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Editor's Note: ThinkProgress updated and relaunched its protest tracking project in an interactive database you can find here, which includes more recent data. The original story below was last updated on November 3, 2016.
It's been over two months since Colin Kaepernick was first spotted sitting down as the Star Spangled Banner was sung at a preseason NFL game because he refused to "show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color."

In a relatively short period of time, his protest of police brutality and racial injustice in the United States has captivated the country and sparked a debate not only about the state of race relations in America, but about what exactly it means to be a patriot.

As black men have continued to be killed by police - most notably Terrence Crutcher in Tulsa and Keith Scott in Charlotte - Kaepernick's initial protest has mutated and spread.

Overall, at least 49 NFL players from 13 NFL teams have knelt, sat, or raised a fist during the national anthem on game day. Three teams have linked arms or held hands as a sign of unity amidst the racial discord.

The protests aren't just confined to the NFL, either.

Fourteen WNBA players from three teams protested in the playoffs. Star soccer player Megan Rapinoe took a knee during the anthem during a NWSL game, and later when representing the U.S. national team. Gold medal swimmer Anthony Ervin raised a fist as the anthem played during a meet in Brazil. Eight NBA teams have joined arms in unity. Even national anthem singers are taking a knee.

Perhaps most significantly, protests during the anthem have occurred in at least 52 high schools, 43 colleges, one middle school, and two youth leagues in 35 states across the country and three nations abroad.

These protests have inspired far more than controversy - they've inspired conversations among people of all ages, races, and backgrounds. Thad Matta, the head coach of the Ohio State men's basketball team, even told reporters that he is going to encourage locker room conversations about the state of race relations in today's society this season. They've also inspired action -though NBA players aren't taking a knee (although some teams are locking arms in unity during the anthem, a mutation of the protest that is included in this round-up), many players and teams are taking concrete steps to improve things in their communities.

However, the peaceful protests have not come without a cost; kids as young as 11 have received death threats, and professional players have lost endorsements. One youth football team even had to cut its season short because of backlash. Still, nearly every day, more athletes of all ages take a knee during the national anthem at sporting events, and there's no indication they'll stop anytime soon.

ThinkProgress has been monitoring the spread of the movement closely. Below, you will find a timeline of the protests breaking out across the nation.
This piece will be updated regularly as new anthem protests in the sports world emerge. Please email lgibbs@thinkprogress.org if you are aware of any missing from the list.
August 26: Colin Kaepernick sits during the anthem before an NFL preseason game

San Francisco 49ers (NFL): San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Kaepernick remains seated during the national anthem at a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told NFL.com. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

The 49ers and the NFL both expressed support for the quarterback's right to sit, but his actions sparked a stream of controversy across the league.

September 1: NFL players Eric Reid and Jeremy Lane join Kaepernick's protest

San Francisco 49ers (NFL): In the final preseason games of the year, Kaepernick's teammate Eric Reid joined him in his anthem protests. However, they decided to take a knee instead of merely remaining seated.

Reid told reporters this was a way to show that they still had respect for the anthem and military, while still bringing awareness to racial inequality and police brutality.

"We need a more substantive conversation around race relations and the way people of color are treated."

Seattle Seahawks (NFL): Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane also showed his solidarity with Kaepernick by remaining seated during the anthem.

Lane has not sat since this game. Instead, he has joined a "show of solidarity" with the rest of his teammates during the anthem.

September 2: A high school football player in Ohio kneels during anthem, receives racist threats

Brunswick High School: Ohio's Rodney Axson didn't plan on becoming the first high school athlete to join Kaepernick's protests, but when he heard his teammates using the "N-word" to describe players on the other team, he changed his mind and took a knee during the anthem.

The Brunswick High senior has received racist threats ever since.

Axson says he was called the N-word by teammates multiple times both verbally that day and in subsequent text messages.

Later in the week, a Snapchat post surfaced with a photo of a hand-written piece of paper with four "N-Words" preceded by "F - k Rodney" and followed by "Lets Lynch Ni - ers."

Since Axson's initial protest, he hasn't had a chance to take a knee again, because the anthem has been played while his team is in the locker room on game day. Brunswick police are reportedly investigating the threats. On September 16, supporters from around Ohio came to Axson's game.

September 4: Soccer star Megan Rapinoe takes a knee before NWSL game

Seattle Reign (NWSL): In what she described as a "nod to Kaepernick," Seattle Reign star Megan Rapinoe took a knee during the national anthem before her game against the Chicago Red Stars.

"I am disgusted with the way [Kaepernick] has been treated and the fans and hatred he has received in all of this," Rapinoe said. "It is overtly racist. 'Stay in your place, black man.' Just didn't feel right to me. We need a more substantive conversation around race relations and the way people of color are treated."

Her protest was thwarted at the September 7 NWSL game against the Washington Spirit, when Spirit owner Bill Lynch decided to play the anthem while the players were still in the locker room. Rapinoe did not kneel during the anthem before the September 11 Reign game.

September 6: A high-school soccer player takes a knee

Clark Montessori High School: Tom Gallagher, a white soccer player at Clark Montessori High School, takes a knee during the national anthem.

"Kaepernick is just protesting the overall inequality between races in our country," Gallagher told Cincinnati.com. "Black people, as a whole, on the socioeconomic scale, are lower than white people, and nothing is really being done about it. It can't just be people of color. It has to be people of power and privilege who help to make change. I have a responsibility."

" It has to be people of power and privilege who help to make change. I have a responsibility."

September 7: Three volleyball players at West Virginia University Tech kneel

West Virginia University Tech: Keyona Morrow, a volleyball player and the vice president of the Black Student Union at WVU Tech, knelt during the anthem along with two of her teammates.

"Everyone should be treated equally, no matter their color age, sex anything. Everyone needs to be on one page, everyone needs to be treated the same way," Morrow said.

September 8: Broncos' linebacker Brandon Marshall kneels on NFL opening night

Denver Broncos (NFL): In the nationally televised kickoff to the 2016 NFL regular season, Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall seized the spotlight and took a knee.

"I'm not against the police. I'm not against the military. I'm not against America. I'm against social injustice," Marshall told reporters. "This movement is something special."

Marshall has lost two sponsors since his action.

On September 14, he announced that he was partnering with several organizations in Denver and planned to donate $300 for every tackle he makes this season to those groups. Those donations can be tracked through the hashtag #TackleChange. He plans to keep taking a knee throughout the season.

On November 6, after eight weeks of protests, Marshall announced he would begin standing again. " I'm encouraged with the many productive discussions and progress that has taken place as the Denver Police department has decided to review its use of force policy," he wrote. " ust because I am standing doesn't mean the work will end. There's much work to be done."

On September 25, Marshall's teammate T.J. Ward joined in and took a knee.

"I took some weeks to think about doing it," Ward said, via the Denver Post. "I didn't want to jump in with everything going on around Kap and be part of a tumbleweed effect. But I dealt with it alone last night, all the way up until the moment I put my fist up."

September 9: High school football players across the country take a knee during the anthem, as does a FSU volleyball player

"I'm standing up for the injustice that happens to black people every day, not just cops killing black people."

"I'm standing up for the injustice that happens to black people every day, not just cops killing black people," Oppong said. "We are disrespected and mistreated everywhere we go on a daily basis because of our skin color and I am sick of it."

Lincoln Southeast High School: One black student and one white student at Nebraska's Lincoln Southeast High School  - Sterling Smith and Michael Baklykov - took a knee during the anthem, and plan to continue to kneel all season.

Smith explained his reasoning on Twitter:

I've learned that walking in the 'wrong neighborhood' past 10:00 o'clock wearing colored skin can get you questioned by the police because you clearly have ulterior motives. I've learned that blatant racism is only humor and that I need to 'not take it so seriously.' I've learned that going to a store will get you followed by employees because obviously your intentions are to steal. I've learned that ghetto is the new synonym for black. I've learned that addressing civil injustices placed on minority groups makes you another bitter black man who can't put the history books down.

Waggener High School: Tre Chappell, a junior running back at Waggener High in Louisville, Kentucky, was the only member of his team to kneel during the anthem on September 9.

After the game, his coach said they were looking for an "alternate gesture," so on September 16, the whole team stood during the anthem but t ook a knee and a delay of game penalty after the first play of the game.

Auburn High School: At least six s tudents from Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois took a knee during the anthem.

Their protest has sparked a lot of conversation in the community. Jennifer Webster, the principal Damascus High School - the school Watkins Mill faced on the road on September 16- told local media that the protest has been a huge topic both on social media and inside the classroom.

"The Watkins Mill players' silent protest Friday night has started a bigger conversation that must continue so that we can deepen our understanding of one another," Webster wrote in an open letter in late September.

In early October, one of the captains of the Watkins Mill football team attended a Youth Town Hall to explain why the team was protesting.

"We face challenges that not everyone goes through on a daily basis," Brian McNeary said. "We get followed around stores and profiled while we're just walking down the street or around the corner from our school."

"I've learned that addressing civil injustices placed on minority groups makes you another bitter black man who can't put the history books down."

West Seattle High School: Players on the West Seattle High Wildcats football team take a knee.

Minneapolis North High School: Seven football players at Minneapolis North High School take a knee.

North teacher Marjaan Sirdar, who instructs at least half the team and teaches black culture, said that many of the students had just recently found out about the third verse of the national anthem, which references the death of slaves. That helped

"Society has taught [people of color] that they're not equal," Sirdar said, as reported by the Minnesota StarTribune. "The expectation is for us to celebrate a song that celebrates our murder, which is just foul."

Florida State University: Women's volleyball player Mara Green took a knee during the anthem before her game.

"I am unhappy with the racial tension, racial injustice and police brutality in our country," Green said. "This is my way of silently and peacefully protesting."

She has continued the protest at subsequent games.

September 10: The anthem protests continue in high schools, and spread to a youth football team, two college football teams, and even Alaska

Tulsa University: Keanu Hill, a cornerback at the University of Tulsa, takes a knee during the anthem before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The school released a statement saying they supported his decision, but that "the actions of one do not speak for an entire group and - in this instance - not for The University of Tulsa Athletics."

Beaumont Bulls: The Bulls' season was cut short after every player and almost every coach on the Bulls, an 11- and 12- year-old team prep football team, took a knee during the anthem. As news spread about their protest, the kids received death threats, and the youth league removed the head coach for actions that created "a hostile mood."

When youth league threatened to suspend their season, some of the kids continued to kneel the following week. April Parkerson, mother of one of the boys on the team, says her son would likely keep kneeling for the rest of the season.

"We've been noticed, we've been seen," Parkerson said. "Now we want to take it a step further and help bridge the gap here in the community to make a positive change. We can't just leave it where it is."

But the boys didn't get an opportunity. On October 18, the season ended early, according to the Beaumont Enterprise:

Bulls president Seterria Anderson, whose son is on the team, said the team disbanded because several players quit, leaving the Bulls without enough players. April Parkerson, another parent, said the board canceled the rest of the season over the protest.

...Since Barber was removed, some of the team's players have not attended practices or games, according to Parkerson. "We are not practicing anymore, nor did we quit," Parkerson said. She said the players would likely return if Barber was reinstated as coach. She said that about 14 players were part of that protest.

Local news reports include conflicting accounts of the incident's fallout, but after the story went viral, Snopes compiled a rundown of what happened.

West Anchorage High School: Six players in Alaska took a knee during the anthem on a Saturday afternoon game. The principal refused to let them talk to the media afterwards.

San Francisco Mission High School: Players from all races took a knee before their game, much to the surprise of their coach. Via the San Francisco Chronicle:

Every player on the roster - black, white, Latino, Asian - was on one knee, an echo of the hotly debated move by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to protest racial inequality and police brutality. In that moment, Hill said, he saw a team that had decided to experience "this historical moment" as a unit.

The coach, who is black, also had a more immediate dilemma: What am I going to do?

"I decided I'd stand for them," he said. "I'm gonna stand for my team."

The protest was let by Niamey Harris, a 17-year-old team captain and starting quarterback, who asked his teammates to join him on one knee before the game.

"This is for helping everybody else in the world to understand that black people and people of color are going though difficulties and they need help. It's not going to take care of itself," Harris told his teammates.

Woodrow Wilson High School: Woodrow Wilson High School football coach Preston Brown decided to kneel for the national anthem before his team's home opener. His entire team decided to join him.

