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Video: Eagles and Washington Players Lock Arms Together Before Kickoff

The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team joined together in protest before the kickoff of Sunday’s game. Members of each team locked arms in the middle of the field prior to the start of the season opener.

A brief clip, posted by ESPN, shows the two teams facing each other during the playing of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.”

The video garnered a mixed reaction from many on social media. “Let’s see how many fans are ‘done’ with the NFL after seeing this,” one user writes. Another user chimed in writing: “The players used to get fired up during the national anthem. Back when they were proud to represent our country and ready [to] beat the crap out of their opponents. Now they hold hands and kneel.”

The pre-game protest led by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Football Team closely resembled that of the one before the KC Chiefs and the Houston Texans game. Both teams locked arms in a “moment of unity.” Similarly, many on social media voiced conflicting views on the situation. Many fans at the game openly opposed the demonstration by booing.

Philadelphia Eagles Owner Speaks Out About NFL Protets

Earlier this summer, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie spoke out about the NFL protests. Lurie explained that he backs the players right to protest and doesn’t mind dealing with the potential fallout.

“I’m not concerned because I’m supportive of everything that’s involved in terms of trying to create attention and change,” Lurie said, according to USA Today. “I’ve always been that way. And if we have to sacrifice, we have to sacrifice.”

Lurie previously explained that he hoped the NFL organizations find a resolution that causes effective change. “I guess my most important opportunity to discuss that would be, ‘What can we do that’s really effective?’ That it’s not simply a statement but something with action involved with it,” he said.

He concluded by saying: “We’ve had a history in our country of having athletes, mostly independently — from Muhammad Ali, John Carlos and the 1968 Olympics, the list goes on and on, all the way through recent times. It’s nice to see that leagues and teams now in partnership can come together and show the country that these are real important issues.”

[H/T USA Today]

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