Marshawn Lynch Addresses National Anthem Protests on ‘Conan’
Retired NFL running back and Super Bowl winner Marshawn Lynch joined Conan Tuesday night, and Conan O’Brien asked him his thoughts on Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers backup quarterback who refuses to stand when the national anthem is played before each game. Kaepernick first got attention for refusing to stand during the anthem before a preseason game and has continued to do so. He says it’s his way of protesting racial injustice and police brutality in this country. Kaepernick’s actions have garnered national attention both inside and outside the sports world.
“With what’s going on, you know, I’d rather see him take a knee than stand up, put his hands up, and get murdered,” Lynch said when first asked about it.
Other NFL players have followed suit and either refused to stand or stood with both arms raised and hands in a fist. These peaceful protests have sparked outrage among some, because they’re seen as unpatriotic and disrespectful to our veterans. Others see Kaepernick’s action as patriotic because he is practicing his right to peaceful protest. Lynch sees it as a good thing that Kaepernick and the others have gotten so much attention from the media.
“My take on it is, [things] got to start somewhere, and if that was the starting point, I just hope people open up their eyes to see that it’s really a problem going on and something needs to be done for it to stop,” Lynch said.
Check out Marshawn Lynch playing Willy Wonka on Conan:
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