Falcons Owner Supports Players Who Kneel At Detroit Game

ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank stood shoulder to shoulder with his players Sunday during the national anthem at their game in Detroit, while two players chose to kneel during the anthem, a response to comments by President Trump, who said NFL players who practice their First Amendment rights on the football field by kneeling should be fired.

Many players at the league's games on Sunday protested with some taking a knee during the anthem, others such as the Falcons locked arms, and the Pittsburgh Steelers stayed in the locker room as the "Star Spangled Banner" played.

Blank locked arms with wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman during the national anthem, as the entire Falcons team joined arms. Players Grady Jarrett and Dontari Poe both knelt during the anthem, reports ESPN, while Adrian Clayborn put his hand on Poe's shoulder.

On Saturday Blank said in a statement, "We are at our very best when we are working together, building unity and including everyone’s voice in a constructive dialogue. Creating division or demonizing viewpoints that are different than our own accomplishes nothing positive and undermines our collective ability to achieve the ideals of our democracy.

"The NFL has historically been a strong catalyst for positive change and I’m proud of the way our players, coaches and staff use that platform to give back to our community and strive to be good citizens making a positive impact on this and future generations.” (For more events and local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Atlanta Patch, and click here to find your local Georgia Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

A day of expected protests around the NFL began with the Jaguars and Ravens setting the tone in London. pic.twitter.com/VxAmgcZNBS
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 24, 2017

On Sunday, the hashtag #TakeAKnee was the top trending hashtag on Twitter as ordinary citizens, athletes and public figures all united to support those who choose to protest on the football field. The protests began last year when Colin Kaepernick — who then played for the San Francisco 49ers — began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. Many players then followed with their own protests.

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»What do you think of the president's comments and NFL player reaction? Tell us in comments below.

As expected, fan reaction was mixed.

Proud of my Atlanta Falcons and shout out to Detroit Lions for their peaceful display of patriotism! #ATLvsDET #TakeAKnee ##NFL #LinkedArms
— ErMaGi(@SaltySouthern1) September 24, 2017

Aye @AtlantaFalcons fans if the players kneel today and you no longer want your season tickets LET ME KNOW!!!!! My dad is looking for some!!
— Jaleesa (@Jaleesa_Nicole) September 24, 2017

The NFL protests throughout Sunday's games come after the president's comments that started on Friday night and only intensified from there.

The Pittsburgh Steelers skipped the national anthem altogether, remaining in their locker room for a private ceremony related to the flag. The entirety of the team, with the exception of Alejandro Villanueva who served in the Army, remained inside before the start of the game.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag to say get that son of a b***h off the field right now, out, he's fired," Trump said to the crowd at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama on Friday. "He's fired!

The president then solidified his condemnation for those practicing their First Amendment rights on his favorite medium.

"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...." the president said in the first of a two part tweet. "our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU'RE FIRED. Find something else to do!" the second tweet said.

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

Trump again tweeted about the protests on Sunday, suggesting a boycott of the NFL, saying that if fans were to stop attending the games players would stop kneeling. On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin appeared on ABC News saying NFL players could have their First Amendment rights "off the field."

As the president's attacks grew, so did the backlash. Pro athletes voiced their opposition to Trump as did NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, although his statement was not as forceful as the words used by others.

LeBron James, another esteemed athlete, referred to the president as a "bum."

"U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!" James tweeted.

James' rebuke was in response to Trump "rescinding" an invitation to the Golden State Warriors for a visit to the White House saying Steph Curry was hesitating about whether he would attend. Curry, however, was not hesitating as the president claims and had clearly said he did not want to visit the White House.

James spoke out in greater length in a video saying Trump was trying to use sports, something that ordinarily unites people, to divide the country and that was not something he could stand for.

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Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank stands with his players during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)