Reflections on the meaning behind an NFL insult... Professional football players started refusing to stand for the National Anthem during the 2016 season, and it began as just a trickle of weirdos like Colin Kaepernick… but by late September, 2017, hundreds of pro football players were kneeling down during the National Anthem that begins the game, or even refusing to leave their locker room for it. This is obviously an issue for football players, owners, and fans. But some have asked why non-football fans care about it at all, much as theatergoers ask why what happens in a play or...