The first weekend of the NFL was marked by widespread social justice activism as a lack of fan interest led to a near-record ratings collapse.
More than four years after Colin Kaepernick became better known for bending his knee than his elbow, players across the league knelt, linked arms, or remained in their locker rooms during the national anthem.
In other instances, whole teams remained in the locker room until after Star-Spangled Banner and Lift Every Voice and Sing, sometimes referred to as the black anthem.
At the season opener between the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Houston Texans, the crowd’s boos overwhelmed its cheers as players linked arms during a moment of unity.
The booing started after the Texans stayed in the locker room for the national anthem, and continued as they emerged and interlocked arms for what was supposed to be a moment of silence, according to the Associated Press.
According to preliminary ratings, viewership was down 12.3 per cent from the 2019 kickoff game, with 19.3 million this year compared to 22.12 million last year. That’s just above the nine-year low of 19 million viewers from the 2018 season opener between the Eagles and Atlanta Falcons, the worst since 2009
Credit The Independent Juan Vallejo
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