Marshawn Lynch, a running back for the Oakland Raiders, sat on the bench during most of the Star Spangled Banner ahead of the team’s game against the New England Patriots, held in Mexico City last night. But he stood when the Mexican national anthem was played in the Azteca Stadium. A growing number of athletes have been either sitting out or taking a knee as the anthem is played at the beginning of sports events in the US since 2016. It’s a silent protest against police brutality against African Americans and racial inequality in the US.
Lynch has not stood for the US national anthem since he came out of retirement this season. And Raiders coach Jack Del Rio has previously said Lynch has been sitting out the National Anthem for 11 years, and it's "not an issue". The protests have been a frequent target of fury for the President Trump, who is under investigation for obstruction of justice.
This morning, he tweeted: “Great disrespect! Next time NFL should suspend him for remainder of season. Attendance and ratings way down.”
Over the weekend, Trump blasted the father of one of three college basketball players who had been detained in China on suspicion of shoplifting, suggesting he was insufficiently grateful to him for his part in their release. He tweeted that he should have “left them all in jail” because LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo Ball, played down Trump’s part in their release.
"Now that the three basketball players are out of China and saved from years in jail, LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo, is unaccepting of what I did for his son and that shoplifting is no big deal. I should have left them in jail!" the president tweeted.
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