U.S. Soccer: Repealing anthem kneeling ban a strong start
U.S. Soccer will consider repealing the ban on athletes kneeling for the national anthem. It is a strong start as political statements are welcomed into sports.
It has been a rough couple of weeks for the ‘stick to sports’ crowd. After George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, protests against police brutality and systemic racism have emerged across America, Canada, and the world.
The point of these protests, however, is the very same problem that Colin Kaepernick was trying to highlight almost four years ago. He first knelt for the anthem on August 26th, 2016 in a preseason game versus the Green Bay Packers. Other players joined him throughout the season and the movement grew, spurning conversations about race, policing, and the plights of black people in America. The NFL later banned players from kneeling for the anthem and Kaepernick has since been blackballed from the league.
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The NFL was not the only sport to see players kneel for the national anthem, however. It happened in soccer, too. Megan Rapinoe was the chief face of the soccer protest. She knealt for several Seattle Reign matches in the 2016 season and then did the same for a U.S. Women’s National Team versus Thailand in 2016.
This spurred U.S. Soccer into action. The USSF banned players from kneeling for the anthem. The policy was passed at the 2017 USSF AGM. It stated:
"“All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented.”"
However, with the recent shift in perspective across the country, organisations are changing their tune. Even the NFL admitted that it was wrong to ban players from kneeling for the national anthem. And now there is pressure on U.S. Soccer to follow suit.
A statement from the USWNT said plainly:
"“We believe the Federation should immediately repeal the ‘Anthem Policy,’ publish a statement acknowledging the policy was wrong when it was adopted, and issue an apology to our Black players and supporters.”"
And according to Jeff Carlisle and ESPN, the USSF board of directors will discuss the policy this week. Their discussions will take place over a conference call on Tuesday and will lead to a formal vote on Friday on whether to repeal the initial ban.
Given the current climate, the right of every person to hold and express their political views, and the growing pains of black people around the world, this would be a strong start in U.S. Soccer’s commitment to righting previous wrongs. Sportsmen and women have the right to express their political opinion. Just like an accountant has their right to criticise a quarterback, so a quarterback has the right to make a political argument or protest. And kneeling for the national anthem is a brilliant way of peacefully protesting against the systemic racism and police brutality in America and around the world.
Is this enough? Perhaps not. The USWNT calls on the USSF to apologise for its previous actions and to “support the message and movement that it tried to silence four years ago.” That goes further than just repealing a ban that shouldn’t have been sanctioned in the first place.
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However, this would be a step in the right direction, proof the U.S. Soccer, like the NFL, is learning, developing, progressing and supporting its players, fans, and communities. There is a long way to go, but this is a strong start.