A seemingly direct response to President Trumps blistering condemnation of players who refuse to stand during the anthem. Even jaguars Team Owner Steve kahn who donated money to donald trump the pittsburgh stealers in its game against the bears are remaining in the locker room while the anthem plays today. This morning, the president of the United States reigniting his future with the nfl tweeting nfl attendance and ratings are way down, boring games, yes, but many stay away because they love our country, leagues should back u. S. , if nfl fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our flack ag and country, you will see change take place fast. The discussion got even more heateded after what the president said friday night, you might find what you are about to hear from him in alabama offensive. Wouldnt you love to see one of these nfl owners when somebody disrespects our flag, say get that son of a bitch off the field now, hes fired. We have cnn Analysts Covering this story for us and we have new pictures coming in right new with the Cleveland Browns facing the colts, you see the flag displayed out on the field and what youre seeing is a very similar image of what you saw out of london. Some with their hands on their heart, some with their hands touching other players and some players actually kneeling, well talk about all of that and what were seeing in this display at nfl games across the country and even across the pond today. All right, now, lets start with our team coverage, we have got a host of people who are joining us today to talk about politics, sports, culture, all coming together and in some cases colliding, lets start with cnn corporate boris sanchez, and we have already heard from a member of trumps cabinet earlier today, steve mnuchin, what else is being said representing the White House Point of view . Hey, fred, yeah, several people coming to the president s defense with these statements. I do want to point out the timing of this, fred is certainly unusual. As you recall, Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the National Anthem in august of last year, so its curious why the president would bring in controversy up now especially in light of so much already on his plate. Tensions at an alltime high with north korea, and a Health Care Plan thvote thats on the f collapse. And the tax plan rollout coming next week. The director of legislative affairs, mark short who also defended the president. Listen to what they had to say. The owners should meet and they should decide on this rule the way they decide on any other rule. Again, for as long as i remember people have stood in honor of the country, this isnt about politics. If people want to talk politics off the field when theyre not working for the informal, they have the right to do that. I these that the plirs the president believes it is his role to improve Race Relations. Certainly a lot of nba and nfl players dont feel that the president is improving Race Relations nor do some owners including the owner of the new England Patriots, a friend of the president in robert craft. He put out a statement saying that he was disappointed in the tone of the president s speech on friday, he went on to write, quote, i think our political leaders could learn a lot from the lessons of team work and the importance of working together toward a common goal, our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and i support their right to try to reflect there were already several stapts made on the field today. Well see how the president might be responding on twitter soon. All right, and as we are talking, youre seeing a variety of pictures, live images coming in, at a number of the nine nfl games that have started, starting at 1 00 eastern time. We have been looking it the Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts, the Miami Dolphins and the new york jets, a variety of players on their knees and you even saw a couple of hands raised in the air, lets talk about all of this, this incredible dynamic today on what would be football sunday. Andy schultz is with us now. Andy, this has evolved from a year ago, Collin Kaepernick, 49ers kneeling, he was making a statement about social injustices, he hasnt been on a team as a result. And now as of friday night, the president injecting his comments on what should happen to players who in his view do not show respect has now evolved into a show of defiance, a show of solidarity, but in their collective resonance behind what is getting so many players, coaches, owners to make a statement in this way . Well, fred, teams have meetings saturday nights before their sunday games and reports were that nearly every single team in the nfl discussed this very issue saturday night collectively. Now was there a collectingi ini decision for each team . It doesnt look like it, it was left up to what you wanted to do there are some that were kneeling during the National Anthem, some raised their fists, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided they were not even going to go out there on the field before the game for the National Anthem. Mike tomlin announced thats what he was going to do before the game and we have video of him announcing that. Were not participating to t in the anthem, people shouldnt have to choose, if a guy wants to go about his normal business and participate in the anthem, he shouldnt be forced not to. He shouldnt be separated from his team mate who chose not to. Were not going to participate today. We came here to play football. So your team wont be on the field . We will not be on the