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Pittsburgh Steelers Skip National Anthem

 

The sports world is reacting to President Donald Trump's remarks about pro football, including the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The Steelers chose to stay in their locker room for the national anthem before their game against the Chicago Bears, coach Mike Tomlin told CBS.

The move was apparently in reaction to President Donald Trump's suggestion that NFL owners fire players who kneel for the national anthem. 

Several players from the Jaguars and Ravens decided to kneel in the first NFL game of the day in London. Later, Tomlin said his players would not be on the sideline at Soldier Field in Chicago for the anthem. Steelers offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva, a former Army Ranger, stood on the field while the anthem played, as did Tomlin and other members of the Steelers staff. The Bears were present for the anthem.

Meanwhile, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a tweet that the league will re-air a unity television advertisement Sunday night that it first ran during February's Super Bowl.

The one-minute spot called "Inside These Lines," will be shown during the Sunday night game between the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins.

Over images and video of NFL players embracing one another on the field, the narrator says "Inside these lines, we don't have to come from the same place to help each other reach the same destination."

Goodell said that President's Trump's remarks about the NFL demonstrated "an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL."

Trump suggested during a speech Friday night that NFL owners should fire players who kneel during the national anthem. A handful of NFL players have refused to stand to protest several issues, including police brutality.

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