No Tampa Bay Buccaneers player had protested the national anthem until Sunday's game against the Bears, and wide receiver Mike Evans said after the game that his decision to kneel during the pregame ceremony wasn't a show of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. Evans said after the Buccaneers' win that he chose to sit out the anthem in protest of Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election, and that he will continue with his protest in the coming weeks.
Via JoeBucsFan:
"I don't want to, you know, disrespect the veterans or anything. The men and women who serve this country, I'm forever indebted to them. But the things that's been going on in America lately, I'm not going to stand for that. When Ashton Kutcher comes out and says we've been punked, then I'll stand again. But I won't stand anymore.
I said this a long time ago. When [Trump] ran, I thought it was a joke, and the joke continues. I'm not a political person that much, but I got common sense. And I know when something's not right."
Some athletes have speculated that players or entire teams may refuse to visit the White House after winning a championship to be honored by Trump. After his third trip to the White House last week, LeBron James - who publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton - said he was unsure whether he'd go back if he wins another title.
"I don't know. That's something I would cross. We'll have to cross that road, I guess."
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