Even as a few players continue to kneel during the national anthem8 U.S.C 2257 the furor over the NFL's anthem protests has been relatively quiet this season. But this week a San Francisco 49ers cheerleader took a knee and brought renewed attention to the protests.
The incident occurred on Thursday night ahead of the 49ers game against the Oakland Raiders. Fans in the crowd snapped photos of the unidentified cheerleader taking a knee in the endzone.
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We've reached out to the team for comment on the incident as well as the cheerleader's identity.
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The online reaction, like with all things even overtly political in 2018, was mixed. While some people praised her protest, many of those who derided her simply fell back on lazy, misogynist sexual innuendo.
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At least one outlet suggested it was the first time a cheerleader had participated in the protest.
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It's also noteworthy because the anthem protest originator, Colin Kaepernick, began his protests as a member of the 49ers. The team was the last he played for before becoming a free agent after the 2016 season. He has yet to be signed by another team.
Many players who had previously protested the anthem no longer take a knee. The exceptions include Eric Reid of the Carolina Panthers, a former teammate of Kaepernick, and Kenny Stills of the Miami Dolphins.
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The NFL has had its own mess with the anthem, having announced new rules in May 2018, which incurred backlash from supporters of the protests who saw the league as kowtowing to the racist ravings of President Trump. By July, the NFL and the players union agreed to freeze the rules for the time being.
Meanwhile, even as quarterbacks like Derek Anderson and Jameis Winston collect NFL paychecks, Kaepernick remains unsigned.