field. Mike tomlin makes its sound like he doesnt want to put his players in a position where they have to make a decision to either kneel or not kneel. So that seems fob why the steelers are not coming out for the anthem now its i guarantee you were going to see much more of this as the games continue, the Seattle Seahawks have always been outspoken when it comes to social issues, they have Richard Sherman and michael bennett, and he has kind of taken up where Collin Kaepernick left off. He has sat on the bench this season as well as taking a knee, i would expect the seahawks to have a show of youunity. And their coach spoke this morning and heres what he said about hid team playing in nashville. This is a new day right now, this is a time of change, our players are ready to activate, theyre willing to be part of the change that is necessary. Inequality, treating people unfairly uniquely because of their background and where they come from, is no longer okay. And with that thought, youll see that accusation, our players are the ones that send the message, theyre not going to allow these things that have lasted for so long stay the same. Its interesting to hear that from pete carol, he was asked when his first player didnt stand for the National Anthem, he said he thought that every Single Player should stand for the National Anthem but he believed in the players right to not stand for the National Anthem so he believes its their right not to. And again those are pictures were seeing from the Cleveland Browns and the Indianapolis Colts right there. If im Colin Kaepernick and im seeing this transpire, am i thinking that this show of solidarity, the 34messages thate just heard from pete skacarroll that a message in response to what he did and ignited a year ago, or is this a direct response to the president s sentiments on the actions of a kaepernick and even else who follows suit . I this theres no question that what were seeing today is a direct reflection of what President Trump said earlier this week and what he said on twitter. That being said, there are players who have continued what Colin Kaepernick started and continuing to spotlight and bring attention to issues of social injustice in the country. I will say its a little bit of both and i will say that it is definitely much more prevalent obviously today in what were seeing and i would expect that the nfl as it is, as it always stands for, its always about unity. We will continue to see this and if we see the pittsburgh stee r steelers sidelined. The lone steeler who did come out for the National Anthem, as he did serve in the army, and he felt even though his team was staying in the locker room, he was going to come out. Mike tomlin who said that his team wasnt going to be coming out he did come out and stand on the sidelines as well. Heres the steelers coming out on the field and they were booed heavily by the fans there in chicago. For that decision . You have to assume. I mean obviously visiting teams are booed whenever they come on the field, but according to some reporters who i know on twitter, theyre both saying that the boos are a little louder than they normally would be for a visiting team running out on the field. And theres the bills, locked arm in arm together. The dolphins, they were locked arm and arm and their coach was on the sidelines with them locked arm in arm. As were the jacksonville jaguar s team. Some of the players actually spoke about their owner standing side by side with them before the game. And i think we have some of that sound that we can play for you. Or maybe we might not have that. What does that mean for a player, any number of these players whoed edwho at first th they were taking a stand, whether they were kneeling, or whether they were touching their teammate, particularly after Colin Kaepernick got as much attention as he has for doing that a year ago, if these players felt like they were making an individual statement, does it mean something more to these players now when you have team owners, when you have team owners who are showing solidarity, whatever statement theyre trying to make, how this empowers the athlete about what can come from their celebrity, from their status as an elite athlete . Thats exactly whats going on here, i think, i think Everyone Wants to show that theyre unified in their message. I mean they dont want no one wants their job threatened. And the nfl players, as we have said before, its a brotherhood. And when one of their teammates is being threatened that you should have your job taken away for you just going out there and standing up for what you believe in, i think that sets off a display of unity like we see right now. And even the new England Patriots, their owner robert craft, hes friends with donald trump and he sent out a tweet saying theres nothing more unifying than sports and theres nothing nothing more dividing than hes locking arms with his teammates, with his other arm across his chest and tom brady is is best player in the inform nfl and he felt it necessary to go out there on the sidelines and make a statement with his teammates. Theyre saying were in this together and we support our teammates that decide if they need to take a knee, if they need to sit, if they need to send a message, that they think is important, were going to stand by them. Okay, let me bring into this conversation, cnn senior media correspondent brian stelter, so brian, messaging, this is a powerful collective message, coming from these athletes, celebrities, owners, coaches, et cetera and we have a president of the United States