Steelers players did not take the field until after the national anthem was played before their game Sunday against the Bears in Chicago.
Coach Mike Tomlin and some assistants did stand on the team’s sideline, and offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva, an Army veteran, stood visibly at the end of a stadium tunnel to the field. Otherwise, the team stayed out of sight, emerging together only after the song concluded.
National Anthem taking place in Chicago. Steelers sideline. On the other sideline Bears players standing in with arms locked hands on hearts pic.twitter.com/M7deTBF1Me
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) September 24, 2017
“We’re not participating in the anthem today, not to be disrespectful,” Tomlin said to CBS before the game. Instead, the team wanted to “remove ourselves from the circumstance” because “people shouldn’t have to choose.”
“These are very divisive times times for our country,” he added, referring to protests during the anthem around the NFL. “For us as a football team, it’s about remaining solid.”
San Francisco 49ers chief executive Jed York responded quickly and decisively, condemning Trump’s remarks in a matter of hours on Saturday. New York Jets acting owner Christopher Johnson, whose brother Woody is U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, waited until after kickoff Sunday to issue a statement that avoided the president, instead expressing generic support for his players.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, usually prone to speak off the cuff about mostly anything, was one of the few NFL owners who remained silent as a political firestorm engulfed the league. Daniel Snyder of the Redskins, who hasn’t spoken to the media in months, was another, though the team promised a statement before kickoff of Washington’s game against the Oakland Raiders Sunday night.
Trump’s decision to wage a social media offensive this weekend against NFL players who protest racial injustice during the national anthem created an uncomfortable situation for NFL owners, a heavily white, wealthy group that includes several Trump friends and supporters. Before Friday, NFL owners had registered an implicit vote against such protests by leaving former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick unemployed, but Trump’s derision of any player protesting as a “son of bitch” who should be released drew rebukes from the owners of 10 clubs, including some Trump friends.
Perhaps the most surprising response came from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a friend and donor to the president who arranged for Trump to receive a Super Bowl ring after New England’s latest title.
“I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the president on Friday,” Kraft said in a statement issued Sunday morning. “Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful.”
Kraft was one of three owners who donated to the president’s campaign or inaugural committee who criticized Trump, along with the owners of the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans.
Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam called the president’s comments “misguided, uninformed and divisive.”
“Our stance in support of the liberties of peaceful, personal expression afforded to our players and all Americans will remain strong, and we will continue to encourage our players to respectfully use their earned platform to inspire positive change in our nation and throughout society,” the Haslams said.
Texas owner Bob McNair said Trump’s remarks “were divisive and counterproductive to what our country needs right now.”
“I hope the reaction from our players results in positive action for our league, our communities and our country as a whole to make a positive difference in our society,” McNair said.
Owners or top executives from the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants all also criticized Trump directly in comments.
The remaining 16 clubs and owners released statements that, in a variety of ways, avoided mentioning Trump while expressing support for players.
Here is Tomlin’s full interview.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reveals to @JamieErdahl that the team will not be participating in today's national anthem. pic.twitter.com/5zihPWQsMv
— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) September 24, 2017
Steelers president Art Rooney II also issued a statement on the decision, saying:
Statement from #Steelers President Art Rooney II: pic.twitter.com/V6rCVvmofD
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 24, 2017
Bears players locked arms while standing on their sideline during the anthem.
Significant contributions made by Will Hobson’s Washington Post story.
First Published: September 24, 2017, 3:37 p.m.
