Marshawn Lynch sits during the US national anthem, stands for Mexican anyhem pic.twitter.com/8wdaKprEki
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) November 19, 2017
The league-wide protests against police brutality and racial inequality have died down since their early-season zenith, but some NFL players continue to kneel or in Marshawn Lynch’s case, sit. According to Lynch, he’s sat for the national anthem for 11 years, so him sitting on a cooler surrounded by security and coaches on the sidelines isn’t really news. But, it’s his decision to stand for the Mexican national anthem before his Raiders took on the Patriots in Mexico City that shows he’s quite aware of his actions.
Mexican national anthem being sung on field at Estadio Azteca. And throughout the crowd. Marshawn Lynch rose for it. pic.twitter.com/Pz4GoEfyuw
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) November 19, 2017
Reactions from the sports world are mixed, with many once again applauding Lynch’s expression of free speech, while others call out Lynch’s perceived hypocrisy for standing for the Mexican anthem when the country has very serious problems of its own in politics and policing.
https://twitter.com/Zack_OTC/status/932374941940494336
If you are a fan of Marshawn Lynch then you should be ashamed of yourself and him for what he did today during the National Anthem.
— Vito Corleone (@BigV3032) November 19, 2017
Marshawn Lynch doesn’t protest Mexico’s long history of human rights abuses by corrupt politicians but sits for our National Anthem – the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” Disgusting. #NFL https://t.co/PzqdfHszsH
— Neil A. Carousso (@NeilACarousso) November 19, 2017
Meanwhile, the NFL owners and commissioner Roger Goodell have begun jockeying for a position of power, seemingly moved past the player protests and shows of solidarity across the league in the first few weeks of the season. Lynch could shine a light back on the protests with what he did here today, but for Roger Goodell, who’s trying to secure a lifetime private jet and a $50 million a season contract and Jerry Jones, who is looking at a potential ousting as the Cowboys owner, it seems like they have other things to worry about.
