This is shaping up to be the most tension-filled opening weekend in NFL history.
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Colin Kaepernick's protest of the national anthem prior to the start of games continues growing in its support as more and more players join the effort in their respective contests. The issue of whether these protests would even take place Sunday, which happens to fall on Sept. 11 this year—-the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and D.C. in 2001 that left over 3,000 people dead—-has now been made even more uneasy by the other side.
The NFL has just announced plans to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks during its games on Sunday with special tributes, video messages from President Barrack Obama and former President George W. Bush, as well as each team having special guests on the field for pregame activities and a national anthem ceremony.
This thing is headed for a crescendo of the sort the league has never seen. On one side, Kaepernick's stance—-which he calls raising awareness for police brutality and racial injustices suffered by people of color in the country—-continues gaining unforeseen momentum. Other NFL players have supported Kaepernick's protest. The 49ers' Eric Reid and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane both refused to stand during the national anthem last week before their respective teams' preseason games. Thursday night Denver linebacker Brandon Marshall knelt before their season opener against the Carolina Panthers. Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said this week that the team may protest en masse before Sunday's opener against the Dolphins.
Support for Kaepernick is also mounting beyond the scope of the NFL. Soccer star Megan Rapinoe, who plays for the U.S. national team and the Seattle Reign of the national women's soccer league, knelt during the national anthem last weekend in a nod to Kaepernick, and an unidentified U.S. Navy sailor posted a video of herself sitting in protest during the national anthem at a Florida military base this week.
Even President Obama hinted at supporting Kaepernick when last week, during the G20 summit he said:
"I'd rather have young people engaged in the argument and trying to think through how they can be part of our democratic process than those who are just sitting on the sidelines."
Since the controversy broke, support has only grown for Kaepernick, specifically over social media.
RELATED: For players who want to protest the national anthem, Sundays games fall on Sept. 11
On the other side, critics have been unforgiving. Team USA hockey coach John Tortorella said Tuesday:
"If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game."
In a move to block Megan Rapinoe's protest, Washington Spirit owner Bill Lynch had the national anthem played before players even took the field for the Spirit-Reign matchup earlier this week.
Wherever you stand, this seems to be something that's not going anywhere anytime soon. It's become the biggest hot-button issue in sports, and Kaepernick has vowed to continue his protest into the regular season with no plans for its end. One thing appears to be certain, though, the NFL's uncharacteristically muted stance could be headed for a collision course with Sept. 11, and football fan or not, it's one you won't wanna miss.
