Matthew Stafford Sparks Passionate Reaction From Social Media After Kneeling During National Anthem

John Newby

11/28/2020 12:37 pm EST

The Detroit Lions hosted the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving day as part of the team's ongoing holiday tradition. Before the game, quarterback Matthew Stafford drew considerable attention. The former first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft kneeled during the national anthem. He joined many other NFL players, including Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, in doing so and sparked a multitude of comments.

When viewers saw the Lions' quarterback kneel during the national anthem, they reacted with a wide variety of comments. Some proclaimed that he was an awful person for kneeling, while others said they supported his decision. Several others commented about his wife Kelly, and her previous Instagram videos calling Michigan a "dictatorship." The comments continued as the Lions struggled to compete on Thanksgiving day, ultimately losing 41-25.

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There were several comments on Thursday from NFL fans, many of which were negative. Some Twitter users said that they did not agree with Stafford kneeling during the national anthem and expressed the opinion that he needed to stand up and put his hand over his heart. A few continued the debate about whether the act of kneeling during the national anthem is disrespectful to active and retired military personnel.

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Those that supported Stafford choosing to kneel during the national anthem did not hold back with their praise of the quarterback. Some said that he chose the perfect game to kneel due to the millions of people tuning in to watch the annual tradition. Others said they just cheer for him even more after seeing the act.

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Did Stafford make the "right" choice by kneeling during the national anthem? The debates raged on Thanksgiving after cameras showed him doing so. Some said that he was the sole reason why they will "never again" watch the NFL or the Lions. Others said that he needed to focus on "more important" issues than kneeling during the national anthem.

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"So Matt Stafford's wife rants against lockdowns to reduce covid but today Matty is kneeling for the anthem?? I wonder about the tension sometimes," one person commented on social media. Several others voiced similar theories about whether the Staffords argue on a regular basis.

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"Hey, that's an honest statement. [I don't know] what the way is either, but pretending things are fine definitely isn't the way. Thank you for not jumping straight into vilifying these players and their beliefs," one person added. There were several people angry at Stafford while others applauded him for kneeling. A third group just expressed confusion about the entire situation. They didn't pick a side in the debate, instead opting to ask questions.

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"After what his wife said? I wouldn't buy into it. It's legit pandering," one person theorized on Thanksgiving. Many expressed excitement after seeing Stafford kneel while others proclaimed that they will continue to boycott the NFL. Some people, however, just said that the Lions QB was only trying to "make up" for his wife's comments.

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Amid the constant debates about Stafford and the national anthem, there were some people making jokes about the entire situation and how it relates to the football game. They expressed the opinion that the Lions would not have many highlights from the day other than Stafford kneeling.

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