"All my life I felt like I stood up for the national anthem as a formality," said Brown after the Tigers' 13-7 loss. "It never meant that much to me. I still love America. I have nothing against it, and I still love our military and all that they do but it was never a song that moved me. I always just closed my eyes and did it.

"All my life I felt like I stood up for the national anthem as a formality."

"(Because) of recent events that happened the last couple years, things I experienced in college being an African American student athlete in the south (at Tulane), I felt it was an appropriate time to do that."

In a moving column on Philly.com, Brown wrote that he and his players are hurting because of the constant racial profiling they face. He also noted that the comments on articles about the protests just serve to reinforce why the protest is so important.

If anyone doubted why we felt the need to call attention to the injustices we face, they only need to read the comments on the articles about our actions. From readers all around the country, we were sent images of the Confederate flag. We were repeatedly told to leave the country. "Disgusting behavior obviously by an ignorant coach," was among the nicer responses.

Brown said that the team might not kneel during every anthem, but that he and his players will focus on implementing change, including "community service projects, the dialogue with police officials, the classroom conversation."
Editor's note: This section initially included a photo of this protest tweeted by the twitter account @Crystal1Johnson. Subsequent reporting from ThinkProgress found that while the protest did happen, @Crystal1Johnson was actually not a genuine account and was linked to Russia. We removed the tweet on 10/23/17.
September 11: On the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, 14 more NFL players and one WNBA player join in the protests by taking a knee, locking arms, or raising fists

Miami Dolphins (NFL): Four Dolphins - Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, Kenny Stills, and Jelani Jenkins - take a knee during the anthem before their game against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle, Washington.

Foster, Thomas, and Stills all continued to kneel the following week, while Jenkins decided to stand for the rest of the season.

"Racial, social and economic inequality is very real in this country, and it is time for real change with real results," Jenkins explained in a powerful essay for TIME Magazine. "In order to help stimulate meaningful change, sometimes it takes a controversial - but meaningful - stand."

Seattle Seahawks (NFL): The Seahawks locked arms as way to express unity.

"In this country we've gone through so much. The African American community, we've gone through a lot," Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said. "Not every police officer is a bad police officer. Not every African American is a bad person."

Their actions received criticism from some supporters of the anthem protests, including The Nation 's Dave Zirin, who said the action "ignores community organizations on the ground and treats police violence like it's a communication problem."

The team plans to continue to link arms throughout the season.

"Racial, social and economic inequality is very real in this country, and it is time for real change with real results."

New England Patriots (NFL): Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett and defensive back Devin McCourty raised their fists after the national anthem before their game in Glendale, Arizona. They did not continue the action in week 2.

Kansas City Chiefs (NFL): Marcus Peters linked arms with the rest of his team during the anthem, but raised his fist afterwards.

The following Sunday, he did not join his team on the sideline during the anthem. Instead, he hung back by the water coolers and drank water.

Tennessee Titans (NFL): Titans defensive end Jurrell Casey, linebacker Wesley Woodyard, and cornerback Jason McCourty raised their fists during the anthem. In later games, they were joined by two other teammates.

Phoenix Mercury (WNBA): Mercury center Kelsey Bone took a knee during the singing of the national anthem before the team's home game against the Atlanta Dream. According to Arizona Central, she will continue kneeling in the WNBA playoffs.

"We're not going to fix this tomorrow. We're not going to fix this today," Bone said. "We might not be the ones who benefit from this. But maybe our kids will, maybe our grandkids will."

September 12: On Monday Night Football, Kaepernick and Reid kneel, while two Los Angeles Rams raise fists

St. Louis Rams (NFL): Robert Quinn and Kenny Britt both raised their fists during the national anthem. Their opponents in the game were the 49ers, meaning Kaepernick and Reid were kneeling across the field.

Quinn continued his protest the following week, while Britt did not. By week 4, according to ESPN, defensive end William Hayes joined Quinn in raising his fist.

September 15: Entire girls' volleyball team in Minneapolis takes a knee; Rapinoe goes national

Minneapolis South High School: Every girl on the volleyball team took a knee during the anthem.

https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/776744450236317696

U.S. Women's National Soccer Team: Rapinoe took her protest up a notch when she knelt during the national anthem in the USWNT friendly match against Thailand. U.S. Soccer was not thrilled with her decision, and her teammate Carli Lloyd called her protest a " distraction."

However, Rapinoe knelt once again in the friendly against the Netherlands on September 18, and U.S. Soccer decided not to punish her.

September 16: Entire high school team in Seattle takes a knee

Garfield High School: The Garfield High School Bulldogs players and coaching staff took a knee and put their hands on one another's shoulders before a game against West Seattle High.

"Everybody wants to talk about how this is disrespectful to the American flag," Garfield coach Joey Thomas said, via the Seattle Times. "That's a smokescreen. How about we talk about the issues people are kneeling and fighting for? If we could start addressing the issues and finding solutions to the issues, we won't have to kneel."

Edina High School: Several black players in Edina, Minnesota take a knee before their Homecoming game. The athletes reportedly approached administrators beforehand, saying "they felt very strongly" about joining in the protest.

Laguna Creek High School: In Sacramento, California, 12 football players took a knee during the anthem.

"As much as people are upset about me taking a knee, I'm just as upset about racial injustices across the country."

Palm Beach Lakes High School: Three football players took a knee during the national anthem.

"Take a knee, people riot," running back Jalen Wright told local reporters. "Take a bullet, people quiet."

Jefferson County High School: In Georgia, a Jefferson County Warrior football player briefly kneels during the anthem.

September 17: Cheerleaders join in

"The backlash African-Americans are receiving right now is the exact reason for the protest," Johnson said, referring to the hate he had received since his photo of the cheerleaders went viral on Twitter. "It justifies the reason to do it in the first place."

University of Pennsylvania: Two Penn cheerleaders also joined the protests. Junior Alexus Bazen took a knee, while junior Deena Char raised her fist.

"I believe that the climate of the world right now is very hostile," Bazen said, as reported by The Daily Pennsylvanian. "All over the news there has been brutality and violence against people of color and I truly believe in ... fighting for equality and standing up for what I believe in."

Pima Community College: Two football players on the football team knelt during the anthem before their game against Scottsdale Community College.

Illinois Weslyan University: Quincy Butler and Jamal Jackson both took a knee before IWU's game against North Central.

"I'm just doing one little thing I can do," Jackson said, as reported by Central Illinois Proud. "As much as people are upset about me taking a knee, I'm just as upset about racial injustices across the country,"

"If we could start addressing the issues and finding solutions to the issues, we won't have to kneel."

"I just felt like there needed to be some change because here you still see problems," Marquis Hubanks, a sophomore halfback and linebacker, told the Journal Sentinel. "You move around the world and you see there isn't that much equality. We don't get treated the same as everyone else. I just don't think its right."

Texas Christian University: About 20 students wore black and stayed seated for the homecoming game against Iowa State. According to TCU360, some held signs with slogans like "Unapologetic and black," and "Oppression is wrong." Others referenced Bible verses.

"We can't support a nation and a flag and an anthem that doesn't support us," Shanel Alexander, a senior and protest organizer said. The students are continuing to protest home games and have met the university chancellor with a list of demands.

September 19: Four Philadelphia Eagles raise their fists on Monday Night Football

Philadelphia Eagles (NFL): Eagles players Malcolm Jenkins, Ron Brooks, Marcus Smith, and Steven Means raised their fists during the anthem before their Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears.

"It had nothing to do with necessarily disrespecting the flag or not representing the country," Jenkins said. "The issue is about the treatment of African Americans and minorities in this country, when you talk about social injustice."

Jenkins had told reporters earlier in the week that the team was planning something, stating they had chosen not to protest on September 11. According to Pro Football Talk, a full-team action was discussed, but ultimately they decided against it:

"There were some other suggestions about doing some things as a full team," Jenkins said. "But sometimes when you look at it and you want to create an impact, holding hands or locking arms doesn't address the actual issue. Although it looks great because you're all together, the honest truth about it, some guys on the team actually don't care about the issues, which is fine. We wanted to make sure that whatever we did, if we were going to step out and stand up for something, that it was impactful and actually stuck to the message."

September 20: Middle school football coach kneels with players behind the bleachers; youth band kneels while playing anthem at MLB game

Griffin Middle School: Griffin Middle School football coach Brett Stanley and a few of his players took a knee behind the bleachers while the Star Spangled Banner played before a Tuesday night football game.

After his protest the previous week, Griffin principal Gwendolyn Thomas had threatened to cancel the game if he continued the protest.

"At this point, I don't want to take away from the kids," Stanley said, via the Tallahassee Democrat. "But I don't want to give up my rights, you know.

Oakland Unified School District: Most of the 155 students playing in the OUSD honor band took a knee towards the end of national anthem at the Oakland A's game "in protest against police brutality and unfair treatment of people of color in America."

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"I wanted us to kneel because as a country we need to have a conversation about what is going on here," 14-year-old Mikayla told Red Flag. "We have been turning our backs on murder and racism, and I was tired of not doing anything about it.

"A lot of people think that because we are kids, we aren't paying attention to what's happening in the news, but we notice a lot, and see who got shot."

September 21: Entire Indiana Fever team kneels during anthem before the kick-off to the WNBA playoffs; a white veteran shows solidarity

Indiana Fever (WNBA): In a momentous action, the entire Indiana Fever team linked arms and took a knee while the anthem was played before their sudden-death playoff game against the Phoenix Mercury.

According to Tameka Catchings, who was playing in the final game of her legendary basketball career, the players did not tell their coach, Stephanie White, what they were doing beforehand. But she was not angry in the least.

"When we got into the huddle," Catchings said, "(White) looked at each one of us and said she was proud of us."

After the game, White explained why she was so please with her team's decision, as reported by Gregg Doyle of the Indianapolis Star.

"Something like this creates conversation, and that's how we create change," she said. "We don't create change by seeing it on the news and waiting until next time. People who have the platforms have the ability to affect change, and I'm proud of our group for using the platform in a respectful manner."

Phoenix Mercury (WNBA): The Fever were inspired to take a knee by the Mercury's Kelsey Bone, who had been taking a knee during the anthem for the past few games.

Bone continued to kneel in the playoff game, and this time was joined by her teammate, Mistie Bass.

Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School: Brebeuf Jesuit goalkeeper Lauren Turner took a knee by herself during the anthem before the soccer team played on Wednesday night in Indianapolis.

"The reason behind (kneeling) was the shooting in Oklahoma that happened two days ago," Turner said, referring to the murder of Terrence Crutcher. "I've always just been interested in how blacks have been treated throughout history and I think it's just important for everybody to realize what's actually going on."

"Our young people are hurting, and we must listen and hear their pain."

DeSoto High School: Several members of the DeSoto High School girls' volleyball team in Texas took a knee during the national anthem. According to NBC5, players told reporters "the next black man shot could be their dad, brother or boyfriend."

DeSoto school board president Carl Sherman released a statement supporting their action:

Our students are witnessing the erosion of the 14th amendment right before their eyes. A lesson in liberty and justice, once reserved for textbooks, is now on full display in streets across our Nation. One can only imagine the fear in their hearts watching these events unfold. Our young people are hurting, and we must listen and hear their pain. As an institution of learning, we are charged with preparing our students to become problems solvers and productive citizens; not to stifle their innovation or rejection of complacency. None of us have the right to infringe on the rights extended to our young people as American citizens.

The volleyball players received a lot of criticism. Al Woolum, a white navy veteran, saw how the media and fans were treating the players, so he showed up at their next game in a "Black Lives Matter" t-shirt and took a knee during the anthem.

"The decision they made to kneel at their last game, they caught a lot of flak for that. I saw that on the news," he reportedly said. "I looked when their next game was, and I came to support them to let them know somebody in the white community cares."

At the football game later that week, a few DeSoto cheerleaders took a knee as well.

September 22: Houston Texan Duane Brown raises a fist on Thursday Night football; a referee takes a knee

Houston Texans: As protests erupted in Charlotte, North Carolina over the police killing of Keith Scott, Houston Texan Duane Brown raised his fist on the sidelines during the national anthem.

Wilmington, North Carolina: Jeff Hibbert, a football official for North Carolina high schools, has taken a knee at the last two games he has refereed in order to generate conversation about the state of race relations and police brutality in his local community.

As reported by WECT in Wilmington:

For Hibbert, it's a topic that hits close to home. Just last year when coming home from a football game, he was pulled over and feared for his own life.

"When he pulled me, he had his pistol and said put your hands where I can see them," Hibbert explained. "When I tell you I was truly frightened, I was frightened."

