Sports bring people of different races, religions, and beliefs in general together to experience a sense of unity. However, as time and society have progressed, sports have brought tension and separation between people as well. Violence rates within sports have escalated in the past ten years due to the progression of society and the ever changing ideas of cultures. Players protest violence during games by kneeling during the National Anthem, a symbol of unity and freedom. The kneeling of select players causes controversy between fans and the society. What used to be a cause for a break and unity through cheering is now seen as a means to create a split. The media is allowed to portray issues in whatever way they deem necessary or as opinionated as they want, allowing for people to get false information and causing more conflict within society. With this being said, those who do not know much about the matter are automatically split by what the media portrays. Altogether, a mixture within the telecasting of sports and media has allowed for a split in any direction. There are always two sides to a story and the sides are split by not only what the media portrays but what the culture in which a person chooses. Throughout history, sports have been used as an equalizer for different cultures but now is seen as being a means of protest of societal issues such as police brutality and race discrimination which have caused a major split in society and the protests during sporting events should be discouraged. 

Sports are a major part of American society. From football, to swimming, to rodeos, sports are always around and have been around for a very long time. At first, sports brought people together in times of disunity, and times of war. During WWII, the Olympics were being held in Berlin in 1936 which gave Hitler the idea to use the Games as a means of propaganda. While this was going on, the United States and Europe boycotted the games demonstrating a means of human right abuses which is the first boycott in the Games history. The Olympics bring together people from countries all across the world to compete in a nonviolent way for the same reason, to win. Countries that have fought each other for years come together in this special event to compete but in a nonviolent way. There have been acts of violence in the past, including the Munich massacre, the killing of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists. This violence led to an outbreak of more conflict between the countries that was already present before the Olympics began in 1972. There have been issues within the sports that have caused an outbreak but during which these haven’t resulted in years of protest afterwards pertaining to the act done within the sporting game. The only fighting that came out during the Games that continued afterwards is the fighting during wrestling and such that would be the cause of the sport.

The Olympics have also been used as a platform of protest not only for the issues that are worldwide, but the societal issues in the United States. In the 1968 Olympics, a time right at the heart of segregation, gold medalist Tommie Smith and bronze medalist John Carlos held up their fists during the award ceremony for the 200 meter sprint, demonstrating the Black Power Salute while the Star Spangled Banner played. They were dismissed from the Olympic team and subjects of criticism by the United States and across the world. The question around is whether this was an appropriate time to do this act during the pleading of the Nations Anthem and how this brought out a huge explosion of controversy in the United States. This was the first major protest that pertained to the United States and sports that has been documented in the media and a cause for change among the minorities. 

Today, before every sporting event, the National Anthem is played, allowing  for fans and players to stand and salute the flag which is a symbol of freedom in the United Staes. The tradition of standing and saluting the American flag began after World War I, a time of despair when over 100,000 soldiers had already been killed. It was at the World Series, Game 1, when the National Anthems ring began. The day before the game in Chicago where the game was being held, a bomb went off killing four people. Sadness and concern spread through the crowd and in the seventh inning, the Navy Band began to play the National Anthem. This small action caused a change in history. It brought a feeling of pride and hope, a sense of unity. But as the Baltimore Orioles general manager Arthur Ehlers said, it brought a diversion for those who did not stand and salute the flag, causing people to see this as a sign of disrespect. At first, it was the fans, but today, it is not only the fans, but the players who do not salute the flag and demonstrate the respect it is intended to show. 

Some players now, instead of standing and putting their hand over their heart to support the flag and the freedom that is deemed to come as a symbol of the flag, kneel, or just plainly do not come on the field. To some this is seen as a means of disgrace to those who have fought for our country, a means of disrespecting the United States. To fight for our country, to risk everything in order for there to be a football game to be played and the players can not stand and salute the flag that they luckily are capable of standing and saluting towards? This angers many people who have family members who passed away fighting for the safety of these players. Others see it as a means of protesting the split in the society that has been caused since the beginning, through racial discrimination. The primary kneelers are black players who claim they are protesting police brutality and the inequality that people of color in the United States face. This action began with Colin Kaepernick in a game in August of 2016. He was the first player to protest against police brutality and racial discrimination in the NFL saying  “Once again, I’m not anti-American. I love America. I love people That’s why I’m doing this. I want to help make America better. I think having these conversations helps everybody have a better understanding of where everybody is coming from” (Witz).  He decided that it was time to demonstrate that people are not going to be treated differently by their skin color and this is how he decided to demonstrate this. Although many people are opposed of this act, he has gotten a few notable acceptances of his actions. 

An ex-Army Ranger, Rory Fanning, spoke out on behalf of Kaepernick's kneeling stating that “Kaepernick is choosing not to lie to himself, the world, or all the people who thought they died to ensure we lived in a free country, by claiming this is the land of the free when it is not. This is the opposite of an insult to those who died thinking they were fighting for liberty” (Hafner). This side of an ex-military man makes people truly contemplate whether what they are arguing about in the stands and behind the television really has that big of an impact on society. It also questions whether what they are arguing is appropriate in the platform they are arguing it on. However, at the end of the day, Kaepernick is still unemployed. His actions cost him his job and reputation among the elite and those who believe in what the flag stands for. However, he was seen as a hero to the minorities. 

The controversy has been displayed for years and has been . There is a racial split and this split has caused issues in society. Sports, something that once brought people of different backgrounds, races, and ethnicities together, is now an issue that has caused teams to sit in locker rooms during the playing of our National Anthem, during a time in which we are supposed to be united and show a united front. 

