【1996 Archives】

996 ArchivesNFL vs. President Donald Trump showdown is really heating up now that Trump's good buddy Tom Brady is getting involved.

The 45th U.S. president called on NFL owners to fire any players that kneel or protest during the pre-game national anthem at a rally on Friday. Unfortunately for Trump, he overlooked the fact that peaceful protest is a form of speech that is protected under the First Amendment.

This overstep from the nation's highest office caused multiple NFL players and others to lash out against Trump, who later suggested a boycott of the NFL on Twitter.

As football games began across the United States on Sunday, it became clear that a majority of the day's conversation and commentary focused around what teams would do when the "Star Spangled Banner" echoed throughout the league's stadiums. Some kneeled, some remained in the locker rooms, and some linked arms with teammates, including Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady, who has been criticized in the past for his support of and friendship with Trump was spotted linking one arm with teammate Phillip Dorsett during the anthem, with one hand over his heart.

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While some commended Brady for linking arms, a small gesture for his teammates, others criticized him for not doing more.

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Although Brady's small gesture is telling, he should not be widely celebrated for his actions. Not linking arms with his teammates would have garnered more criticism from his team and the public than linking arms, and Brady has yet to directly speak out publicly against Trump's recent statements.

He did post a photo to Instagram on Sunday morning, pledging allegiance to his team in an inspirational type post with the hashtag #nflplayer.

View this post on Instagram

"Hey Brady, how about you speak out about your friend Donald Trump and the divisiveness he continues to spew about the kneeling protest and picking fights with sports figures when he should be paying more attention to the tragedies happening with the recent natural disasters," one person wrote on a separate Instagram post of Brady's.

"How about you and Belachick[sic] speak up against him for a change."

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