Hibbert hopes that actions taken by athletes and himself can cause change and save lives.

"I must say I have a pretty good son and I worry about that. And I have to teach him what to do. And I hope it's enough to save his life," Hibbert said.

September 23: Protest spreads in WNBA playoffs; Louisiana sheriffs threaten boycott of high school football game if protests continue; racist threats

New York Liberty (WNBA): Liberty guard Brittany Boyd arrived to the WNBA playoff game against the Mercury wearing a Kaepernick jersey, and she remained in her seat during the anthem.

"The message that [Kaepernick's] delivering, I'm 100 percent behind him, and I agree with everything that he's trying to change in the world," Boyd said, as reported by the New York Times. "For me, it was just showing what I represent and the respect I have for him and what he's doing. As an African-American male in America today, what he's doing is hard to do."

The rest of the Liberty players linked arms during the anthem, as did the Mercury. Mercury players Bass and Bone continued to kneel just as they had two days prior.

Withrow High School: Almost all the players on the predominately black Withrow football team in Cincinnati, Ohio took a knee or raised a fist during the national anthem.

West Charlotte High School: Amid the protests in Charlotte, players on the West Charlotte football team took a knee during the anthem and the team's cheerleaders wore black shirts with a symbolic closed fist emblem on them.

"We just wanted to show that black lives do matter."

Aurora Central High School: About half of the Aurora Central football team knelt during the anthem at the team's homecoming night. Some coaches and parents joined in. While many fans in the stands were not happy, the school district is using the protest as a way to have important conversations about race relations.

""You can't continue to slap people in the face and not expect them to stand up," junior tight end Vicqari Horton told the New York Times in October. "When Kaepernick kneeled, he gave us an outlet. He gave us something to do."

"Aurora Public Schools staff members respect the right of our students to protest in a peaceful manner," the district said in a statement. "We are using this opportunity as a teachable moment and a catalyst for meaningful dialogue."

Grovetown High School: At least three Grovetown players - black and white - took a knee during the anthem, while at least two others turned their back while it was played.

"We talked about it in the locker room," Grovetown junior linebacker Shamar Cofield said, as reported by The Augusta Chronicle. "We just wanted to show that black lives do matter."

Lakewood High School: At least five football players from Lakewood raise a fist during the national anthem.

Bonnabel High School: A few football players and cheerleaders at Bonnabel High took a knee during anthem as a nod to Kaepernick, and as a result, several members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office have refused to work voluntary security shifts at future Bonnabel games.

According to the New Orleans Advocate, security at games is not expected to be an issue.

Oberlin College: The entire field hockey team took a knee before a homecoming match against Ohio Wesleyan University.

"[We want] to express to fellow students, community members and people everywhere that we will not accept racial violence and police brutality as a part of our country," senior captain Maureen Coffey told the Oberlin Review.

Macalester College: Pia Mingkwan, a member of the Minnesota school's women's soccer team, began taking a knee during the anthem before a home game against nearby Hamline University.

On November 4, Macalester wide receiver published an op-ed about why he began kneeling during the anthem.

September 24: Nine colleges join in and some players get death threats; Bates College players kneel; Kaepernick visits an Oakland high school football team that takes the protest to the next level

University of Nebraska: Three Nebraska football players - linebacker Michael Rose-Ivey, defensive end DaiShon Neal, and linebacker Mohamed Barry - took a knee during the national anthem before their game at Northwestern.

Rose-Ivey said that after his actions, he and his teammates received messages on social media calling them the n-word, even saying they "hung before the anthem."

The also received harsh criticism from Gov. Pete Ricketts, who called the act "disgraceful" and "disrespectful." University regents chimed in too.

"It wasn't their forum to take advantage of and use as a Colin Kaepernick cloning situation," regent Hal Daub said. "Everyone will say the First Amendment gives them the right, but they shouldn't be able to take advantage of the captive market of the football team and the university's reputation."

However, many from the community offered support to the players - including their head coach, Mike Riley.

In the weeks since, about 150 emails sent to top school officials have revealed the administration and Nebraska fans' division over the protests.

University of Michigan: Several Michigan players raised their first during the national anthem.

"[Kaepernick] has given so many people a voice and courage to stand up for what we believe is right, just like the people who came before us and sacrificed so much for our freedom and for us to have a voice today," linebacker Mike McCray wrote on Twitter.

In October, 14 Wolverines raised their fists during the pregame anthem -  in front of coach Jim Harbaugh, who previously criticized Kaepernick's protests.

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Michigan State University: Three Spartans - defensive end Gabe Sherrod, fullback Delton Williams, and safety Kenney Lyke - raised their right fists during the anthem before the football game at Spartan Stadium.

Their head coach Mark Dantonio supported their decision.

Time to represent this movement publicly!! Our lives matter too and even us privileged college students fear for our lives around the police

- Gabe Sherrod (@ges88_) September 20, 2016

The following week, nine players raised their fists.

University of North Carolina: Before the UNC-Pittsburgh football game, a group of about 100 students of all different races remained seated and raised their fists during the national anthem. On the field, a few members of the marching band took a knee while playing the anthem as well.

"We're trying to get the awareness that the police are getting out of hand."

Southern Methodist University: Five members of SMU's band, along with a few students in the stands, took a knee during the anthem before the school's football game against Texas Christian University.

"I feel like coming from an African American background - I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, which is a predominantly black city - that I get tired of seeing my black brothers and sisters dying from injustices and unjustified reasons," Coda Boyce, one of the protesters, told Sports Day.

Dickson State University: In North Dakota, Five Dickson State players linked arms during the anthem as a way to protest police brutality and racial injustice without offending anyone.

"Right now, at this point in time in the world, it's difficult for colored people, and I'm not going to say blacks because it's more than blacks. It's browns, it's reds. It's police brutality," running back Tray Boone said.

"We're trying to get the awareness that the police are getting out of hand. I'm not going to go completely against the police, because the police are people, too. Especially with what's going on in Charlotte, they're scared for their lives also."

Eastern Michigan University: After a tense week on campus due to the racist graffiti found on campus, rumors spread that an anthem protest was in the works for the football game. But because of a worry for the "s afety of security of everyone involved," the anthem was played before the football team and band even got onto the field.

However, students merely protested after the game instead.

Concordia University-St. Paul: A few players from the Concordia football team took a knee on the sidelines during the anthem.

Millikin University: Several football players at this Illinois-based Christian school took a knee during the National Anthem at a football game, causing controversy on campus. On October 7, the team changed direction in a statement:

After listening to those who both agree and disagree with our stance, we have chosen to forge a new path.

...Therefore, rather than have our message be misunderstood or misconstrued, we are united in our decision to stay in the locker room until kickoff during which time we will engage in a moment of reflection to personally recognize the sacrifice of so many and renew our commitment to living up to those most important words: "with liberty and justice for all."

May God Bless America.

The Millikin University Football Team

The entire football team stayed in their locker room as the anthem played on their Oct. 15 game -  except one lone student, Connor Brewer, who told media he would not yet comment publicly.

Amherst College: Thirteen players on the Amherst College football team took a knee or raised a fist during the national anthem before a game against Hamilton College.

"There's times when I really don't feel loved by this country," running back Raheem Jackson told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. "I just felt compelled as a man, I can't speak for anyone else, but as an adult I felt compelled to take a knee."

"I have a problem with the national anthem," wide receiver A.J. Poplin, who like Jackson is a senior, added. "The last words are the land of the free and the home of the brave. And if I'm not feeling free, I'm going to have the bravery to stand up for what I truly believe in."

"There's times when I really don't feel loved by this country."

Three members of the Amherst men's soccer team took a knee during the anthem a few weeks later, including senior Douglass Jamison.

"I did it for solidarity with the black community," Jamison said, "once again reinvigorating the conversation about police brutality in this country and just how African-Americans are treated."

Nottingham High School: Six players on the Nottingham High football team take a knee during the anthem. Meanwhile, a player on the opposing team, Proctor High School, went and grabbed the American flag from the color guard and ran it around the field.

Madison East High School: More than two dozen football players from Madison East took a knee in the middle of the field as the anthem played before their game, while a few of their opponents from Madison West High School took a knee on the sidelines as well.

Barringer High School: At least seven football players and two assistant coaches took a knee during the anthem before the game in Irvington, New Jersey.

"We see how the cops are treating people and I don't stand for that, and I don't think the national anthem should stand for that," senior Isaiah Gordon told NJ.com. "Until that changes, I'm not going to stand up. I'm going to keep kneeling."

Tamalpais High School: Six players on the Tamalpais High School football team took a knee before their game, inspired by the recent police killings of Terrence Crutcher and Keith Scott.

Tre'Chaun Berkley, one of the protesters, told the Marin Independent Journal that he is taking a knee because he knows the "everything that's going on could happen to me."

Berkely said he has been profiled by police before:

The first came as he exited the bus coming home from practice. He was quickly surrounded by a few patrol cars, and officers asked to search his football bag, saying he fit the description of a suspect they sought, Berkley said. One officer drew his gun as others surrounded Berkley, he said, then put the weapon down upon discovering Berkley was clean.

Later that season, he and a friend were walking outside when two white officers stopped the pair and put them in handcuffs for walking in the street, rather than on the sidewalk, Berkley said.

Penns Grove High School: About half of the New Jersey high school football team took a knee during the anthem.

Castlemont High School: Colin Kaepernick gave a pre-game speech to the players at Castlemont High in Oakland, California, and the players responded by lying on the sidelines with their hands in the air during the national anthem- a protest called a "die-in."

"You are important. You make a difference. This matters," Kaepernick, who took a knee beside the players, told the team before the game. "Everything you do matters.

"That's what this is about. I had to come support y'all, because the same y'all took a stand and stood with me, I had to come out here and stand with y'all. So I appreciate what y'all did. I love y'all, y'all my brothers. I'm here with you."

College of the Holy Cross: About 130 administrators, students and community members staged a sit-in during the anthem at the homecoming football game. Their aim, a school administrator said, was to "demonstrate solidarity and express their own concerns about issues of inequality and injustice."

Kealakehe High School: Mason Kaawa-Loa, a senior at Kealakehe High in Kailau-Kona, Hawaii was inspired by Kaepernick to take a knee before football games to protest the injustices Native Hawaiian people experience in the United States.

Macalester College: Four football players at the Minnesota liberal arts school took a knee during the national anthem before their game against Grinnell College. The next game, two more teammates joined their protest.

Football player Chance Carnahan said he always supported Kaepernick's protest, but wasn't sure how others would view the protest. After speaking with his teammates, he decided to kneel as well.

"I completely disagree [that it's disrespectful to kneel]," he told The Mac Weekly. "As football players we take a knee a lot. After practice everyday we take a knee when we talk to our coach; we're showing respect towards him. When we take a knee during the national anthem, we're showing that we still have respect for our country, respect for our flag, respect for our military, but at the same time we recognize that there are a lot of issues that we're overlooking... and I'm trying to bring attention to that."

Bates College: Football player Mickoy Nichol decided to begin taking a knee before Bates' game against Trinity College.

"I initially wasn't going to do it, but then I saw a picture on the internet of three Eagles players standing with their fists raised... and across the picture was 'get these n*****s off the TV,'" Nichol told The Bates Student. "I was like whoa, this is really a problem."

He approached his coaching staff, who gave him their full support,as well as his teammates. Three other players decided to join him.

"A lot of my white friends who don't play a sport came to the game and they see me taking a knee, and they're asking me why I'm doing it," he said. "And that's exactly what I wanted to bring from this, to create conversations."

September 25: The number of NFL players involved in anthem protests surpasses 40; gold medal Team USA swimmer Anthony Ervin raises a fist in Brazil

Indianapolis Colts (NFL): Cornerback Antonio Cromartie becomes the first Colt to join in the protests when he takes a knee during the anthem.

"Everyone wants to say all lives matter, but until black lives start to matter, all lives don't matter," he told the Indianapolis Star. "That's what people need to start looking at. When you take a knee, you're talking about everything that goes on in this country."

In late October, Cromatrie's wife wrote on Instagram that he was cut from the team because of his protest.

Washington R**skins (NFL): Four Washington players - DeSean Jackson, Greg Toler, Niles Paul, and Rashad Ross - raised their fists during the national anthem.

