By Michael Donovan
It was just another meaningless Friday night NFL exhibition game:
The Packers played in San Francisco. It had all the trappings of a preseason game: less-than-lively crowd, low scoring, Christian Ponder. It was a game that would be played and forgotten almost immediately.
And then Colin Kaepernick didn’t stand for the anthem.
Pro Football Talk has confirmation from the 49ers it was intentional:
The 49ers have confirmed that Kaepernick did not stand for the anthem, and they have issued the following statement.
“The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony,” the team said. “It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”
If you scroll through Kaepernick’s Twitter timeline, you’re presented with a barrage of retweeted stories, focusing on Black Lives Matter, police brutality, and more. It’s a fascinating mix, from someone who obviously sees a lot of wrong in the country, and the world, and wants to use his voice to highlight various issues.