who is big on messaging too, by way of tweeting, by way of his rallies so, brian, when the president is met with this kind of messaging across the country, at americas football and then across the pond, where american players are playing an international nfl game in london, might this be something that provokes a different message coming from this president of the United States . We know he doesnt like to apologize, but, this seems like this has reached a certain peak that is unlike others. History tells us he is a double down, triple down president , but he must be watching some of the pictures this afternoon, if hes not tuned into any specific game, hes at least going to see the News Coverage right here about these protests. And he recognizes its about him. This was a movement originally to kneel to oppose Police Brutality. This is a message to President Trump. The linked arms, less so than kneeling, although many players are kneeling, the linked arms a sign of solidarity, we saw the owner of the Miami Dolphins, the overwhelm oowner of the philadelphia eagles, linking arms with his players, we see some of the team owners and head coaches are joining with their players. Part of what friday night was about, was dividing the players from the owners, saying, hey, the team owners should toll those sons of bs to get off the field, youre fired. Here we have seen some prominent team owners standing visually and also rhetorically with their players. I think thats going to stand out. One other note about what were seeing on these pictures, players not just kneeling or standing up, but also in some cases raising their fests in the air. They have chosen a wide varietyivvariety i of ways to make a statement today. This certainly has a viral effect as it spreads potentially to nfl Baseball Major League bae saw a player take a knee yesterday, hes an africanamerican player, he was seeking a show of respect as he put his hand over his heart. So were seeing players in different leagues coming up with new ways to make statements and it is a statement against president donald trump. It is a powerful statement. But there were statements being made before this moment, whether it be from kaepernick, whether it be from fellow players. Other individuals, but i wonder, brian, you know, buzz the impetus for owners and coaches to get involved when President Trump started talking about, and this became less than a social awareness issue and now a financial awareness. Because you have the president saying fire them, fire players who take a stand, whether they kneel or make a statement as it pertains to the National Anthem or the flag, and was this a wakeup call for owners and coaches, you know, that now youre talking about the financial, you know, the pocket book that potentially could be hit as opposed to a certainly social awareness or awakening of coaches or owners, et cetera . Yeah, there sure is a business sub text to this, a really complicated one, fred, were having the president of the United States sorta kinda urging folks to walk out of football games. And he called for an nfl boycott. Thats on the one hand and hes not an especially poplular president right now. Hes at 38 , the nfl has itself stuck right in the middle between those two groups of americans and what the nfl is trying to say, were the bridge, were the uniters, whether ye de what you voted for, were the uniters, theyed that a oneminute this was actually ran during the super bowl and it was never supposed to run again, but this Morning League official s question sided to dust it off. And theyre going to air that oneminute commercial. Its one way the nfl is trying to make a statement here, saying theyre not going to choose sides as an organization, but these pictures, linking arms in solidarity will come across to many folks as if the players are choosing sides. Its a very delicate business issue for the nfl even as i would argue theres more cultural and freedom usuals at stake, its not as if the plirs have a First Amendment right to kneel. A team theoretically could tell a player to stand or sit or do whatever they tell the player to do. However there are First Amendment values at stake in this conversation and the president rather than holding up the right to protest, hes trying to stamp it down, having a chilling effect. I would say looking at these pictures now, hes not had a chilling effect, hes had the opposite of that. We saw arthur blank, the owner of the Atlanta Falcons standing on field now, thats something that he has been seen to do, he gets on the field rather regularly for an owner, but today it strikes differently with the atlanta and detroit game, what are your observations on that . We just saw those pictures a moment ago. And arthur blank had planned to be on the field with his players, in that statement he sent out yesterday, he said himself creating division or demonizing viewpoints that are different does nothing positive and jund mines our ajt to achieve those in our democracy. I can imagine that that was the common sentiment amongst the owners as we got all of the statements in yesterday after what President Trump said. Fredericka, i can imagine that its nice for the players to know that the owner has their back in this situation. I wonder if this helps create an opening for the former 49er Colin Kaepernick . You would think it might, just because of the whole narrative had been this offseason that no juone wants e distraction, no one wants the ten extra cameras in their locker room, being a distraction to your football team. Maybe that would still happen if you brought in