Marshawn Lynch stirred up the NFL on Saturday evening before the Oakland Raiders preseason contest, opting to sit for the national anthem than stand.
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Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch sat during the National Anthem before Saturday's preseason game vs the Cardinals pic.twitter.com/OB4K0fVcdU
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 13, 2017
When asked about the decision, here's what head coach Jack Del Rio said:
Jack Del Rio on Marshawn Lynch not standing for the national anthem. pic.twitter.com/cgZkDTwWFJ
— Jimmy Durkin (@Jimmy_Durkin) August 13, 2017
"Talked to Marshawn. Wanted to make sure we're on the same page. He said 'This is something I've done for 11 years. It's not a form of anything other than me being myself.' I said, 'Just so you understand how I feel, I very strongly believe in standing for the national anthem, but I'm going to respect you as a man. You do your thing, OK?' So that's a non-issue for me."
The problem with that? He hasn't done it, at least consistently over the last 11 years:
For what it's worth, Marshawn Lynch was standing at the start of the National Anthem in this photo I took at SB49. #NFL pic.twitter.com/cOQxeiDcYn
— Will D. (@WAD1980) August 13, 2017
Marshawn Lynch on the left, standing for the national anthem in Seattle. Jack Del Rio claimed Lynch has sat for the anthem for 11 years. pic.twitter.com/X2HLScpCpK
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) August 13, 2017
12/29/13 Marshawn Lynch standing for the National Anthem. pic.twitter.com/BqaMBX10FR
— #12 in the Nation 🙌 (@TreyCumby) August 13, 2017
Last season, during Colin Kaepernick's controversial decision to kneel during the national anthem, here's what Lynch said, as transcribed by CBS Sports:
"I'd rather see him take a knee than stand up, put his hands up, and get murdered," he said at the time. "So, I mean, my take on it is, [expletive]'s got to start somewhere, and if that was the starting point, I just hope people open up their eyes to see that there's really a problem going on, and something needs to be done for it to stop. And I mean, if you're really not racist then you won't see what he's done, what he's doing, as a threat to America, but just addressing a problem that we have."
As Kaepernick still struggles to find work, let's see if Lynch continues with his decision.