# If you are an athlete, do you kneel/protest at a game or no? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 9, 2020, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804 "2020-07-09T04:23:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/1 "2020-07-09T04:23:22Z")
Would you do it? Would you kneel or protest, or would you stand for the national anthem or just stay VERY quiet regarding social activism on police brutality and racism towards minorities? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/2 "2020-07-09T04:28:23Z")
Why don’t you just come right out and say what you’re thinking instead of all these bullshit questions? What would YOU do? And why? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/3 "2020-07-09T13:59:16Z")
Well, pre-COVID I took a knee during the televised national anthem in a bar. Ahhhh, the good old days. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/4 "2020-07-09T18:31:12Z")
Not that I have or would desire to attend a game where this would occur, but in the past I would stand when the anthem was played (no hand over heart or salute or whatever). I’d probably do that again. Just like in the unlikely event I was in a church I wouldn’t deliberately insult the people who are believers in that faith. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/5 "2020-07-09T20:16:16Z")
You can’t ask this question in one of your dozen other threads on the subject? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/6 "2020-07-09T20:35:23Z")
I’d stop the idiotic practice of playing the national anthem at freaking sporting events. ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/7 "2020-07-09T20:38:45Z")
You are right. National anthems should not be played at games, period. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/8 "2020-07-09T21:01:57Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > National anthems should not be played at games, period. And City Council meetings (and the like) should not start with the Pledge of Allegiance. (Public schools should also stop the practice). ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/9 "2020-07-09T21:07:26Z")
Save the anthem for the end of the game, see how many people respect that! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/10 "2020-07-09T21:09:23Z")
That’s awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/11 "2020-07-10T00:23:59Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Save the anthem for the end of the game, see how many people respect that! I like it. Like in the old days when television stations used to sign off for the night. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/12 "2020-07-10T01:22:18Z")
I’d stand. That being said, I wish the anthem would go away altogether. It only belongs at international sporting events where it’s one nation vs. another. When both teams are American, what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![steepone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@steepone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steepone)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/13 "2020-07-10T07:53:43Z")
For most people I’d say whether they stand or take a knee has little to do with what they feel about the anthem and more to do with which group they want to be seen to be supporting ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/14 "2020-07-10T08:47:51Z")
If I felt I truly had an option, I’d definitely stand. I’d hope that the coach would remind us that we’re there to play and there’s plenty of time to be a social justice warrior after the game. If the coach or the league made us do it, I would. We have to do all sorts of stupid crap in life that we don’t want to do. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/15 "2020-07-10T12:18:23Z")
Well, as it stands now, I always sing [this](https://youtu.be/sxHnXajIex4) version at sporting events. I’d probably continue doing that. If I’m an athlete, and they insist on playing the anthem, I take a knee. ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/16 "2020-07-10T16:34:40Z")
I think the national anthem should not be played. But the right wing is obsessed with kneeling. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/17 "2020-07-10T16:37:20Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > But the right wing is obsessed with kneeling. Some are, some aren’t. But the right wing is going to vote Republican anyway, kneeling or no kneeling. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/18 "2020-07-11T10:31:35Z")
For the (international) cricket Test match here in the UK this week, the players all kneeled at the start: > **[Players, officials take a knee in Black Lives Matter gesture before first Test](https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/players-officials-take-a-knee-in-black-lives-matter-gesture-before-first-test-1226422)** > > West Indies players raise gloved fists while kneeling with England counterparts in support of Black Lives Matter The do not usually. They play the national anthems for these games, and the players generally stand and sing. The situation in the US sports at the moment is very different from any situation I’m likely to ever find myself in, but I like to think I’d protest. BTW, watching the game now, I note that both England and WI players all have “Black Lives Matter” on their collars. There has been no controversy that I’ve seen about this. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/19 "2020-07-11T14:08:19Z")
dalej42, kneeling and standing for the anthem are both political signalling. If you think athletes shouldn’t be engaging in political signalling “on the job”, then they shouldn’t do either. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804/20 "2020-07-14T19:37:34Z")
Right. Staying in the locker room during the anthem is the only way you don’t end up making a statement, but even that’s like pleading the 5th. Choosing not to say anything is still a choice. Kaepernik was not wrong. He mystified a few people at first, but that sparked curiosity and brought more attention to the cause. Ultimately a good thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-are-an-athlete-do-you-kneel-protest-at-a-game-or-no/914804.md?page=2)