NY Times · Sep 27, 2017
How N.F.L. Sponsors Have Reacted to ‘Take a Knee’ Protests
Indianapolis Colts players knelt during the national anthem before their game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.The N.F.L. has been loud lately. Its sponsors, not so much.
The debate over players’ kneeling during the national anthem — simmering since last year, when the San Francisco 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick knelt to protest police brutality against African-Americans — boiled over last week when, during a speech in Alabama, President Trump declared that players like Mr. Kaepernick ought to be fired. Far from discouraging the protests, Mr. Trump’s remarks galvanized them, and on Sunday, players nationwide knelt or locked arms in a show of solidarity against the president.
