The NFL community responded immediately. Teams condemned Trump's remarks, players ripped him on Twitter, several Dolphins players wore shirts in support of Colin Kaepernick, and demonstrations were widespread during Sunday's Week 3 action.
As for what's next? Here's what Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman said.
Asked what's next with player protests Sherman says "with the president what's next? Your guess is as good as mine."
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) September 25, 2017
