NFL protests show restraint on 9/11

On a day when this nation mourns the countless lives that were taken 15 years ago in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the world kept moving with hot issues of today in the forefront of the nation’s eye.

With reports coming that teams were planning to kneel as a whole during the national anthem on Sunday, it seemed that the attention of the nation would be diverted away from what was most important on this day.

Moreover, as the NFL season kicked off its full slate of Week 1 games Sunday, recurring protests have been grabbing the U.S.’s attention for much of the past few weeks, starting with San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Aug. 26. 

Players across the league have been joining Kaepernick’s peaceful protest against police brutality by sitting or kneeling during the national anthem. 

But what happens when this protest clashes with the remembrance of one of this nation’s most vulnerable days?

Although police relations with the community are an issue that needs to be discussed, it’s a conversation that can be had 15 other times during the season.

Despite those early reports, these sensitive, yet prominent, issues were handled in the best way possible.

Trying to find balance between a player’s right to protest and showing respect for those fallen Americans seemed like it would become another national headline.

Instead, players were still able to join together in solidarity while trying not to divert attention away from the various events honoring 9/11.

It’s not the players’ fault that opening day fell on this date, but they were able to voice their opinion in a respectful way.

Without drawing much attention, most teams, such as the Chiefs and Seahawks, simply linked arms to stand as a united front. Others, like select members of the Dolphins, still decided to kneel — some holding their hands over their hearts.

Regardless, the tribute to the lives lost on that tragic day was able to shine through, saving the nation’s current issues for another day.