Kneeling was not an issue during national anthem in Rupp on Tuesday. Here’s why.
If Kentucky’s team kneels during the playing of the national anthem before a home game this season, only insiders will know.
Kentucky and Alabama players were in their locker rooms during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Tuesday night. Teams will not be on the court for the anthem for UK home games this season.
“Previous conference policy required that both teams remain on the floor for the national anthem,” UK spokesperson Eric Lindsey wrote in an email. “When the league office changed its format this season, we re-evaluated our pregame routine to fit what worked best for our team.”
The change is believed to be related to giving Southeastern Conference teams flexibility during the coronavirus pandemic. The SEC gave teams the option to be on or off the court during the playing of the national anthem. The song can be played before the introduction of starting lineups with players on the court as is traditional or about 10 minutes earlier with teams in their respective locker rooms.
The response among SEC teams has not been uniform. Kentucky, Mississippi State, LSU and Missouri are among schools that have players in the locker rooms. Florida, Georgia and Vanderbilt are among schools that have players on the court.
Of course, Kentucky players and coaches knelt during the playing of the national anthem before Saturday’s game in Gainesville, Fla.
When asked Monday about the symbolic gesture, freshman Isaiah Jackson said that seeing a noose hanging from a scaffold during last week’s mob invasion of the U.S. Capitol moved him to want to kneel to call attention to systemic racism.
“That’s just something that people shouldn’t do,” Jackson said of the noose. “I feel like people have their own opinions (about protests during the anthem).”
Of the noose, he added, “It’s just crazy to me.”
