Last week, Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh applauded Colin Kaepernick in Time Magazine. “His willingness to take a position at personal cost is now part of our American story,” he wrote. It reignited debate over national anthem protests, as some argue they are disrespectful to the country.
It’s been nearly eight months since Kaepernick first knelt during the national anthem. The former NFL star is still without a team. Whether that’s a result of the baggage that comes with his politics or his on-field performance is unclear. But how sports leagues, teams and administrators address athlete demonstrations is still very much alive, Syracuse included.