The Oakland Raiders’ Marshawn Lynch is continuing the fight against police brutality started by Colin Kaepernick!
The rankled running back, who came out of a one-year retirement to play for his hometown team, sat during the national anthem before the Raiders’ preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Lynch sat on an orange cooler while everyone else on his team and on the visitor’s sideline around him stood up. He was not scheduled to play in the game.
Kaepernick, who remains an unsigned free agent, gained national attention and the ire of the nation last season when he started protesting by not standing while the Star Spangled Banner was performed before games. He explained his reasoning as what he viewed as the oppression of non-white races in America.
Lynch did not hang around after the game to answer questions as his locker was empty by the time the media was permitted in the locker room. Raiders’ head coach Jack Del Rio told reporters he was not aware Lynch would sit, though he did not believe it would be a distraction should it continue during the season.
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“On Marshawn, talked to Marshawn trying to make sure we’re on the same page,” said Del Rio. “He said, ‘This is something I’ve done for 11 years. It’s not a form of anything other than me being myself.'”
It turns out Lynch has rarely stood for the national anthem throughout his career and voiced his support for the sacked Quarterback drawing attention to incidents of police brutality against people of color.
“‘So you understand how I feel, I very strongly believe in standing for the national anthem. But I’m going to respect you as a man, you do your thing. We’ll do ours.’ It’s a non-issue for me,” added Del Rio.