There are sports that the point of the competition is to cause violence, however, these sports do not have a purpose of protest as what has been displayed in the eyes of the football world. Wrestling is a sport that uses a means of fighting to win and be on top. Lacrosse and football are also sports that in a sense use a bit of violence to win. Pads are required in both of these sports in order for injuries to be suffered during the game. However, this means of violence is accepted because it is seen as entertainment. Sports are used as a means of entertainment and not as a means to protest political or social issues. From a fans perspective they have always been seen as entertainment and competition and when it is altered people become angry and use the time to now not focus on the sport but on the people and why they are partaking in this means of protest.  

Sports are not a means of protest nor should they be used as a means of protest. There are millions of others of reasons to display protest, but sports should not be used as one of those reasons. Half of the time people are uncertain of what is trying to be protested and brought to the attention of the public. People just see kneeling players in the media and do not know what is causing them to kneel. Controversy has always been present in sports within teams but when it comes onto the field or court, a majority of the time, the controversy is put aside, other than the hustles that happen during teams when a foul play happens. Teams stand up for one another, a sense of unity, and will protect their teammates. However, when it comes to the National Anthem, teams sit in the locker room and some do not want to do that but they are forced to because of what their team decided. A Steelers player, Alejeandro Villanueva, was the only player to stand on the field while the Anthem was being played. In an interview he stated he did not want to disrespect and go against his team's back, but this was what he fought for and what he stood as and he would stand and salute the flag of freedom that allowed for him to be playing on that field today. Some fellow team members understood his reasonings, but others did not. They pushed away and saw him as a white man not knowing what is going on in society today.  Later apologizing, Villanueva explained “That is the very embarrassing part of my end in what transpired, because when everybody sees an image of me standing by myself, everybody thinks that the team, the Steelers, are not behind me, and that's absolutely wrong.” With this explanation it gives the vantage point that it is not based on a team aspect but an individual belief and in order to maintain an unified front in front of the media, the team must compromise. 

When players can not even back up their own teammates use of protesting, how are fans supposed to be behind players? Young children look up to professional athletes as a role model, a means of what they want to be when they grow up. When players are kneeling down during the National Anthem and causing controversial actions among games, those children now are learning to accept what those players believe. By teaching these young people that protesting by kneeling during the National Anthem is okay, they are teaching them that protesting during a prayer in church or with the kneeling would be okay and that it can be a societal norm. But, it is not a societal norm and in a way it does disrespect those who fought for the country in an attempt to cause freedom by stepping all over the pathway to equality. The media has been a main source of ways in which people are discovering what is going on today and they are not given the full story behind the matter. At first, the media demonstrates what is openly seen and not necessarily what the truth is. With that being said, teenagers see the beginning of the story and what is said before the truth comes out and then they do not alter what is seen afterwards because their ideas are already in affect by what was written in the first place. People who do not necessarily read the paper or watch the news can go online and see a tweet about what occurred and automatically assume that whoever created the tweet had all the facts. The media allows for pictures to be posted and editors opinions to shape the way in which the issue is to be discussed at hand. For example, Ray Lewis, a former Baltimore Ravens player kneeled during the National Anthem. From what was seen, it was thought that he was kneeling with those protesting the fight against racial discrimination. However, in an interview later, Lewis stated “I didn’t drop on one knee in order to protest. … I dropped on two knees – both knees – so I can simply honor God in the midst of chaos.” This shows that what is seen on the media at first is not always the truth, that the real truth must come from those doing the act. 

Media is always present in every situation. They were present during the 9/11 attacks, they were present at your graduation. Pictures are taken everywhere you go to document major events that happen in both your life and the life around you. Media can be both biased and unbiased and it allows for the viewers to portray the way in which they perceive to be what they want. It can be very opinionated and not allow for people to have knowledge of a subject other than what the media sees it as. For example, with the kneeling of the national anthem by sports players, those who are opposed to the action write about how it is disrespectful to our country. Because of this, viewers of that particular media are automatically brought to that opinion and conclusion. Emails were being sent to one source exclaiming people’s views of the issue at hand. Whatever articles were written, there was a response because people today are so stubborn that no matter what is true or untrue, only they can be correct. 

Along with people writing articles on the subject, Donald Trump has written tweets that can be considered quite controversial. One tweet states, “the issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect to our country, flag, and national anthem” (Trump). Adding onto this tweet, Trump told managers of NFL teams that they should grab the players who kneel and tell them to “get that son of a bitch off the field. Out! He’s fired (Digiovanna and Wike). The use of Twitter by President Trump has caused much controversy since the beginning of his announcement of running for president and still today is an issue. What he is saying on Twitter is causing players to lash out and further have hatred for what they are protesting. It is causing more split in our society, the whites, and the blacks. 

In conclusion, the act of kneeling during the National Anthem is an example of protest that has caused major issues within the United States causing breaks between the minorities and the whites. It in all is inappropriate in a sense that it disrespects those who fought for our country whether present or in the past. Fighting for our country not only for freedom, but equality.  This issue of race has been present from the beginning of the foundation of the United States and has been a rollercoaster ride since then. No matter how progressive our society gets, the issue of racial discrimination and the protests that come from it will be present. How our society reacts to this and how those who would like to protest decide to, the tension could potentially be reduced and figured out. 
