The 49ers were alone in the bowl of Levi’s Stadium during the national anthem before their Sunday opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals remained inside their locker room until after the anthem, skipping any racial justice protest or related controversy, while fans were not allowed in the stadium because of the coronavirus pandemic.
San Francisco’s Richie James and Jerick McKinnon appeared to squat near the 49ers’ bench during the anthem, while all other visible members of the 49ers on the sideline were standing.
Thirty minutes before kickoff, the 49ers lined up on their goal line – coach Kyle Shanahan between Jimmy Garoppolo and Dee Ford – as “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was played in accompaniment with the NFL’s “It Takes All of Us” and “End Racism” messages for the social-equality and pandemic awareness campaigns.
The Cardinals retreated to their locker room after warmups rather than stay on the field for either ceremony.
Garoppolo, tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner were among the 49ers who took the field about two hours before kickoff in a NFLPA-issued T-shirt that read, on the front, “Injustice against one of us is injustice against all of us,” and, on the back, “End Racism.” Other players and staff wore T-shirts emblazoned: “Black Lives Matter.”
Fox, the broadcaster of Sunday afternoon’s game, did not address the Cardinals’ choice or McKinnon’s and James’ apparent demonstration in its coverage.
National anthem at #49ers vs #AZCardinals #NFLKickoff2020 :
Cardinals are inside locker room
49ers on sideline standing with exception of Richie James and Jerick McKinnon squatting (not sitting) by bench pic.twitter.com/MpLy8Xogic— Cam Inman (@CamInman) September 13, 2020