"We just want to make a stand, and I think putting our fists up to support our culture is something important. We feel like something dramatic needs to happen in this society, in our country now with all the things going on, the conversation," Jackson said after the game to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

On October 2, wide receiver DeSean Jackson risked NFL fines by wearing a pair custom cleats with a yellow caution tape design while warming up for a game against the Browns. "I've seen enough yellow caution tape and it's time for a stand and a change in our community and society," Jackson told TMZ. NFL rules prohibit players from wearing shoes that are not black or white with a team color.

"I've seen enough yellow caution tape and it's time for a stand and a change in our community and society."

"Today is the start of my attempts to be part of a solution and start dialogue about the senseless killings of both citizens and police," Jackson said in a statement. "...I just want to express my concern in a peaceful and productive way about issues that are currently impacting this country."

Jackson didn't wear the shoes during the game, but did wear them for the national anthem.

Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL): Four Jaguars - Dante Fowler Jr., Jared Odrick, Telvin Smith, and Hayes Pullard - raised their right fists during the anthem. Wide receiver Allen Robinson didn't participate in the anthem protest, but he did strike a " hands up, don't shoot " pose after he scored a touchdown.

Oakland Raiders (NFL): Raiders Bruce Irvin and Malcolm Smith raised their fists in the air during the anthem before their game against the Titans.

"I've talked about it, I've thought about it, but I wasn't going to do it until I saw a little girl in the stands try to put her fist up and her mom slapped her hand down," Smith said after the game, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. "I just felt like you've got a voice, you should be able to use it no matter the circumstances. You've got a point of view, you should be able to use it.

" I wasn't going to do it until I saw a little girl in the stands try to put her fist up and her mom slapped her hand down."

Carolina Panthers (NFL): Panthers safety Marcus Ball raised his right fist during the anthem, as riot police gathered outside the stadium to protect the game from the ongoing protests in Charlotte.

His fellow safety Tre Boston told reporters that the team is still trying to decide a way to protest as a full team going forward.

"We're going to find a way so that nobody can twist what we are trying to do, nobody can misinterpret the direction we want to go with our protest," Boston said. "We want to find a way that everybody is included, so nobody can say, 'You left out this person.' We want to make sure it's unity. We need it here in Charlotte."

San Diego Chargers (NFL): Five Chargers - Joe Barksdale, Chris Hairston, Joshua Perry, King Dunlap, and D.J. Fluker - raised fists during the national anthem. By week 4 of the protests, according to ESPN, tackle Tyreek Burwell joined them and Dunlap stopped.

San Francisco 49ers (NFL): In the past few weeks, more of Kaepernick's teammates have joined in the protests. Eli Harold joined Kaepernick and Reid on one knee, and five players - Antoine Bethea, Rashard Robinson, Jaquiski Tartt, Keith Reaser and Mike Davis - raised their fists during the anthem.

Anthony Ervin (USA Swimming): In August, Ervin won an Olympic gold medal in swimming. A month later, he returned to Brazil for another swim meet and not only won, but made a significant social statement along the way when he raised his fist during the national anthem.

What's so deep about this? Anthony said to me weeks ago, he loved Kap but wouldn't protest anthem, but after recent events, was moved to act

- Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) September 29, 2016

September 26: Falcons and Saints form a circle together midfield after the anthem

Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints: Neither team had any protesters during the anthem itself, but right after it finished, the two division rivals held hands and joined midfield to create a circle. ESPN reports it was the idea of Saints head coach Sean Payton.

Saints running back Mark Ingram said that it was very important to raise the issue of racial inequality while also acting in unison.

"We want it to be all, everybody, because that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to bring everybody together. Our nation needs to come together. Everybody needs to care for each other," Ingram said. "And that's what's so good about sports. It brings everybody together, no matter what race. These are my brothers in here. Guys I played with in the past, those are my brothers. You don't see color. You just see a guy who you work hard with and go to battle with and work with every single day.

"I understand that there's differences when you go out to the real world, so we just want to set an example, and we want to bring unity. We want everybody to be together and don't want to do anything that causes division or controversy."

September 27: All 18 players on Rochester high school soccer team kneel

World of Inquiry School: The entire Inquiry team took a knee to protest violence against black people by police in America. According to the Democrat & Chronicle, most of the players are young men of color and many are immigrants.

"We can't pretend like police brutality and race relations (aren't) a very big issue," 17-year-old Miguel Camilo Lopez told the Democrat & Chronicle in October. By then he was one of a few players continuing to kneel, and his family said their house had been vandalized as a result. "(This) brings to light issues that are bigger than soccer and bigger than ourselves."

The school district said they would use this as a "teachable moment."

Benbrook Middle-High School: A 15-year-old volleyball player knelt during the anthem before her game in Springfield, Texas, according to Fox4News. She received criticism from peers and parents since, but fans grew more supportive in the following weeks.

September 28: Soccer players in a N.C. high school take a knee

Seventy-First High School: Justice Sharpe and four of his teammates have been taking knees at soccer matches across Eastern North Carolina since the death of Keigh Lamott Scott.

"It's not logical to stand for something that doesn't stand for you," Sharpe said, as reported by the Fayetville Observer. "I just feel when the anthem was written, it was not taking us into account. Liberty and justice for all was not for us."

"It's not logical to stand for something that doesn't stand for you."

Sharpe, who is a junior and a co-captain on the team, told reporters that he has been questioning the anthem since he was in sixth grade. His father is in the special forces, so he stressed that he has respect for the military, but that he could no longer be silent about injustices.

"It's an accumulation of all the injustices," Sharpe said. "Because for decades my people have accomplished things by peaceful protest, this way is the best way. Obviously it's getting heard, so it's a good thing."

September 30: Cheerleaders and marching band members kneel in Nebraska

Omaha Central High School: In Omaha, Nebraska, six cheerleaders and members of the marching band's saxophone section knelt during the national anthem at a football game, according to Omaha Sports Insider.

"There's unjust things going on with African-Americans in the United States, and we feel it as black people," LaShanda Loftin, mother of one of the protesting cheerleaders, told the Omaha World-Herald. "She asked me if she should do it, and I told her to do what's in her heart."

Cornell High School: Twelve of the 15 cheerleaders for Cornell High took a knee during the anthem at the football game in Pennsylvania on Friday night. Not everyone was impressed.

"They don't know what they are doing, them young kids. They don't know what they are doing," WWII Army veteran Danny Larocco told Channel 11 News.

After a video of the protest went viral, a wave of backlash, including death threats and more than 600 angry phone calls to the school, caused the school to reschedule its homecoming dance. The school district also issued a formal apology to veterans.

Lincoln High School: Several football players from Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon took a knee and raised a fist during the anthem. The head coach gave them permission to do so before the game.

Dunbar High School: A few Dunbar football players took a knee and raised their hands hands during the national anthem in Dayton, Ohio.

Crenshaw High School: Football players took a knee before a game against Oxnard High School.

October 1: The NBA protests begin in Toronto; students stay seated in Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas; Ithaca player raises fist

Toronto Raptors (NBA): Members of the only Canada-based NBA franchise brought the protests up north by locking arms in solidarity during the Canadian and U.S. anthems before the opening preseason game in Vancouver.

The protest at the game against the Golden State Warriors came as no surprise: Head coach Dwayne Casey told the Toronto Star last week that the team was considering joining the protests, saying, "All I tell our guys is to be informed...don't do it just for the sake of doing something or saying something."

"All I tell our guys is to be informed...don't do it just for the sake of doing something or saying something."

Forward Jared Sullinger and guard Terrence Ross haven't been shy in social media posts against racial injustices and police brutality, and guard DeMar DeRozan told the Star about a close friend who was killed by police recently - shot 17 times.

"Me having two younger black kids, making sure people are aware that me growing up, definitely getting pulled over was a scary thing, and definitely was a nervous thing," point guard Kyle Lowry said. "I think now we have to use our voices."

East Carolina University: During the playing of the national anthem before East Carolina's football match against Central Florida, 19 members of ECU's marching band knelt. But there was diversity amid the protest: some did not playing their instruments, and two members decided to instead hold up a U.S. flag. "We wanted to do it, not to show division, but to show that there are so many different ideas within the band...and that flag is what we are all unified under," Hunter Marketto, one of the two students holding the flag, told WITN.

When the team returned for half-time, the crowd booed them loudly. University music school administrators have since said the protest "felt hurtful to many in our Pirate family and disrespectful to our country." Such gestures will not be tolerated moving forward, they said in a statement. An ECU marketing professor reportedly now plans to carry firearms on campus as part of a counter-protest, and a local ESPN affiliate says it will not air ECU's October 8 game against South Florida. ECU's chancellor, however, said the student protest "is part of the free exchange of ideas on a university campus."

Kansas University: In a home match against Baylor, Kansas' volleyball team knelt together before the national anthem, locking arms while the announcer asked fans to reflect on how they could help create "a more just, respectful and inclusive nation." Players told the Kansas City Star they began discussing the move after Tulsa police officers killed Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man in September. But they decided disrespecting the anthem didn't feel right.

"They all said, 'Hey, we love our country. We love our flag,'" coach Ray Bechard told the Star. "'But is there some way we can challenge everybody in the gym today maybe just to be a little better person when it comes to the decisions we make about other people and how we treat each other?'"

"[I]s there some way we can challenge everybody in the gym today maybe just to be a little better person when it comes to the decisions we make about other people and how we treat each other?"

University of Alabama: A group of about 30 students stayed seated as the anthem played before the Crimson Tide beat the Kentucky Wildcats. One of the organizers, junior Dwyer Freeman, told the Crimson White their protest was an act of solidarity for those "harmed under the flag that's supposed to represent them."

Marist College: The Marist College Black Student Union knelt behind the end zone during the national anthem before the Marist football game on Saturday.

"If we don't "stand" for something, we will fall for anything," Black Student Union President Ashley Kayne told the Red Fox Report, adding that the protest was not just about the treatment of black people across the county, but also about the discrimination they faced on campus. The football team locked arms during the anthem.

El Camino College: Sophomore tight end Erik Henneman took a knee during the anthem before a football game against Bakersfield College.

"I was always taught to stand for something or you will fall for anything," Henneman, who said he had been a victim of police brutality before, told The Union. "To me it represents standing up for the police brutality against African Americans."

Missouri Western State University: After taking a knee during the national anthem, two members of the Mystics dance team were not allowed to perform at a game.

"I will always be black," Eugenia Wallace told NewsPressNow.com. "Whatever we can do to bring awareness and justice anywhere for our culture and our society as a whole, I'm going to do."

On the October 15 homecoming game, a group of MWSU students stayed seated during the national anthem.

Florida State University: Before FSU's football game against UNC, about 200 fans dressed in black remained seated during the national anthem and raised their fists in protests.

"[Kaepernick] brought awareness to a topic that is really easy to sweep under the rug," FSU student Marvel Joseph, who helped organize the protest, told FSUNews.com. "Him sitting down started a conversation, which was maybe not in the way that he planned because there were people that didn't understand why he was standing and failed to realize that he's doing this to bring attention to issues that affect our community."

Ithaca College: Senior running back Shawahl Abdur-Rahman held up his fist as the anthem played before a home game against Utica College. "I decided to stand side-by-side with my brothers on the team while I still brought up an issue that I felt personally for me, being a black player and a black person in general," Abdur-Rahman told The Ithacan. " ... Just show my support to Kaepernick and his protests and let him know that it has reached a little town like Ithaca."

"Just show my support to Kaepernick and his protests and let him know that it has reached a little town like Ithaca."

October 2: Antonio Cromartie takes the anthem protest to London

Portland Trail Blazers (NBA): The Blazers huddled in a circle during the National Anthem before the preseason game, and Damian Lillard said it was in conjunction with Kaepernick's protest.

"I'm a proud American, but the reason behind the protesting, I share that same belief,'' Lillard said. "I share the same feeling, being an African American. Obviously, every other guy on the team shares that belief as well.''

Indianapolis Colts (NFL): Cornerback Antonio Cromartie took a knee during the U.S. national anthem at London's Wembley Stadium before the NFL's first international game of the season. After becoming the first athlete to join Kaepernick's protests in the U.K., he stood back up for "God Save the Queen."

October 3: The Milwaukee Bucks say it's not a protest, but ...

Milwaukee Bucks (NBA): The Milwaukee Bucks all stood with one hand over their hearts and one hand on the shoulder of their teammates during the anthem.

While Bucks coach Jason Kidd insisted that this wasn't actually a protest, not everyone sees it that way.

"We're showing unity. There's not a protest," Kidd said, according to ESPN. "We discussed it, and I think there was a lot of discussion throughout the week. The guys have come up with a solution of what they want to do for the national anthem.

