Protests against racial injustice were widespread in the NFL this past Sunday, with players kneeling during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” linking arms or choosing to stay in the locker room until after the ceremonies.
But the Dallas Cowboys elected to do something a little different before their “Monday Night Football” game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cowboys knelt together, arm in arm, but they decided to show their solidarity before the anthem was played. Coach Jason Garrett explained the team discussed the issue together and ultimately landed on that being the best way to show their support of the protest without doing what some see as disrespectful to the American flag.
But fans at University of Phoenix Stadium still booed and were angry. And on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” on Monday night, host Scott Van Pelt couldn’t help but ask why.
“Does anybody listen to what the man just said?” Van Pelt asked after playing a clip from Garrett’s press conference. “Will anyone listen to what he said about what they did as a team? How they talked for days to figure out how they could show their support and then not be disrespectful to the flag. And that’s what they did.
“But if this is something that upsets you, you’re just going to be mad, and no conversation can take place if that’s all there is. It just can’t happen if you just want to be mad. This was before the anthem, and what they did was booed. So if the anthem wasn’t being played, and the flag wasn’t being displayed, and you were angry at that, what are you angry about? I’m out on this one. I’m out of gas. I don’t know what else there is.”
It’s hard to argue with Van Pelt considering many who disagree with the protest have said it’s the manner of protest that they disagree with. It looks like we’ll just have to wait and see if he ever gets an answer.
