Report: Oakland Raiders’ offensive line to protest national anthem on Sunday Night Football
By John Buhler
After President Donald Trump’s comments earlier in the week, the Oakland Raiders entire starting offensive line will reportedly protest the national anthem.
After what President Donald Trump tweeted out on Saturday, it should not come as much of a surprise that professional athletes will make their own political stances this weekend in sports.
Trump was not happy that Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors were not interested in visiting the White House after winning the 2017 NBA Finals. The President of the United States of America would tweet these three things out on Saturday.
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
...our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU'RE FIRED. Find something else to do!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
Needless to say, these three tweets are not sitting well with most of America. With these remarks of rescinding the Warriors’ White House invitation only two days old, we have to expect several players in the NFL to voice their opinions on Sunday. One team that will reportedly make a stand is your Oakland Raiders.
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “The Raiders offensive line, the only all African-American unit in the NFL, plans to kneel or sit during the anthem.” Oakland not only plays on Sunday Night Football this week, but will be doing so against the nation’s capital’s team in the Washington Redskins in Landover, Maryland.
This will be powerful: #Raiders offensive line, the only all African-American unit in @NFL, plans to sit or kneel together during the anthem
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 24, 2017
Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch has been sitting out the playing of the national anthem throughout his NFL career, but seeing five offensive linemen in unison protest the anthem will be the focus of the lead up to this game.
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Oakland already has one of the best offensive lines in football. From left tackle to right tackle, Donald Penn, Kelechi Osemele, Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson and Marshall Newhouse have kept quarterback Derek Carr clean in the pocket for the first two games of the season.
Penn and Hudson are Pro Bowl level talents, while Osemele might now be the best guard in football. Jackson is coming into his own and Newhouse has transitioned smoothly in at right tackle for the Silver and Black.
In short, this is the ideal situation for a political protest if the Raiders offensive line is up for it. They are an elite unit playing for a great team on a primetime, nationally televised event in the nation’s capital.
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Racial tensions have been high in this country, especially since that embarrassment in Charlottesville in early August. Look for the Raiders’ offensive line protest to be perhaps the most powerful one to date. Kickoff from FedEx Field will be at 5:30 p.m. PT, 8:30 p.m. ET. NBC will have the national telecast.