Trump Responds to NFL Players' Protest During First Week of NFL Preseason

Nick Kangadis | August 10, 2018
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Here we go again.

The NFL’s first full week of preseason action began with a few players continuing to cry out for attention. At this point, the protests have lost their meaning, and it seems as though some players are continuing their protests just to spite President Trump’s stance against it.

Multiple players from a few different teams protested on Thursday night during week one of the NFL preseason schedule.

Three Miami Dolphins players — defensive end Robert Quinn and wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson — protested during the national anthem. Quinn raised a fist in the air, while Stills and Wilson reportedly took a knee.

Here's video of the Dolphins protest:

 

The Philadelphia Eagles resident protester safety Malcolm Jenkins continued to raise a fist to bring awareness to his claim that 60 percent of the prison population being “people of color.” His Eagles teammate cornerback De’Vante Bausby also raised a fist in protest.

Here’s Jenkins’ tweet on the subject of his protest:

JenkinsProtest

Finally, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin raised a fist in protest during the 49ers matchup with the visiting Dallas Cowboys.

President Trump responded to the protests Friday morning with a tweet:

TrumpNFL

 

There most likely won’t be any repercussions for the players who participated in protests, since the NFL waffled on its new rule that players would be fined for kneeling during the anthem.

In May, the NFL rolled out a new policy that would essentially fine players for kneeling during the anthem, saying that “personnel who choose not to stand for the Anthem may stay in the locker room or in a similar location off the field until after the Anthem has been performed.”

Fast forward two months later and the NFL — under pressure from the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) — backtracked on their decision and said that the policy would be suspended for now while the league and the NFLPA attempt to hammer out a solution.

Translation? "Yeah, we’re not going to do anything about this situation."

This is just the beginning of a long season in which we most likely haven’t seen the last of players protesting during the anthem. Buckle up, folks. The 2018 NFL season could be a bumpy ride.

H/T: BBC, Pro Football Talk (NBC Sports)

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