Taking a Knee: Effect of NFL Player Protests on Subsequent Employment and Earnings (original) (raw)
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2018
Colin Kaepernick"s refusal to stand for the national anthem starting from the NFL preseason game in August 2016 as a way of peaceful protest for "racial justice" and subsequent reactions of President Trump through his comments and tweets suggesting that such a protest is un-American and un-patriotic spurred much controversy, leading to a national debate among all segments of population and splitting them deeply along racial and political lines. Many polls conducted on this issue revealed strong support for both sides; i.e., for Kaepernick"s cause of protest, and for Trump"s reaction.This article"s primary objective was to examine how a sample of African American college students (as part of the millennial generation) view the NFL controversy. The study found that most of the young African American students have knowledge of the NFL anthem controversy; and, that a majority of them consider themselves NFL fans; agree with Kaepernick"s cause for kneeling protests, agree with the way NFL teams and owners showed unity before the Sunday games by locking arms and kneeling. Conversely, they do not support firing of those who refuse to stand during the anthem; and, strongly denounce Trump"s controversial "SOB" comment at an Alabama rally. Overall, these young adults tend to be more moderate in their view on the kneeling controversy than those in the general population.
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Beginning with President Trump's speech against the national anthem protestors in September 2017, the authors consider how external sociopolitical events interacted with the network structure of the 2017 National Football League (NFL) to alter the salience of member identities and the resultant patterns of protest activity within the league. Using group membership data on the full population of 2,453 football players, the analysis tracks protest participation by membership in race and status groups and by the network variables of degree, betweenness, and closeness centrality. Black and elite players are both overrepresented among protesters throughout the season. The margins of overrepresentation narrowed during an increase in demonstrations after Trump's first criticisms but had widened by the end of the season. The mean centralities of the protesting groups varied from week to week because of an increase in the salience of the NFL player identity and its interaction with racial identities. In general, protesters had lower mean degree and closeness centralities and a higher mean betweenness centrality than players who abstained from protest. Those who participated in high-risk forms of activism also tended to have lower mean degree and closeness centralities and a higher mean betweenness centrality than those who opted for low-risk demonstrations. These findings indicate that sociopolitical events can implicate different identities, changing their salience in the decision to join or abstain from a social movement.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to protest the national anthem of the United States by taking a knee sparked widespread attention, much of it negative. This research examines the mainstream media coverage of Kaepernick's protest. Our analysis identified an overarching theme that permeated all coverage: a focus on the method of protest (kneeling) versus the message of the protest (social justice). More specifically, we uncovered six interrelated frames that can be examined and understood through the theoretical lens of the protest paradigm: Kaepernick himself; individual action; virality; power and influence; professional risk; and deflection and distraction. By understanding these frames, we can begin to develop a better understanding of how individual actors-including athletes-can use their platforms to raise awareness and spark discussions around important issues, using their celebrity to amplify voices that otherwise might go unheard, as well as the possible consequences of those actions.
Communication & Sport, 2019
During a 2016 National Football League (NFL) preseason game, former San Francisco 49er quarterback, Colin Kaepernick sat during the playing of the national anthem in protest of police brutality. His actions prompted national outrage: ultimately calling into question his national identity and patriotism towards the United States. The anthem protest continued throughout the 2016 and through the 2017 season. Consequently, the NFL decided to implement a national anthem policy to discipline players who continued to protest. Thus, this study examined individuals’ perceptions of the NFL’s crisis responsibility in handling the anthem protest and how it affected their reputation. Further, this study examined national identity and patriotism as mediators between crisis responsibility and organizational reputation. Results indicated that national identity did not serve as a mediator and that only one level of patriotism mediated the relationship. A discussion was also forwarded.
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