Either way, it's clear that this is an off-shoot of Kaepernick's original action.

"A protest means that players would be fined; unity means that players get to skip paying hefty fees for taking a stand against police killings of unarmed black men, women and children," Stephen A. Crockett Jr. wrote on The Root. " We see you, J. Kidd. This is not a protest; this is unity. Right, got you."

October 4: NBA's Lakers, Kings, Celtics, Knicks, Wizards, and Rockets lock arms in solidarity during anthems

Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings (NBA): When the anthem began before their pre-season match, players from both sides of the court stood up. But all locked arms with their teammates and bowed their heads.

"We wanted to honor what was going on and the people who lost their lives and the social issue that is happening," Lakers center Tarik Black told NBCLA.com. "There is something going on. There is something that needs to happen. There needs to be equality."

The gesture from the world's most famous basketball team didn't come as unexpected, and players say they plan to continue their protest until the issue itself ends.

"There's someone new that's a hashtag every week," Lakers guard Lou Williams told the LA Times days before. "For me it's not about black people, it's not about white people. It's about getting killed and getting slaughtered in the street over childish crimes."

"For me it's not about black people, it's not about white people. It's about getting killed and getting slaughtered in the street over childish crimes."

Boston Celtics (NBA): Players and coaching staff alike joined hands as the anthem played before the Celtics' opening match against the Philadelphia 76ers.

"We've had a lot of sit-down discussions about it," head coach Brad Stevens told reporters before the game. "We've had a lot of individual discussions. We've had three or four meetings with the team after practices...Our guys have been incredibly thoughtful."

Houston Rockets and New York Knicks (NBA): Players from the Knicks and Rockets locked arms together -as members of both teams stood arm in arm along a single sideline- as the anthem played before their game at Houston's Toyota Center. It was the Knicks' preseason opener, and the second game for the Rockets, who hadn't previously protested the anthem.

"It was definitely about two teams coming together,'' Joaquim Noah said. "We understand there are issues in this country and we wanted to show solidarity that we're all in this together.''

Washington Wizards (NBA): The Wizards locked arms while the anthem was played in preseason as a "peaceful protest."

"I'm not in favor of what's been going on in the country, what's been going on in recent past or the retaliation on both ends," Wizards star Bradley Beal told the Washington Post.

"I'm from St. Louis. I've been hit home with all type of stuff over the past couple years, with guys that have been friends that I've lost to individual violence and police violence. ... We're all doing it because we want something done about it. We're realizing that we're still citizens of this world even though we're NBA players. We still have a voice, and we're using it, and this is our best way of doing it."

October 5: Penn State students remain seated and raise their fists

Penn State University: At a Penn State women's volleyball game, more than 60 students wearing black clothing remained seated during the national anthem and raised their fists.

"We just came to let people know that it's time for a change," Nicole Telfer, one of the protesters, told WeAreCentralPA.com.

"It makes everybody aware that we're not going to stand for police brutality," Marquan Boyd added.

October 6: Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons stand arm-in-arm to acknowledge issues

Brooklyn Nets (NBA): Jeremy Lin had been talking about joining Kaepernick's wave of protests for a few weeks, but instead of taking a knee by himself, he decided to lock arms with his teammates, as reported by the New York Post:

"The biggest thing is it shows we all can acknowledge there is an issue at hand. But how you go about that is what we tried to do; arms around each other, solidarity, we're doing this together,'' Lin said. "This isn't anti-cops. This country needs cops. This isn't anti-minority. This country needs minorities. This is what makes our nation great. We need both. We need more compassion, and more empathy.

"Or maybe not empathy, but maybe more sympathy, where guys take the time to really put themselves in someone else's shoes. If I'm a minority, I'd have to think about what it's like to be the wife of a cop, scared every time her husband has to go to work. If I'm on the other side, I have to be able to think about what it's like to be the family member of an African-American male who might get [killed]."

Detroit Pistons (NBA): On the other side of the court at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Pistons - players and coaches alike - locked arms.

"It definitely showed unity to the league," Pistons forward Marcus Morris told MLive.com. "I think it's more a league-wide thing. Most of the team wanted to do it, so we got involved.

"Personally, I don't think that's enough, but you've got to start somewhere."

October 7: Nuggets and Lakers lock arms; high schoolers in Colorado and Indiana kneel

Denver Nuggets (NBA): Members of the Nuggets and their competition, the the Los Angeles Lakers, linked arms in solidarity as the anthem played before their preseason game. The Lakers have previously locked arms during the anthem.

Sierra High School: Five football players in Colorado Springs, Colorado took a knee during the anthem, according to Gazette Preps.

"We have these great discussions at home, my husband and my children, but I think that sometimes it has to go beyond just a discussion; there has to be some active participation," said Keyla Jones, an alumna of the school who brought her children to the protest. "So this was an opportunity for them to participate in a very peaceful way."

Amherst High School: All but one member of the Amherst high school girls' volleyball team took a knee during the anthem.

"They are simply protesting the incidents of police over-reach (to put it mildly), but in no way are they trying to offend veterans or paint all police officers with the same broad brush....they expressed those exact thoughts to me," Amherst coach Kacey Schmitt wrote in an email to parents after the game. "When I brought up the fact that they have to be prepared for some backlash, one of them stated 'So, should no one do what they believe is right, because it might upset someone else? Isn't this about open discourse, and starting a conversation?' Hard to argue with that."

Little Rock Parkview: Football coaches were seen taking a knee as the anthem played before the school's homecoming game against Beebe High School.

October 8: Youth group kneels and police are called

Woodland Hills Wolverines: Three 12- and 13-year-old members of a youth football team in Bethel Hill, Pennsylvania took a knee during the anthem. Observers began hurling racial slurs at them, and the police had to be called to stand guard.

"It seemed like everything started once the national anthem started," head coach Marcus Burkley Sr. told Channel 11 News. "Two or three of my players took a knee. Once they took a knee, you see cameras and people taking pictures. And out of nowhere you hear, 'If the little N-word want to take a knee, they shouldn't be able to play.'"

"'If the little N-word want to take a knee, they shouldn't be able to play," they heard from the stands.

Now, Buckley and a group of "concerned citizens" is pushing Parkway Youth Football to conduct an independent investigation into the racist behavior, and plans to kneel in solidarity with the kids, according to TribLive.com.

Central Michigan University: Four football players at Central Michigan - Ray Golden, Marcel Ray, Emmett Thomas, and Tyree Waller - raise their fists before the football game against Ball State.

"What that meant to us was highlighting issues that are going on in our country. In light of the recent events, we wanted to bring awareness to social injustice and show our fellow Americans that we're with them and we want to highlight change," Golden told Central Michigan Life.

Indiana University: Junior cornerback Richard Fant raised a fist during the national anthem with the full support of his head coach and the University.

"If I can find a way to have an impact, to touch people's lives, I am going to do it," Fant told iuhoosiers.com. "That is my passion."

University of Akron: On Homecoming weekend, dozens of students, mostly African Americans, remained seated during the national anthem at the football game. Many raised their fists.

"We're all affected by the things that's going on with the police brutality," student Joseph Gogins told wkyc.com. "And being a black male at a predominantly white institution, and by me working graveyard shifts, I worry every night going to and from my job because I walk."

Minnesota State University: Approximately 60 students at Minnesota State's Homecoming game dressed in black and remained seated during the national anthem. Many in the group, which was mostly black, held Black Lives Matter signs as the predominately white students jeered around them.

October 10: NBA national anthem singer takes a knee while singing

Leah Tysse: While singing the national anthem before the Sacramento Kings game, Tysse took a knee at the end of the anthem while she was singing the word " free."

She explained her decision on her Facebook page:

"I cannot idly stand by as black people are unlawfully profiled, harassed and killed by our law enforcement over and over and without a drop of accountability. ...

"Whether or not you can see if from your vantage point, there is a deep system of institutionalized racism in America, from everyday discrimination to disproportionate incarceration of people of color to people losing their lives at the hands of the police simply for being black. This is not who we claim to be as a nation. It is wrong and I won't stand for it. #Solidarity."

October 12: Singer holds vigil during anthem

Shaprece: The R&B vocalist sang the national anthem before the Seattle Sounders FC game while dressed in black, holding candles, and flanked by local choir members and breast cancer survivors.

Shaprece told The Stranger she decided against kneeling or raising her first since she would be the one leading the anthem. So she worked with Sounders management to create her demonstration:

"I told her I feel honored...but at the same time I'm completely aware of where we're at as a nation and that that song wasn't necessarily written to include people who look like me. I wanted to try to come to some sort of common ground where we could do a demonstration while making a stand against it, but also while keeping in mind that my face is very much a face of the nation, as well. To step completely away from that didn't feel right, either. I was born in America. I'm an American."

The worst thing that can happen is for people of color to be excluded from our patriotism, because ultimately, a bigot or someone who wants to see someone like me not exist would love for me not to be involved with any patriotism. To never see another black person sing the anthem is going in favor of the enemy...But I'm at peace with the way that I choose to demonstrate peace and unity."

October 14: Wicomico high school students kneel

Wicomico High School: Several player on the Wicomico football team took a knee during the anthem.

"(I did it) to support the (Black Lives Matter) movement," Keeondre' Coston, one of the protesters, told DelmarvaNow.com. "It wasn't to harm anyone, it was just a peaceful protest that me and some of my teammates decided to do for support.

"But it seemed to have upset some people."

October 16: As Kaepernick takes the field, fans and foes make moves

Buffalo, NY: Tensions were high in Buffalo before Kaepernick's first start of the season.

Before the game began, many in the crowd booed and chanted "USA! USA!" Outside the field, two T-shirts with his image were being sold: one told him to "Shut Up and Stand Up!", and another featured the words "Wanted: Notorious Disgrace to America," with a bullseye aimed at his chest.

And while Kaepernick and his teammates Eli Harold and Eric Reid While kneeled, one police officer stood directly behind the group, saluting the flag.

But there was also a group of about more than 40 Buffalo Bills fans that had Kaepernick's back. The group marched from the lot to the stadium, then kneeled in solidarity with the starting quarterback as the anthem played.

According to the Huffington Post, the protest "was organized by Just Resisting, a group of organizers of people of color, and a local chapter of Showing Up For Racial Justice, which seeks to organize white people to stand up for racial equality."

We're here to kneel with @Kaepernick7 #billsfans4blacklives @EdgeofSports @gzornick @ESPNNFL pic.twitter.com/fLryU98jO1

- SURJ Buffalo (@SURJBuffalo) October 16, 2016

October 17: Largest U.S. police group apologizes for historic treatment of minorities

San Diego: As athletes continue bringing issues of police brutality and accountability to bigger national platforms, the president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police said law enforcement offered a mea culpa for injustices against African Americans.

IACP President Terrence Cunningham, chief of police in Wellesley, Mass., represents about 23,000 police officials across the country. Here's part of his statement at the group's annual convention:

There have been times when law enforcement officers, because of the laws enacted by federal, state, and local governments, have been the face of oppression for far too many of our fellow citizens. In the past, the laws adopted by our society have required police officers to perform many unpalatable tasks, such as ensuring legalized discrimination or even denying the basic rights of citizenship to many of our fellow Americans.

While this is no longer the case, this dark side of our shared history has created a multigenerational - almost inherited - mistrust between many communities of color and their law enforcement agencies.

...We must move forward together to build a shared understanding. We must forge a path that allows us to move beyond our history and identify common solutions to better protect our communities.

For our part, the first step in this process is for law enforcement and the IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society's historical mistreatment of communities of color.

At the same time, those who denounce the police must also acknowledge that today's officers are not to blame for the injustices of the past. If either side in this debate fails to acknowledge these fundamental truths, we will be unlikely to move past them.

The statement received a standing ovation at the convention, and many critics have hailed it as a groundbreaking first step. But civil rights activists say words must be backed by action.

October 21: Singer kneels before NBA preseason game; high school football official kneels

Denasia Lawrence: Moments before she began performing the national anthem for a Miami Heat-Philadelphia 76ers preseason game in Miami, Lawrence took a knee mid-court and opened her jacket to reveal a Black Lives Matter T-shirt.

"We're being unjustly killed and overly criminalized," the singer wrote on Facebook, according to The Guardian. "I took the opportunity to sing and kneel to show that we belong in this country and that we have the right to respectfully protest injustices against us."

As she sang, Heat players linked arms, many with their heads down, as they have been doing over the past several weeks.

