Many news outlets have been running a story that the entire Seahawks team was planning to protest by kneeling for the National Anthem. The players have categorically denied the rumors that were based only on the fact that the team held a meeting and not the results of the meeting. The entire team will be standing for our national Anthem, unless someone goes against the team agreement.
Doug Baldwin Jr spoke to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times:
We never said there was a protest. I don’t know who did (call it a protest), but we never said there was a protest. We never said we were kneeling, we never said we weren’t kneeling. We just said we were having a discussion. I want to be clear about that — we just said we were having a discussion.
The Seahawks held their meeting on Thursday afternoon. They agreed that whatever they did, they would do as a team. In the meeting it was determined that the entire team will stand for the National Anthem. It is suspected that Jerry Lane will break from that agreement and refuse to stand for the Anthem.
Condotta passed along comments from the veteran wideout and linebacker Bobby Wagner on Thursday. Baldwin stated he was considering some type of action but added, “I want to make sure I get all of my ducks in a row before I do so.”
Meanwhile, Wagner spoke about the teamwide plans: “Anything we want to do, it’s not going to be individual. It’s going to be a team thing. That’s what the world needs to see. The world needs to see people coming together versus being individuals.”
The team is expected to lock arms during the Anthem to show solidarity.