Locking Arms and Kneeling: Miami Dolphins vs. Seattle Seahawks on 9/11
All 53 Seahawks, coaches and staff members, locked arms during the national anthem before their opening game against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, marking the 15th annivesary of 9/11. Four Miami Dolphins were seen kneeling on the ground.
Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, Jelani Jenkins, and Kenny Stills waited for President Barack Obama's 9/11 memorial speech to end before kneeling on the ground during the national anthem.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson offered a strong counter to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's flag protest, which has been followed by other players in the NFL.
"When I look at our football team and the people we have in the locker room, we have so many guys who come from different socio-economic statuses, different races, different relationship situations and all that, and mixed kids. Just a lot of different situations," Wilson said.
"When we look across the board at our team, we really know how to love one another, we really know how to respect one another. It comes down to appreciating one another, understanding that God made everybody different, made everybody unique in his own image and ultimately being able to go to the idea of love," he said
#BVD “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) September 12, 2016
ESV
Players and staff came up with the idea on Friday. Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said the team is trying to "build a bridge."
"We're trying to bring people together. We're trying to help people understand that it's not just a black problem. It's not just a black people or minority problem. It's everyone's problem. Everyone lives in this country and we want to see it as great of a country as it can be," Sherman said.
Wide receiver Doug Baldwin said the players are working to schedule a meeting with the mayor of Seattle as well as local law enforcement.
"We know that there has to be change and progress," Baldwin said. "Change is inevitable. Change will always happen. But you got to apply direction to change, and that's when it's progress. And so right now what we're doing as a team, we have a follow through," Baldwin said.