"At the end of the day, to each his own,'' Heat guard Wayne Ellington, who speaks out against gun violence often, said. "If she feels like that's the way she wants to stand for it, then more power to her.''

North Carolina High School Athletic Association: An unidentified football official took a knee during the anthem before a Southwest-Croatan High School football game.

"I just think it's not right to do that at a high school football game, especially for a official paid by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association," N.C. General Assembly Representative Phil Shepard told media.

October 22: Veterans march in counter-protest while college football players kneel

Greenville College: Some football players at the Christian school in Illinois have taken a knee during the national anthem in recent weeks. According to t o KSDK News, members of a local Veterans of Foreign Wars lodge marched to the center of the football field before the game and formed a line 50 yards long. After the anthem played, some veterans shook hands with the approximately 18 students who stood during the anthem. The rest of the athletes knelt or held fists in the air.

October 25: Columbia college volleyball players kneel after blackface incident

Columbia College: After a photo of three freshmen wearing charcoal facial masks emerged online, volleyball team players Jasmine Johnson, De'Andrea Crosby, and Kara Anderson began taking a knee at home games.

"For me, the kneeling during the national anthem represents a peaceful way of saying that black lives do matter," Johnson, a sophomore, said. "Kneeling during the national anthem shows that the flag didn't represent all ethnicities; and during this time, it's still not standing for all ethnicities, especially black lives. So until that happens, kneeling is the best, peaceful way for me to protest."

October 26: Anthem singer pulled from 76ers game performance for 'We Matter' jersey

Sevyn Streeter: Streeter had completed soundcheck before her scheduled national anthem performance at the Philadelphia 76ers' season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But about two minutes before she was set to sing, the team axed her performance.

"I'm at the 76ers game to sing the national anthem and the organization is telling me I can't because I'm wearing a 'We Matter' jersey," she said in a video. They offered her a jersey, which she refused, before replacing her with a cheerleader.

"I also felt it was important to express the ongoing challenges and ongoing injustice we face as a black community within the United States of America - that's very important to me," Streeter said, according to ESPN. "Yes, we live in the greatest country in the world, but there are issues that we cannot ignore. This can't be ignored."

"Yes, we live in the greatest country in the world, but there are issues that we cannot ignore. This can't be ignored."

After backlash from the public and from Sixers themselves, the team issued a statement apologizing for the decision and inviting her to perform at another game of her choosing.

"We felt like she should have been able to sing, and for whatever reasons, that didn't happen," guard Gerald Henderson said. "...hopefully she can come back and sing her song."

Forward Jerami Grant said if Streeter doesn't return, the team may make another gesture:

Coach [Brett] Brown came to us and allowed us to come up with an idea of what to do. He gets it. He knows how we feel about this, he knows me and a couple other guys didn't like what happened with the decision not to allow her to sing. We need to move forward. We can't change the past, but we're trying to right the wrong.

October 29: College football players join hands in 'circle of unity'

University of Texas at El Paso: Before their homecoming match began, UTEP football players linked hands with their opponents, the Old Dominion Monarchs, and raised their joined fists upwards.

It's not UTEP's first time engaging in the gesture, which walks the line between respecting law enforcement and acknowledging police discrimination toward minorities . They've done it for a few weeks now, according to The Prospector, at the suggestion of their coach after several ODU players began wearing Black Lives Matter shirts in warm-ups.

This time, though, they were supported by UTEP students and local Radical Soup activists, who displayed a Black Lives Matter poster from the stands. Others launched counter-protests, holding up signs and American flags near the group. The Prospector reports that one person holding a flag was heard to have yelled, "Go back to Africa."

November 3: Lawmakers propose slashing athletic budget after Arkansas players kneel

University of Arkansas: Six women's basketball players took a knee during the national anthem before an exhibition game versus Oklahoma Baptist University.

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Republican lawmakers Sen. Alan Clark, Rep. Kim Hammer and Rep. Laurie Rushing responded by criticizing the protest and saying they would consider cutting the school's budget. Clark said he placed a hold on the school's budget to be considered in next year's legislative session and says he will introduce an amendment to cut funding. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson also retweeted a message scolding the player s for their protest.

The athletes - Briunna Freeman, Jordan Danberry, Jailyn Mason, Tatiyana Smith, Kiara Williams, and Yasmeen Ratliff, all of whom are black -later said they will end their protest, which had been aimed at raising awareness of the "unjust system" that leads to police brutality against minorities. They have created an initiative, called Project Unify, to spark dialogue between community groups about societal issues like policing.

"We want to be a part of change in our society," Mason said. "My teammates and I will utilize the resources available to all students at the University of Arkansas and within our community to create a set of key topics that will initiate discussions to enhance understanding between the different members of our community.

November 8: Clinton election party singer kneels during anthem

Carmen Rodgers: The singer took a knee during the final line of her performance of the national anthem during Hillary Clinton's election party at New York City's Javits Center.

November 9: Emerson volleyball players protest Trump

Emerson College: Days after Donald Trump's election as president, the women's volleyball team huddled in a circle during the playing of the national anthem before a match against Morrisville State College. Some wrote messages on their arms in black marker: "Nasty Woman," "Not My President" and more.

"Once we found out the final result, it was a pretty big shock," senior Annie Hall told The Berkeley Beacon. "We were pretty upset. We thought, we have a game tomorrow and we're asking people to go. What can we do?"

Junior Sam Harton said the team thought it was important not to ignore the issue.

"It's a really dark day in history for us. I know that a lot of us came in the locker room crying today," Harton said. "Some people wanted us to just go out and play and forget about it, but I don't believe in that. There was just too much emotion to put it aside. This is a cathartic experience for us, volleyball, so we really wanted to bring it into that."

November 11: Wisconsin basketball players take a stand after racist fan costume, Nevada basketball players begin an anthem movement

University of Wisconsin: Players Nigel Hayes and Jordan Hill stood one step behind their teammates during the national anthem before an exhibition game, according to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. (Hayes said he couldn't kneel because his knees would hurt.)

The players began their protest after an Oct. 29 game in which two fans wore Halloween costumes depicting a noose around President Barack Obama's neck. The school initially responded with a mild statement about freedom of speech.

"I like to think it would have been handled differently if it would have been an anti-Semitic type of protest," Hayes said. "Once we get some better economic rights for blacks, better laws ... things become more fair and more equal. I'd love to be in a country where my people are treated equally."

The protests are a statement against U.S. race relations more broadly, too.

"You've got to take care of you and yours first, and our people are not being taken care of," Hill said. "....what everyone is singing in here or everywhere across the nation before a game does not represent us and until it does, we are not going to be apart of it."

University of Nevada: Nine of the 13 players Nevada's women's basketball team are minorities. So for the Wolf Pack, discrimination is personal. That's why, when kneeling during the anthem seemed impossible, they decided to create a campaign to celebrate diversity and unity.

"We decided as a team that we were going to kneel but I was caught between a rock and a hard place because I knew my team wanted to do that," junior guard T Moe told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "But I knew the repercussions that would happen and I had already gotten a 'no' before I had even put it out there."

Instead, when the Wolf Pack stood for the anthem before their season opener November 11, the team was joined by several Native Americans. Since the season began and over the next few weeks, the team will stand with LGBTQ people, people experiencing homelessness, Air Force members, cops, nurses and members of other communities.

November 13: Bucs' Mike Evans protests Trump

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL): Before the Bucs beat the Chicago Bears 36-30 in Tampa, wide receiver Mike Evans sat out the anthem to protest the election of Trump.

"I'm not going to stand for something I don't believe in."

"I'm not going to stand for something I don't believe in," Evans said. "When Ashton Kutcher comes out and says we've been Punk'd, then I'll stand again... But the things that's been going on in America lately, I'm not going to stand for that."

On November 15, Evans apologized for kneeling and said he was reversing course:

I have very strong emotions regarding some of the many issues that exist in our society today. I chose to sit as an expression of my frustration towards this year's election. It was very personal for me, as it was for so many Americans.

With that being said, I will not sit again during the National Anthem because I want to focus my efforts on finding more effective ways to communicate my message and bring about change by supporting organizations and movements that fight for equal rights for minorities.

This Sunday, I will be back to standing with my teammates.

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Tracking the Kaepernick Effect: The anthem protests are spreading

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Editor's Note: ThinkProgress updated and relaunched its protest tracking project in an interactive database you can find here, which includes more recent data. The original story below was last updated on November 3, 2016.

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Colin Kaepernick's National Anthem Protest - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Video Clip) | Comedy Central

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick comes under fire for kneeling during the national anthem as a way to protest police brutality against African Americans.

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The Daily Show - Outrage Court: Patriotism vs. Protest

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The Best F#@king News Team tries to determine whether NFL player Colin Kaepernick is unpatriotic for using the national anthem to protest racism. Watch full episodes of The Daily Show now -- no login required: http://www.cc.com/shows/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/full-episodes The Daily Show with Trevor Noah airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central.

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In the past few years, the Pentagon spent $6.8 million to pay for patriotic displays during the games of professional sports teams.

That's according to a joint oversight report released by Arizona Republican Sens. John Flake and John McCain on Wednesday.

The senators found that since 2012, the Pentagon has signed 72 contracts with teams in the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and Major League Soccer that amounted to "paid patriotism."

For example, taxpayers paid $49,000 to the Milwaukee Brewers to allow the Wisconsin Army National Guard to sponsor the Sunday singing of "God Bless America." In another contract, the New York Jets were paid $20,000 to "recognize one to two New Jersey Army National Guard soldiers as hometown heroes."

USA Today reports that NFL teams received the biggest slice of the pie - $6 million, according to the report. The newspaper adds:

"The Atlanta Falcons received $879,000; the New England Patriots, $700,000; and the Buffalo Bills, $650,000. The Atlanta Braves received $450,000, the most of any Major League Baseball franchise, while the Minnesota Wild were paid $570,000, the most of any National Hockey League team.

"The Atlanta contracts included a 2013 event during which a roaring crowd cheered as the Falcons welcomed 80 guard members who unfurled an American flag across the Georgia Dome's turf."

In memos included in the report, the Pentagon said the payments were part of its recruitment campaigns. But it has since banned the practice and, according to Flake, the NFL has called on its teams to stop taking money for patriotic salutes.

"Americans across the country should be deeply disappointed that many of the ceremonies honoring troops at professional sporting events are not actually being conducted out of a sense of patriotism, but for profit in the form of millions in taxpayer dollars going from the Department of Defense to wealthy pro sports franchises," McCain said in a statement. "Fans should have confidence that their hometown heroes are being honored because of their honorable military service, not as a marketing ploy."

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Pentagon Paid Sports Teams Millions For 'Paid Patriotism' Events

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In the past few years, the Pentagon spent $6.8 million to pay for patriotic displays during the games of professional sports teams. That's according to a joint oversight report released by Arizona Republican Sens. John Flake and John McCain on Wednesday.

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Military tributes are a staple of professional sporting events, from surprise homecomings of veterans, to color guards, to enlisted men and women throwing out ceremonial first pitches. But according to an oversight report released Wednesday by Sens. Jeff Flake and John McCain of Arizona, many of these seemingly genuine displays of patriotism have actually been marketing stunts paid for by the Department of Defense with taxpayer money.

According to the latest report, a follow-up to one McCain released in May, military services have dished out $53 million in sports-related marketing and advertising contracts since 2012. Of that, more than $9 million went directly to teams in the five biggest American professional sports leagues (the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS). Although Flake and McCain determined that some contracts constituted legitimate marketing and advertising, such as stadium signs and recruiting booth space at games, 72 of the 122 contracts they uncovered involved inappropriately funded "patriotic tributes."

What do these tributes look like? The Minnesota Vikings hosted military appreciation nights. The New York Jets held hometown hero ceremonies. The Atlanta Falcons invited National Guard members to sing the national anthem. The report calls these funded displays "boondoggles," wasting taxpayer money and tricking fans into thinking they were watching "authentic, voluntary shows of support."

Did one of your favorite teams take money from DOD for paid patriotism? Check the chart below.

Interactive: Katie Rose Quandt | Source: Tackling Paid Patriotism Report

Following McCain's oversight report earlier this year, DOD banned paid patriotism and the NFL instructed its teams to stop collecting payment for patriotic salutes. Flake and McCain write in this latest report that they were startled to discover many missing contracts in the military's official response to their request. Several of DOD's official contract summaries downplayed the arrangements, implying that some paid benefits had in fact been free, while documentation was incomplete.

