Three Miami Dolphins players defied their teams guidelines and “took a knee” during Sunday’s NFL match-up against the Oakland Raiders; with team officials saying they “gave permission” to the protesters ahead of this weekend’s game.
According to Bleacher Report, Dolphin’s safety Michael Thomas, wide-receiver Kenny Stills, and tight end Julius Thomas bucked the team’s official policy and refused to stand during the performance of the national anthem; defying head Coach Adam Gase’s rule that players either stand for the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ or remain in the tunnel prior to the game.
“It’s not about what I think about or anything like that,” said Stills over the weekend. “It’s about the work that we are doing and it’s never been about the protest or the flag or any of that. So, I just continue to focus on the work that we are doing in the community and we’ve got some plans and things in the work with the NFL and so that’s what we’re working on.”
“It comes from me,” Gase said following the game. “I thought it was time for us to address it […] I’ve had a lot of conversations with a lot of people. It doesn’t matter what I think. This is what we’re doing.”
The NFL has been struggling to regain its footing following weeks of players choosing to “take a knee” during the performance of the US national anthem.
The ensuing controversy gained national attention when President Trump called for a total boycott of the NFL until officials and owners require players to stand during the ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’