Aaron Rodgers calls for unity, and no Packers or Bears take a knee for anthem
A week after we saw more national anthem demonstrations than ever before in the NFL, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers started off this week in a different way.
The Packers linked arms on one sideline, and the Bears did the same on the other. Nobody took a knee or sat for the anthem. The CBS broadcast showed a few fans linking arms as well, as Packers players including quarterback Aaron Rodgers had asked for. Last week a few Packers, including tight end Martellus Bennett, sat for the anthem.
Players from the Packers met, as did the Bears, and decided on this course of action. There was a chant of “U-S-A” from the crowd before the anthem started. Perhaps it’s a sign of the anthem story taking a new turn as Week 4 starts. The Denver Broncos already announced as a team on Thursday they would stand for the anthem as a team before Sunday’s game.
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The Packers players put out a statement earlier this week asking for fans to link arms too, but as one of the biggest stars in the league, Rodgers was the most notable voice about the subject in Green Bay this week.
“This is about equality,” Rodgers said earlier this week, according to PackersNews.com. “This is about unity and love and growing together as a society, and starting a conversation around something that may be a little bit uncomfortable for people. But we’ve got to come together and talk about these things and grow as a community, as a connected group of individuals in our society, and we’re going to continue to show love and unity.
“And this week we’re going to ask the fans to join in as well and come together and show people that we can be connected and we can grow together.”
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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