ANTHEM UPROAR: How a small protest movement in the NFL turned into a national debate over patriotism, free speech, and race relations.

• Author: Smith, Patricia
• Position: NATIONAL

Should professional athletes be allowed to kneel in protest when the national anthem is played before a game? President Trump thinks the answer is no, and his stance has sparked a national debate about patriotism, free speech, and race relations.

At a September political rally in Alabama, the president called on NFL team owners to fire football players who refuse to stand for the anthem. "Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he's fired. He's fired!" Trump said.

His remarks--and a flurry of tweets later on--quickly generated an unusual wave of protests and defiance on the sidelines of America's favorite sport.

Practically overnight, what had been a modest round of demonstrations against police brutality and racial injustice by a handful of African-American players mushroomed into a nationwide protest. On September 24, nearly all the players on three teams--the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Tennessee Titans, and the Seattle Seahawks--stayed in the locker room during the national anthem. On dozens of other teams, players locked arms on the sidelines to express solidarity. Many people, including players and even some team owners who had supported Trump in the election, criticized the president for fanning the flames of conflict.

"To have the president trying to intimidate people--I wanted to send a message that I don't condone that," says Julius Thomas, a Miami Dolphins tight end. "I'm not OK with somebody trying to prevent someone from standing up for what they think is important."

But the acts of defiance received a far more mixed reception from fans, both in the stadiums and on social media. Many fans objected to the idea of dragging politics into their beloved sport.

"If you want to protest, go somewhere else," says Donna Murray, an office worker from Rhode Island, at a Patriots game in Foxborough, Massachusetts. "I think if they did it in a different platform, more people would listen."

Sports & Patriotism

The protests--and the very different ways Americans responded to them--raised important questions. Do players have a right to use their fame to draw attention to causes they care about? How do you define patriotism? And is this the sort of issue the president should weigh in on?

Americans have a very intense relationship with the anthem and the flag, and displays of patriotism have become a part of the ritual of American sporting events, especially football.

This probably has to do with America's history, says Orin Starn...