Sak Sports Blog

Although less  players are protesting during the National Anthem with each passing week since President Trump's initial comments, the controversy seems to be far from over. This week the debate rages on as some teams are starting to enact protocol for players during the National Anthem. So far, the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys have made it clear players are to stand for the National Anthem. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said any player who "disrespects the flag" will promptly be benched. This begs the question: is this practice legal? The First Amendment has been brought up countless times during the ongoing controversy. The amendment protects free speech and expression, so shutting down a protest during the National Anthem would violate that amendment, right? It's not that straightforward. The First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the...

No matter which side of the debate you fall on (including the "I don't care I just want to watch football" side), the spotlight of the sports world has been the National Anthem for the past week. A movement stemming originally from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, highlighting police brutality and racial inequality, blew up in Week 3 following comments from President Donald Trump. The issue has been a source of great division for the NFL, its players, its fans, and even onlookers on social media. President Trump sparked this new wave of protest after comments both live and on Twitter. He referred to a player who kneels during the National Anthem as a "son of a bitch," adding owners should fire or release these players. This may have been plausible last week, as the movement was all but dead. But following Trump's comments, players were further compelled to kneel during the Star Spangled Banner to display their right of freedom of speech....