Seahawks, Titans stay in locker room for national anthem

Sep 25, 2017 - 3:31 AM NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Shortly after President Donald Trump made remarks Friday night about how NFL owners should fire players who don't stand for the national anthem, those same owners and players stood united.

And on Sunday in Nissan Stadium, the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans stood united in their pregame action. They stayed behind in the locker room while Meghan Linsey sang the anthem.

"If we hadn't gone in here, I would have probably taken a knee," Tennessee wide receiver Rishard Matthews said after his team's 33-27 win. "I will probably take a knee until (President Trump) apologizes or someone apologizes for what he called us."

Outspoken Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman tweeted Saturday that if one doesn't condemn President Trump's behavior, they are condoning it. Wide receiver Doug Baldwin, in a lengthy statement released via ESPN's Josina Anderson and ESPN 710 in Seattle, pointed to President Trump as a "poor example of what you can become if you remain close-minded, ignorant and uneducated."

Both teams emerged from their locker rooms about a minute after the anthem, arms locked in a gesture of solidarity. It's not known if they will face sanctions, although the NFL does have the right to fine teams for not being present for the anthem.

Ownership of both teams supported the actions of their players. Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk pointed out their off-field contributions to the Nashville community in a statement before kickoff Sunday.

"When I hear anyone making disparaging remarks about them," she said, "I know it has to be the result of now knowing what they bring to our communities or what they have accomplished."

Seattle coach Pete Carroll said the teams discussed the action a few hours before kickoff.

"That was a decision that the players were really hoping we could do based on all the concerns, and the Titans wanted to do the same thing," he said. "That's just a statement that they felt they needed to make. It wasn't a demonstrative thing on the field. I think it was a classy way to demonstrate your dissent."

Matthews' father served in the Marine Corps. He described himself Sunday as a military brat. So hearing those comments was, in his words, disappointing.

"It cut me to the core," Matthews said. "But let's not beat around the bush. You're calling minorities (derogatory names). That's not cool."