The hockey coach for Team USA said that any of his players who didn't stand for the national anthem at the World Cup this month would find themselves on the bench for the rest of the game.
John Tortorella, the head coach of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, told ESPN's Linda Cohn Tuesday that he would not tolerate his players sitting or kneeling during the anthem in solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, according to Fox News:
"If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game," he said, according to the network's reporter Linda Cohn.
When I asked Team USA coach John Tortorella about Kaepernick protest he told me "If any of my players sit on... https://t.co/CTEDYRG0zm
— Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) September 6, 2016
Kaepernick, a former starter for the 49ers who now backs up Blaine Gabbert, announced last month he would not stand during the playing of the national anthem before games to protest what he called racist government policies and police brutality.
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told NFL Media. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."
The quarterback has also drawn criticism for wearing socks at a practice in August with cartoon pigs wearing policeman's hats.