Now a NFL cheerleader is protesting the National Anthem.
A San Francisco 49ers cheerleader took a knee Thursday night prior to a game with the Oakland Raiders, which is likely the first known example of a cheerleader partaking in the protest.
One of the Niners cheerleaders is taking a knee. pic.twitter.com/DW5SJqh9zj
— 2004 never happened (@GatorLenny) November 2, 2018
The cheerleader was not identified, and the team has yet to comment on the matter.
The “take-a-knee” protest famously started with the 49ers when then-quarterback Colin Kaepernick dropped in protest of the American flag.
That said, only about three players are still protesting, which makes the cheerleaders’ sudden devotion to the cause a little strange.
Not to mention that, unlike players who are typically locked into expensive, multi-year contracts, cheerleaders are fairly easy to sack.
Kaepernick’s protest backfired spectacularly for the NFL; YouTube and social media were flooded with videos by long-term fans burning their team jerseys, and NFL ratings have been in free-fall ever since.
“NFL ratings are facing yet another brutal blitz this fall — and few pundits are betting that they won’t get sacked,” reported the New York Post. “With ratings having plunged 8 percent in 2016 and nearly 10 percent last year, experts say this season’s ratings could fall even faster as the league continues to grapple with a slew of ugly controversies that have turned off viewers.”
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