OPINION:
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch decided to stand during the playing of the national anthem in the leadup to Sunday’s matchup against the New England Patriots, and for that, President Donald Trump sent out a scathing tweet, soundly criticizing him.
Oh, did I forget to mention it was Mexico’s national anthem that played in the background?
Yes indeed. The game was played in Mexico City.
And the big outrage? Lynch has been one of the NFL’s regular kneelers during recent playings of America’s national anthem.
“Marshawn Lynch of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders stands for the Mexican Anthem and sits down to boos for our National Anthem,” Trump tweeted Monday. “Great disrespect! Next time NFL should suspend him for remainder of season. Attendance and ratings way down.”
Some in the media went laughably out on a limb to paint Lynch in a more positive light.
CNN, for instance, slid into its story on the Trump tweet that “this marks the second day Trump has taken to social media to criticize African-American athletes.”
What, like Trump’s purposely targeting blacks?
ESPN noted that “Lynch was actually standing during the first few bars of ’The Star-Spangled Banner’ on Sunday before taking a seat. And while he stood for the Mexican anthem, he was not completely at attention.”
Not completely at attention? Who cares?
The takeaway is this: Lynch, since coming out of retirement this season, has sat out the playing of America’s anthem. But he stood for Mexico’s.
And that clearly means he has more regard for Mexico than America.
He doesn’t just need to to be suspended, as Trump’s tweet suggests. Lynch ought to move to Mexico, at least for a time, and see firsthand how he fares there, how police treat suspects there, and how the government treats its people there — and then maybe his on-field protests of America might have meaning.
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