Of the major sports, NFL teams had the largest contracts with DOD, with the Atlanta Falcons (contracts totaling $879,000) and the New England Patriots ($700,000) collecting the most. The Atlanta Braves were the highest-paid baseball team at $450,000, and the Minnesota Wild led the NHL with $570,000. Additional contracts (not shown in the chart above) went to NASCAR and its individual drivers, a snowmobile race in Alaska, and some college athletic departments.

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How Much Did the Pentagon Pay Your Favorite Sports Team for Its Patriotism? Find Out With This Chart.

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Military tributes are a staple of professional sporting events, from surprise homecomings of veterans, to color guards, to enlisted men and women throwing out ceremonial first pitches. But according to an oversight report released Wednesday by Sens.

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WASHINGTON -- More than four dozen professional sports teams, including the New York Mets and New York Jets, saluted American troops with the help of American taxpayers, according to a report released Wednesday.

The report by U.S. Sens. Jeff Flake and John McCain, both Arizona Republicans, named 50 professional football, baseball, basketball, hockey and soccer teams that held taxpayer-financed events to honor the U.S. Armed Forces. The list also included NASCAR, Indiana University and the University of Wisconsin as part of recruiting efforts.

"While many professional sporting teams do include patriotic events as a pure display of national pride, this report highlights far too many instances when that is simply not the case," the lawmakers said. "It is time to allow major sports teams' legitimate tributes to our soldiers to shine with national pride rather than being cast under the pallor of marketing gimmicks paid for by American taxpayers."
RELATED: Jets' salutes honor N.J. National Guard but cost taxpayers
Flake, who first highlighted the Jets' "hometown heroes" scoreboard display with the N.J. National Guard, and McCain, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, inserted a provision into legislation setting defense policy for the 2016 fiscal year that banned such " pay for patriotism" events. U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd Dist.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, championed a similar measure.

"We are shining a bright light on this waste and abuse of taxpayer funds to ensure this practice is stopped once and for all, so that the taxpayer dollars allocated for national defense are actually spent on our brave men and women in uniform who are selflessly serving their country, not boondoggles," the senators said.

More than $10 million was paid out to the sports teams between 2012 and 2015, but the Pentagon cannot document where all the money went, the report said.

The Mets, who reached the World Series this year for the first time since 2000, were paid $51,000 in 2014, including $10,000 for an on-field swearing-in ceremony, according to the report.

The Jets were paid $327,500 from 2012 to 14, the report said. The deal included a "hometown heroes" segment, in which the team featured soldiers on the big screen at MetLife Stadium, announced their names, and asked the crowd to thank them for their service. The contract was part of recruitment efforts for the N.J. National Guard. The Jets said in May that it will tell the public going forward when the U.S. military pays for promotions honoring the troops.

When Flake first raised the issue in May, the Jets said that they held their own events to support the U.S. Armed Forces, such as appreciation days for the military and first responders, and donated $1 million to a nonprofit building homes for injured service members. These were separate from the promotions funded by the National Guard.

Besides providing tickets and suites, various sports contracts also included opportunities to sing the national anthem, take photos next to the Super Bowl trophy and throw out the first pitch.

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell responded to the findings in a letter, which was included in the report.

"Our relationship with the National Guard, the various branches of the military, our veterans and the families of our servicemen and women is of deep importance to the league," Goodell wrote. "We embrace our opportunity to honor their service, and we are committed to the principle that this honor should never be a commercial transaction."
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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Mets, Jets saluted troops at taxpayer expense, U.S. senators say

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WASHINGTON -- More than four dozen professional sports teams, including the New York Mets and New York Jets, saluted American troops with the help of American taxpayers, according to a report released Wednesday. The report by U.S. Sens.

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All rights belong to HBO. Check out the official channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/LastWeekTonight

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President Bush's Opening Pitch at Yankee Stadium After 9-11 [High Quality]

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Mike Piazza's post-9/11 homer helps NY heal

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9/21/01: In a post-9/11 New York, Mike Piazza provided some healing with a home run to put the Mets up 3-2 in an emotional night at Shea Check out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of videos, and subscribe on YouTube for the best, exclusive MLB content: http://youtube.com/MLB About MLB.com: Commissioner Allan H.

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From Live coverage of the dramatic opening to the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, Utah, just months following the 9/11 attack on America. American Olympics CEO Mitt Romney and president George W Bush watch as a flag that had flown over the World Trade Center in New York City is brought into the stadium.

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Because he's an NFL player, Kaepernick's statement resonates in a distinct way. America's most popular sports league is also its most visibly patriotic, a trait discernible in everything from pregame fighter-jet flyovers to field-sized flags to coaches' instructions about the anthem during behind-the-scenes shows. It doesn't require an extreme amount of cynicism or research to note that this is as much about industry acumen as love of country-the league has a brand, and the stars and stripes are a part of it-but like all branding, it works best when it is assumed as a matter of course. With his means of protest, then, Kaepernick is not only using his platform as an athlete to raise awareness about ongoing tragedies. He's also, whether by design or not, questioning the NFL's insistent but narrow definition of patriotism, shining a harsh light on its red-white-and-blue wallpaper.

***

When asked about Kaepernick's actions, his ex-teammate and now-Minnesota Viking Alex Boone, whose brother served as a Marine, spoke passionately. "That flag obviously gives him the right to do whatever he wants. I understand it. At the same time, you should have some fucking respect for people who served, especially people that lost their life to protect our freedom."

The response rests on certain assumptions. The anthem is, in Boone's presentation, a means of honoring America's military-not the country's ideological foundation or its cultural or political history-and so Kaepernick is offending the military. Contrast this understanding with, say, that of the national anthems played for the victors at the Olympics. American medalists tend to report on the experience of hearing the anthem played as a prideful and reminiscent one that brings up visions of parents, hometowns, and training partners and coaches along the way. It is celebratory, not supplicant, patriotism. Even when the gymnast Gabby Douglas found herself in an overblown controversy concerning her posture during an anthem in the Rio Olympics-no hand over her heart-the troops were rarely invoked. Her offense was thought to be a broader lack of appreciation, not a specific affront to soldiers.

Boone's criticism of Kaepernick surely stemmed in part from his brother's time serving, but it also reflected his league's conception of national pride. The armed forces figure heavily in the NFL's weekly presentations. The flyovers are joined by salutes to servicemen and women in the crowd, reunions between returning soldiers and their families, televised cutaways to units stationed overseas enjoying satellite feeds of the games, and recruitment ads during commercial breaks.

On the one hand, this partnership seems natural. Football is America's most militaristic sport, a game of armored land acquisition whose participants are drilled to suppress their own fear and carry out strategy. Players get hurt with astonishing frequency. Coaches command from the safety of the sidelines. It's all as close as adults come to playing war, so it fits that the game should revere those who do the real thing.

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Did Colin Kaepernick Really Insult the Troops?

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Because he's an NFL player, Kaepernick's statement resonates in a distinct way. America's most popular sports league is also its most visibly patriotic, a trait discernible in everything from pregame fighter-jet flyovers to field-sized flags to coaches' instructions about the anthem during behind-the-scenes shows.

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President Donald Trump attacked NFL players protesting during the national anthem on Friday and subsequently told his followers on Twitter to boycott the league, many players who hadn't participated in the movement started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the past joined. There were widespread protests throughout the NFL on Sunday as well as statements from teams league and players' union in response to Trump.
Related:

NFL players responded to Donald Trump with more protests than ever

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The most noteworthy part of a national anthem before a sporting event used to be a great singing performance or a riveting flyover. Colin Kaepernick changed that. All eyes during the anthem are now on the San Francisco 49ers quarterback and other athletes who have joined him in sitting or kneeling during the anthem.

Kaepernick began sitting during the national anthem this preseason. A silent protest to show support for people of color who are being oppressed in the United States, and to take a stand against police brutality. It's an effort to use his voice and his position as a NFL player to effect change for the people who are suffering, and don't have the same ability to create significant change.

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick said, via NFL.com. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

Initially, Kaepernick was alone in his protest. And unnoticed. His protest didn't come to light and gain national attention until the third preseason game. Since then, he's continued on with his protest while being joined by several other NFL players, other professional, college and high school athletes.

Here is a complete timeline of Kaepernick's protest and the other athletes who has followed suit.

Aug. 14 and Aug. 20 - Kaepernick goes unnoticed while sitting during the anthem

Kaepernick made headlines when he sat during the 49ers third preseason game, but he also sat during the first two games, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Kaepernick wasn't in uniform and didn't play during the first two games.

Aug. 26 - Kaepernick gains attention for his protest

There was no grand unveiling of Kaepernick's sitting protest. Instead, Jennifer Lee Chan of Niners Nation tweeted out a photo of the anthem, unrelated to Kaepernick sitting. The story gained national attention later that night and the 49ers released a statement confirming Kaepernick sat for the anthem.

Kaepernick told the media after the game he sat because of the oppression of people of color and ongoing issues with police brutality.

Aug. 28 - Kaepernick expands on his reasoning for the protest

Kaepernick met with the media two days after the game and for the first time since the protest gained national attention. He reiterated that he was acting to give a voice to people who didn't have one.

"I'm going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me, this is something that has to change. When there's significant change and I feel that flag represents what it's supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it's supposed to, I'll stand."

"This stand wasn't for me. This is because I'm seeing things happen to people that don't have a voice, people that don't have a platform to talk and have their voices heard, and effect change. So I'm in the position where I can do that and I'm going to do that for people that can't."

"It's something that can unify this team. It's something that can unify this country. If we have these real conversations that are uncomfortable for a lot of people. If we have these conversations, there's a better understanding of where both sides are coming from."

"I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That's not happening. People are dying in vain because this country isn't holding their end of the bargain up, as far as giving freedom and justice, liberty to everybody. That's something that's not happening. I've seen videos, I've seen circumstances where men and women that have been in the military have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought have for, and have been murdered by the country they fought for, on our land. That's not right."

Sept. 1 - Kaepernick takes a knee during the anthem and is joined by teammate Eric Reid

For the first time during his protest, Kaepernick wasn't alone. San Francisco safety Eric Reid expressed support for Kaepernick prior to the game and showed it during the anthem by joining him in taking a knee.

From the time the protest gained attention, Kaepernick reiterated he was not doing it to be anti-American or anti-military or to disrespect troops. He was doing it to bring serious social issues to light and try to evoke change. That stance led to him slightly adjusting the protest. Kaepernick met with former Green Beret and brief NFL long snapper Nate Boyer, and after the discussion decided to shift from sitting to taking a knee during the anthem.

"We were talking to [Boyer] about how can we get the message back on track and not take away from the military, not take away from fighting for our country, but keep the focus on what the issues really are. And as we talked about it, we came up with taking a knee. Because there are issues that still need to be addressed and it was also a way to show more respect to the men and women who fight for this country."

After the game, Kaepernick announced a plan to donate $1 million to the charities that focus on racial issues.

Sept. 1 - Jeremy Lane of the Seattle Seahawks sits during the national anthem

Lane became the first non-teammate to join Kaepernick in protest. He sat on the bench prior to the national anthem in Oakland, just minutes after Kaepernick and Reid took a knee during the anthem in San Diego.

"I wasn't trying to say anything. Just standing behind Kaepernick," Lane said following the game. He added that he would keep doing it until he felt like justice was served.

Sept. 4 - Megan Rapinoe kneels during the national anthem in support of Colin Kaepernick

@JohnDHalloran pic.twitter.com/XJHiOhgbTW
- ❤️NWSL⚽️ (@gbpackfan32) September 5, 2016

Before the NWSL match between the Seattle Reign and Chicago Red Stars, Rapinoe took a knee during the national anthem, while the rest of her teammates remained standing. She expressed solidarity with Kaepernick, saying that, as a gay American, she knows "what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties," and that "it's important to have white people stand in support of people of color on this."

Not everyone in the soccer world was happy with Rapinoe's actions. Before Sept. 7's match between the Washington Spirit and the Seattle Reign, the Spirit rescheduled the national anthem to play while both teams were still in their locker rooms, in order to prevent Rapinoe from protesting. "We respectfully disagree with her method of hijacking our organization's event to draw attention to what is ultimately a personal -- albeit worthy -- cause," the Spirit said in an emailed statement. Rapinoe expressed anger over the decision, saying that it was "f**king unbelievable," and claiming that it was Spirit owner Bill Lynch's homophobia that influenced the reschedule.

