No anthem protests before Pirates-Cardinals game

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No anthem protests before Pirates-Cardinals game

Rob Biertempfel | Sunday, September 24, 2017 5:54 p.m.

Fans walk up Wembley Way as they arrive for an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Baltimore Ravens at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday Sept. 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Bucking a protest trend among NFL players, all of the Pirates and Cardinals players and coaches on the field stood for the national anthem before Sunday's game at PNC Park.

Last year, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the anthem. Kaepernick said he wanted to raise awareness about inequality and racism in America.

On Saturday, Oakland A's catcher Bruce Maxwell, a recent call-up, became the first MLB player to kneel during the anthem.

After President Donald Trump said players who disrespect the anthem shoulder be “fired,” dozens of NFL players took a knee before games on Sunday. Steelers players refused to leave their locker room until after the anthem was played before their game against the Chicago Bears

“We appreciate our players' desire and ability to express their opinions respectfully and when done appropriately and properly,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said.

Rob Biertempfel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BiertempfelTrib.