The increase was spurred on by the recent criticism from President Donald Trump during a rally on Friday in which he said
In addition to the player protests, many NFL owners and executives released statements supporting the players and denouncing Trump's statement.
What is amazing about this is that it all started with just one person doing something during a meaningless game that nobody noticed.
Protest Zero.
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On Sunday, August 14, 2016, the San Francisco 49ers opened their preseason schedule with a game against the Houston Texans. Colin Kaepernick, who was not dressed for the game, sat on the bench during the national anthem and not a single media outlet reported the move.
A week later, Kaepernick once again sat on the bench during the anthem prior to a game in Denver and again nobody noticed. In addition, Kaepernick did not mention anything to the media.
It was not until two weeks after the initial protest, prior to a Friday evening game in San Francisco against the Green Bay Packers, that a single media member with a smart phone snapped a pic of Kap sitting on the bench in uniform during the anthem.
Colin Kaepernick did not st... @ Jennifer Lee Chan
While many of the players kneeling during the most recent games on Sunday were doing so, at least in part, as a protest against Trump, Kaepernick had a much more specific reason for his protests.
After the third game, Kaepernick explained that the move was a protest over how the country treats black people and people of color.
Colin Kaepernick not hiding... @ Kevin Acee