The divisive nature of politics dominated sports headlines over the weekend as several NFL players and teams protested during the national anthem. The Los Angeles Dodgers have not been directly involved in such an occurrence, but manager Dave Roberts inserted himself into the conversation by sharing his strong stance on the matter.
In light of Oakland Athletics rookie catcher Bruce Maxwell becoming the first MLB player to join the protest by taking a knee Saturday during the anthem, which he did again Sunday, Roberts was asked if he would take umbrage with any of his players following suit.
“Personally, yeah, I’d have a problem,” Roberts began to explain. “Because my father served this country for 30 years. I understand – I can appreciate any player’s individual act, and that’s personal.
“But I would just ask every person to really be educated. When you make a point, something like that, the thing is, really think long and hard. And really be educated on why you’re doing what you’re doing. After that, it’s each individual player’s decision.”
Roberts, who was born on a United States Marine base in Japan, has often reflected on his experiences growing up in a household that did not differentiate based on race, religion, or the like.
His father, Waymon Roberts, retired from the Mariners as a Master Gunnery Sergeant. Waymon passed away in March.
Protests from professional sports teams and players intensified over the weekend, because of critical tweets from President Donald Trump. Then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem prior to a regular season game last December.
He was booed at Qualcomm Stadium, became the subject for heated debate on sports talk shows, and remained a central figure in the protests since his silent demonstration.
