Houston Texans protest owner’s comments before game

In response to controversial comments made by their owner Bob McNair, most of the Houston Texans took a knee and linked arms during the national anthem prior to their game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday (Oct. 29). Around 10 players stood with their hand on their heart for the national anthem. Although they settled on taking a knee before Sunday’s game, the team reportedly considered peeling the team logo off of their helmets, raising fists and staying in the locker room for the duration of the national anthem, reports the Houston Chronicle. McNair’s comment came during a meeting on October 18th where he was heard saying: “We can’t have the inmates running the prison” when discussing player demonstrations. McNair has apologized for the remark on two occasions since the incident. However, that hasn’t stopped team members from taking action. In addition to Sunday’s group protest, Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins reportedly skipped practice on Friday (Oct. 27) due to McNair’s insensitive remarks. A number of his teammates considered staging a walkout before they were “persuaded to stay,” according to Adma Schefter of ESPN. “I’m never going to force anyone to do anything they don’t feel comfortable with, said Texans player Duane Brown. “I think we all felt the same way on Friday. As far as the demonstration went, some people didn’t feel quite comfortable [kneeling] and some people did, but we all supported each other. That was what was important. I don’t think that anyone looks at anyone differently for what they stood for or didn’t stand for.”