NFL: Twitter Users Blast Decision to Play Black National Anthem During Week One

When the NFL teams take the field before Week 1 of the 2020 season, they will likely do so after witnessing a new experiment. The league is reportedly planning to play "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," which is commonly known as the Black national anthem, before "The Star-Spangled Banner." The expectation is that this will take place before every Week 1 game, starting with the Thursday night opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans. However, many expressed opposition to the plan.

When reports surfaced about the NFL and the Black national anthem, Twitter users sounded off. Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and many others expressed criticism of this plan and asked how this display solves any problems. Other users voiced their critique while saying that this move is divisive. They voiced the opinion that the "Star-Spangled Banner" is a unifying song. The NFL had some supporters on social media, but several said that this plan to play the Black national anthem is only distracting from the real issues.