The New York Giants have not yet decided what protest they will make on Monday Night Football in an effort to promote social justice, but one potential option that remains is kneeling for the national anthem.
Running back Saquon Barkley, who was voted a team captain earlier this week, says whatever the team ultimately settles on will be carried out as a collective unit.
“The conversation of kneeling for the national anthem is a conversation that needs to be had, and it will be had. I believe myself and all the other captains are going to have that conversation with the team,” Barkley told reporters on Thursday. “We want to have a focus that we want it to be team-oriented, where we find a way, which way we can do it in the right way and continue to still have an impact. That’s a conversation that I believe is going to be had.”
During the first game of the 2020 regular season on Thursday night, the Houston Texans remained in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem before coming out to the field and locking arms in unity with the Kansas City Chiefs.
That decision drew boos from the limited crowd.
Giants co-owner John Mara has long requested his team stand for the national anthem and honor America’s military, but said earlier this month that if they choose to kneel in protest, he will support them.
“My preference is that everybody stand, but if you decide in your conscience that taking a knee is the right thing to do I’m going to support your right to do that because I believe in the First Amendment,” Mara said.
“I’ll support any players’ right to engage in silent protest. What makes it easy for me to do that is when I see how much work they’re [Giants players] doing in the community and how important what is going on right now in this country is to each of them, and they back it up with actions, not just words.”
There had been some talk about Giants players potentially boycotting a game this season, but that line of thinking appears to have come and gone.
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