New England Patriots Stand For Both National Anthems
BOSTON — The New England Patriots stood as a team during the playing of "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing," known as the Black national anthem, and the "Star-Spangled Banner" prior to Sunday's season-opening game against the Miami Dolphins. No one took a knee during the playing of either.
Owner Robert Kraft, President Jonathan Kraft, and Coach Bill Belichick stood with the rest of the staff and players along the end zone as "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing" played following warm-ups.
There were no fans at Gillette Stadium due to the coronavirus.
The Dolphins stayed inside the locker room during both anthems, something they said they would do in a video released earlier in the week.
The NFL is playing both "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing" before every game this week.
The Dolphins are coached by former Patriots assistant Brian Flores and led on defense by former Patriots linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts. All three spoke in the video.
"So if my dad was a soldier but the cops killed my brother, do I stand for one anthem and kneel for the other?" asked Roberts.
Other players called on the NFL and team owners to take action rather than "empty gestures" during a national reckoning of the systemic racism and police brutality against Black people.
With no preseason due to the coronavirus, this is the first week of NFL games since George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis.
In Thursday night's season opener in Kansas City, one Chief knelt next to standing teammates while the Houston Texans remained in the locker room. The teams joined for a pregame moment of unity midfield and were met with boos from the fans at Arrowhead Stadium.
This article originally appeared on the Foxborough Patch
