Observers should not have been surprised to see several NFL players emulate Colin Kaepernick by refusing to stand Sunday during the national anthem. However, the acts of protest continue to generate controversy, and Kate Upton weighed in by calling them “a disgrace.”
Upton, a model familiar to many sports fans both for her appearances in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue and her engagement to Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, posted a photo to Instagram of several Dolphins players kneeling Sunday, while teammates stood with their hands over their hearts, before a game against the Seahawks. “Sitting or kneeling down during the national anthem is a disgrace to those people who have served and currently serve our country,” she wrote in a caption.
In extensive comments on social media, Upton wrote that the national anthem “represents honoring the many brave men and women who sacrifice and have sacrificed their lives each and every single day to protect our freedom,” and that protesting during it “on September 11th is even more horrific.” She cited the reconstruction of lower Manhattan as an example of the “amazing things [that] can be done in this country when we work together towards a common goal” and added, “It is a shame how quickly we have forgotten this as a society.”
Earlier Sunday, the Dolphins organization released a statement in which it said, “We encourage all members of our organization to stand at attention during the national anthem out of respect and appreciation for the freedoms we are afforded as Americans. We also recognize that it’s an individual’s right to reflect during the anthem in different ways. We respect these liberties and appreciate the sacrifices that everyone has made for our country, especially on this day of remembrance. We hope today’s events will continue a respectful and thoughtful dialogue in our community on unity inclusiveness and togetherness.”
After the game against the Seahawks, one of the Miami players who knelt, running back Arian Foster, said, “It’s not about the symbology that people are mad about. It’s about the message, and it’s about who’s saying it. . . . They say it’s not the time to do this, well, when is the time?”
Players in other games, including the Chiefs’ Marcus Peters and the Patriots’ Michael Bennett and Devin McCourty, raised their fists during pregame renditions of the anthem Sunday. Kaepernick’s 49ers play the Rams on Monday.
“If kneeling for your flag is disrespectful then kneeling for your God is disrespectful,” Arian Foster said.
Dolphins owner Steve Ross spoke with players before their protest, and supports their decision.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post ยท Des Bieler
