I fully support any means of peaceful protest and kneeling during the national anthem is something that I personally have no problem with. However, it's interesting how the media moans and groans about this politician being divisive and this statement or action being divisive, while there is no question that people kneeling during the anthem is purely a symbolic gesture and it is incredibly divisive. I don't know how it can be viewed any other way. Agree or not, there are a huge amount of people, maybe even a majority of Americans, that listen to the National Anthem and look at the flag and the first thing they think about are people who sacrificed their lives in conflicts like the Civil War and World War II. Those feeling are certainly not limited to the political left or the political right. Again, I personally have no problem with any peaceful means of protest. But I do have to question why people of these means would participate in something that is so clearly divisive in a symbolic gesture that really doesn't accomplish anything? If these high-profile individuals are motivated to make a meaningful contribution and promote real change, I think financial support for organizations like the UNCF is a far more productive action. This is a great point. We have Twitter, Instagram, ESPN... athletes have 100 ways to make their point and get their message out loud and clear. If we really are all trying to come together, this is an unnecessary divisive act. Also, there's always a lot of comments about how it's fine because they have the right to do it. One thing has nothing to do with the other. There's all kinds of things that people have the right to do, but is frowned upon by most people. Can I cough in the middle of a grocery store without covering my mouth? If my 18 year old meets a girl gets married in a week, do I just say "you have the right" and leave it at that. Best example, the confederate flag. To most black people, and a whole lot of white people they see it as a nod to racism. White people down south? They see it as southern pride, and some wave it just to stir the pot.. And some, of course, are racist. But either way, they have the right to raise that flag in their yard, or display it in their truck. Doesn't mean you have to agree they should. That's where we are with the NFL, and other sports. A lot of people will say they won't watch. For some it's just talk, they'll watch- but some won't. Ratings will tell the story. Regardless, it would be ideal if players used other forms of messaging.