And on Sept. 15, U.S. Soccer expressed disappointment in Rapinoe's protest, sending out a statement that pleaded for players and coaches to use the national anthem as a moment "to reflect upon the liberties and freedom we all appreciate in this country." It was an ironic and tone-deaf statement, considering that Rapinoe and Kaepernick's protests are addressing the reality that, for many marginalized Americans who don't fit into the "all" category, they lack the opportunity to truly "appreciate" freedom.

Sept. 9 - Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall takes a knee during the national anthem at the NFL regular season opener

Marshall became the first player to take a knee or sit during the anthem prior to a regular season game. He was a college teammate of Kaepernick at the University of Nevada. Like Kaepernick, Marshall said it was about social change.

"I'm not against the military. I'm not against the police or America," Marshall said, according to the Denver Post. "I'm against social injustice.

"Kaep, he's using his platform how he wants to use it, to reach the masses," Marshall said. "We have freedom of speech. But then we use our platform, and we get bashed for it. It's almost like they want us to only go with the grain. And once we go against the grain, it's an issue."

A Colorado credit union and CenturyLink subsequently terminated sponsorship agreements with Marshall.

"While we acknowledge Brandon's right, we also believe that whatever issues we face, we also occasionally must stand together to show our allegiance to our common bond as a nation," CenturyLink said in a statement. "In our view, the national anthem is one of those moments. For this reason, while we wish Brandon the best this season, we are politely terminating our agreement with him."

Sept. 11 - Seahawks, Dolphins, Chiefs and Patriots players demonstrate during nation anthem

The first Sunday of the NFL season took place on the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. This made the national anthem ceremonies on that day particularly emotional. Four Dolphins players - running back Arian Foster, safety Michael Thomas, wide receiver Kenny Stills and linebacker Jelani Jenkins - took a knee during the anthem after standing up for a 9/11 acknowledgment.

After the game, Foster explained that he loves the country and the rights it affords him. He later tweeted "don't let the love for a symbol overrule the love for your fellow human."

No Seahawks players took a knee during the anthem, but the entire team did link arms as a way of honoring the flag and continuing the conversation that Kaepernick started.

The Kansas Chiefs locked arms before kickoff of their game with the San Diego Chargers. Cornerback Marcus Peters held up a fist, saying he supported Kaepernick's efforts to raise awareness to the justice system.

Marcus Peters with raised fist during Anthem. Locked arms by #Chiefs. No one sat or knelt. #USA pic.twitter.com/zfHgrphj6l
- Jeff Rosen (@jeff_rosen88) September 11, 2016

Prior to Sunday Night Football, Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett and safety Devin McCourty also raised their fists after the national anthem.

Sept. 12 - Eric Reid kneels alongside Colin Kaepernick. 49ers teammates and Rams players raise their fists

Kaepernick maintained his protest, and was joined by several players set to take the field before Monday Night Football. As expected, safety Eric Reid knelt next to the quarterback during the national anthem, just as he did during the last week of the preseason. 49ers linebacker Eli Harold and safety Antoine Bethea stood, but with their fists raised in the air.

The 49ers players were joined by their opponents. Rams defensive end Robert Quinn (No. 94) and wide receiver Kenny Britt (No. 18) also stood with their fists in the air.

After the anthem, Kaepernick was embraced by several of his teammates before the game kicked off.

Sept. 16 - All of Garfield High School's football players and coaches kneel during the national anthem

WATCH: entire Garfield HS football team and coaching staff kneels during national anthem pic.twitter.com/LSTqku9QDb
- Heather Graf (@HeatherGrafK5) September 17, 2016

Joined by a few players from the West Seattle Wildcats, Garfield High School's football players and coaches kneeled during "The Star-Spangled Banner," which head coach Joey Thomas said would continue for the rest of the season. Speaking with the Seattle Times, Thomas was candid about racial injustice and the team being compelled to protest the anthem, especially after players learned about the song's racist third verse:

"Everybody wants to talk about how this is disrespectful to the American flag," Garfield coach Joey Thomas said. "That's a smokescreen. How about we talk about the issues people are kneeling and fighting for? If we could start addressing the issues and finding solutions to the issues, we won't have to kneel."

Sept. 16 - Twelve high school football players in Sacramento take a knee during the national anthem

Twelve football players from Laguna Creek High School took a knee during the national anthem. According to the Sacramento Bee, a number of parents reportedly told the players to "stand up." The Elk Grove School District announced in a statement that it would not discipline the students, saying that although it supports standing for the national anthem, it "respects and supports our students' individual experiences and their right to exercise their freedom of speech and expression protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution."

Sept. 17 - Howard University cheerleaders kneel during the national anthem

Before Howard took on Hampton University at the AT&T Nation's Football Classic, Howard University's cheerleaders took a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner." Zachary Johnson, Howard's executive president for the school of communications, who took the photo, told CNN that Howard's players did not kneel, but raised their fists instead.

Salute to the Howard University Cheerleaders for exercising their right to kneel during the national anthem. ✊ pic.twitter.com/dgTk52QoXD
- Zachary Johnson (@ZachJ2019) September 17, 2016

Johnson: "We can't even exercise our constitutional right to protest without being criticized," he said. "It's a conversation starter."

Sept. 18 - More 49ers join Kaepernick, Dolphins continue protest

Kaepernick's teammates Antoine Bethea, Eli Harold, Jaquiski Tartt and Rashard Robinson joined in protesting during the national anthem by raising their right fists ahead of San Francisco's game vs. the Carolina Panthers.

Meanwhile in Foxboro three of the same Miami Dolphins players continued their protest. Arian Foster, safety Michael Thomas and wide receiver Kenny Stills all kneeled during the anthem.

Sept. 19 - Four Eagles raise their fists during the anthem

Prior to the game, Malcolm Jenkins said the Eagles would protest during the anthem. Jenkins was joined by Steven Means, Ron Brooks and Marcus Smith (not pictured) in raising a fist while standing during the anthem.

Sept. 20 - Honor Band kneels while playing the national anthem before A's game

In support of Colin Kaepernick's protest against racial injustice, several members of Oakland Unified School District's Honor Band took a knee while playing "The Star-Spangled Banner." It happened toward the end of the song, which you can see in the video below, and you can hear the audience cheering as they kneel.

Band director Zack Pitt-Smith said he didn't know until rehearsal that the band was going to kneel, saying that the idea originally came from a few students and eventually spread around. John Sasaki, a spokesperson for the school district, stated that the organization was "proud" of its students for making the decision to kneel:

"They knew that this was a controversial issue across our nation, and yet they decided to go ahead with their protest knowing it would not be well-received by some Americans."

Sept. 20 - Marshawn Lynch expresses support for Colin Kaepernick

During his appearance on Conan, Marshawn Lynch was asked about his thoughts on Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem. Lynch said he'd rather see Kaepernick " take a knee than stand up, put his hands up, and get murdered."

Sept. 21 - Iman Shumpert announces he will raise money for families impacted by police fatalities

On his Twitter and Instagram accounts, Shumpert announced that, for every steal he makes during the 2016-17 NBA season, he will donate money to organizations that aim to "improve the struggle between the badge and the citizen." While showing support for Kaepernick, he also noted that he would not be kneeling during the national anthem, despite originally hinting at it in a song he released on Sept. 16 titled "His Story," saying "I no longer believe taking a knee is the answer."

#stealthefear #steal fear Call my phone @Kaepernick7 let's make something happen! pic.twitter.com/iUmWhhMMzJ
- Iman Shumpert I (@imanshumpert) September 21, 2016

Sept. 21 - Entire Indiana Fever team and two Phoenix Mercury players kneel during the national anthem

Before the first game of the WNBA playoffs, every player on the Indiana Fever locked arms and kneeled during the national anthem, while the Mercury's Kelsey Bone and Mistie Bass joined them on the other side. Afterward, Fever coach Stephanie White told her team that she was "proud of y'all for doing that together."

Sept. 22 - Colin Kaepernick is featured on the cover of Time magazine

Time premiered the cover for its Oct. 3 issue, featuring Kaepernick kneeling in his full 49ers uniform. The issue includes a cover story from Sean Gregory, where Kaepernick's protest is a centerpiece in a larger conversation among athletes regarding sports activism and patriotism.

TIME's new cover: The perilous fight. How national anthem protests led by Colin Kaepernick are fueling a debate https://t.co/FsZoblqj0b pic.twitter.com/pCVB3wM2kp
- TIME (@TIME) September 22, 2016

Sept. 22 - Houston's Duane Brown raises a fist while standing during the national anthem

Brown didn't play due to an injury, but did participate in the protest for the first time this season. He had been vocal about recent police shootings, according to Aaron Wilson.

Oct. 1 - Members of East Carolina University's band kneel during the anthem

Before East Carolina took on the University of Central Florida, a few members of ECU's band took a knee during the national anthem. People in the crowd noticed, and the response was split between students and alum.

Just feet frm the American flag, members of the @ECUBand kneel. Their right to do so. @ECUAthletics #ecuvsucf ☠️ pic.twitter.com/9PAypkliib
- Michael Aho (@ahomichael) October 1, 2016

As a member of the marching band, it's in your job description to stand & PLAY the national anthem #disgusted #disappointed ❤️ #ECU pic.twitter.com/hgCe33MEkE
- Holly Modlin (@yohoholls) October 1, 2016

When it came time for the band to perform at halftime, there were many boos directed at them.

The ECU Band was boo'ed loudly during halftime of today's game. pic.twitter.com/iA2T21XDwd
- Pirate Radio (@pirateradio1250) October 1, 2016

ECU chancellor Cecil Staton issued a statement shortly after, saying that the school "respects the rights of our students, staff and faculty to express their personal views."

Statement by #ECU chancellor Cecil Staton on the marching band members kneeling during the anthem. pic.twitter.com/KtZXvWtkSO
- Michael Prunka (@MichaelPrunka) October 1, 2016
Oct. 4 - Rockets, Knicks and Celtics stand united during the anthem
The Rockets and Knicks opened the preseason joined arm in arm.

The Celtics also showed unity as a team, standing together with their arms crossed and heads down.
Oct. 11 - Singer Leah Tysse takes a knee while signing the national anthem prior to a Kings game
Tysse knelt while singing the the lyric "land of the free, home of the brave." Here is part of what she said about the decision.

This act embodies the conflict many of us feel. I love and honor my country as deeply as anyone yet it is my responsibility as an American to speak up against injustice as it affects my fellow Americans. I have sung the anthem before but this time taking a knee felt like the most patriotic thing I could do. I cannot idly stand by as black people are unlawfully profiled, harassed and killed by our law enforcement over and over and without a drop of accountability.

Nov. 6 - Brandon Marshall decides to stand during the anthem again

Before the Broncos' Sunday Night Football matchup against the Raiders, Marshall explained in an Instagram post why he would no longer kneel during the national anthem.

"I'm encouraged with the many productive discussions and progress that has taken place as the Denver Police department has decided to review its use of force policy, " Marshall wrote. "I'm proud to have joined so many of my peers throughout sports who've also made their own statements.

"Going forward, I will be standing for the National Anthem - not because everything is perfect, or because I'm changing my stance on things. But because of my hope for what we can become. Just because I am standing doesn't mean the work will end. There's much work to be done. I'll continue to recognize and support organizations that are stepping up as leaders and making a real difference in our community, and I will do my part to be there for those in need."

Marshall added that he was standing for the Idriss Stelley Foundation, a charitable organization that gives free support to victims of police violence, as well as the family of O'Shaine Evans, a 26-year-old man who was shot and killed by San Francisco police in 2014.
Aug. 12, 2017 - Marshawn Lynch kneels after coming out of retirement
Lynch was retired during the 2016 season, but returned to join the Oakland Raiders in the offseason. While he didn't play in the team's preseason opener, he made his thoughts on the last year's events regarding Kaepernick clear by taking a sit on the bench during the playing of the National Anthem.
Aug. 13, 2017 - Michael Bennett remains seated during the national anthem
The outspoken Bennett has expressed support for Kaepernick in the past, and on Sunday as the Seahawks faced the Chargers in preseason action, he remained seated for the national anthem.

.@Seahawks Michael Bennett during anthem pic.twitter.com/RVbpZhyaAZ
- Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) August 14, 2017

Focus on Kaepernick's message and not his method

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All the athletes who joined Kaepernick's national anthem protest

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President Donald Trump attacked NFL players protesting during the national anthem on Friday and subsequently told his followers on Twitter to boycott the league, many players who hadn't participated in the movement started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the past joined.