ESPN has decided to join Fox Sports and won’t be showing the national anthem before this Monday’s NFL Game.
Update: In response to the deadly shootings in Las Vegas on Sunday night, ESPN has decided to include the national anthem as part of its “Monday Night Football” broadcast of the NFL game between the Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs, according to a Washington Post report.
original story below…
via NYDN:
ESPN showed the national anthem for the Week 3 Monday night matchup between the Cowboys and Cardinals. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took a knee besides his players prior to the playing of the anthem and the entire team then stood and locked arms as the song played.
On Sunday, Fox Sports showed the national anthem prior to the Dolphins-Saints game from London, but did not show the Star Spangled Banner on the rest of the broadcasts throughout the day.
Three Dolphins players took a knee during the anthem, while the Saints collectively took a knee and then stood.
“As we have in previous broadcasts of NFL games from London, Fox will show the National Anthem as well as ‘God Save the Queen’ live,” spokesman Eddie Motl told Sporting News. “As is standard procedure, regionalized coverage of NFL games airing on FOX this Sunday will not show the National Anthem live; however, our cameras are always rolling and we will document the response of players and coaches on the field.”
CBS and NBC Sports decided to air the national anthem on their broadcasts of Sunday’s NFL games.
President Donald Trump sparked further league-wide protests last week after he made comments during a rally in Alabama about how owners should fire players that don’t stand for the anthem.
Kneeling during the national anthem became a protest when Colin Kaepernick started doing it during the 2016 season. Kaepernick has yet to be signed as a free agent this season.
What exactly does ESPN have to lose by not showing the anthem? Nothing — it’s a straight cop-out.
