On Tuesday, head football coach Bob Davie sat with five of his players in a press conference to discuss the players kneeling during the national anthem at halftime during the Homecoming game against Air Force on Saturday. The conference included a discussion on what led the players to kneel during the anthem and the reaction to the act.
“They had every right to do that — legally, morally, ethically,” head coach Bob Davie said. “I support them 100 percent.”
Although there are many views on the subject, some feel the players have the right to make a silent, peaceful protest, while others feel this was disrespectful of the flag or the people that serve in the military.
Players said they meant no disrespect to the flag or the people that serve in the military.
“I understand that when somebody kneels, there is going to be a reaction to that — there’s going to be a strong reaction to that,” he said. “I respect that. Not everybody is going to see things through the same lens.”
But Davie said he felt it was important that people understand the context of how things unfolded that night.
The game had a 61-minute lightning delay between the first and second quarters, which contributed to halftime being reduced to just a five-minute break, as the teams stayed on the field. Davie said he had already spoken with Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun and referee Cooper Castleberry, and it was agreed on that the national anthem would not be played.
Davie said he didn’t know where the breakdown in communication occurred, but the first indication he had that the national anthem was being played was when he saw the American flag on the big screen.
The head coach said it goes to show how important having policies and procedures are and that they are carried out to avoid people being “put in harm’s way.”
Davie said the NFL protests have shown that there is no “right way” to handle the situation, but he was disappointed by some of the reactions received. He mentioned suggestions that the players disrespected the military, with some people suggesting the players should be taken off scholarship or that they won’t attend games if allowed to continue to play.
“That narrative is divisive, and that narrative is hateful,” he said.
Davie offered apologies to the five players, saying the team is an umbrella for everyone to be protected under when adversity hits. He said it is unfortunate that instead, Stanley Barnwell Jr., Michael Sewell Jr., Garrett Hughes, Kimmie Carson and Elijah Lilly were singled out — adding there would “have been a complete show of solidarity” if the situation had been handled differently.
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“I don’t think me, or any of us, took a knee for something negative,” Hughes said. “We didn’t do it to disrespect the flag…we took a knee for something we believed in.”
Hughes said former San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest last season made a lasting impact on him, but described his own act as one of instinct, because he only had a split-second to think about it.
Kaepernick said at the time that he could not stand for a country that oppressed people of color, citing instances of racial inequality and police brutality.
“Racial inequality is something that is real and is seen throughout — everywhere,” Lilly said.
UNM interim President Chaouki Abdallah seemed to offer support for the players, saying on Twitter that he supported all rights spelled out in the Constitution and that he agreed with Air Force head coach Calhoun’s statements about the situation.
"That's their right,” Calhoun said in a release. “They live in a country where they're allowed to do that. We've got service members all over the world, currently, and who have served, so if somebody chooses not to stand, they're allowed to. There's no law, and there should be no law and it should be your choice."
All five of the players said they have no regrets about making that choice, and most stated they would do so again if given the opportunity.
There certainly seems to be differing opinions about whether it is appropriate — let alone effective — to protest during the national anthem.
Carson said he wished people would take the time to look at why the players took a knee instead of focusing solely on the act itself.
Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers basketball, football and tennis. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Robert_Maler.
