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For much of the past week, there has been some confusion about whether or not ESPN would air the national anthem before the Monday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
It was originally reported they wouldn’t, but ESPN will in fact show the anthem, although what channel it will be on is dependent of the first game of the MNF doubleheader. If the finish of the Pittsburgh-Washington game runs past the start of the Los Angeles-San Francisco game, the anthem will be aired live on ESPN2, while the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” may also choose to show it again later on ESPN.
“Our intent has always been to show the anthem live,” said Mark Gross, ESPN’s senior vice president of production and remote events. “We’ll show the anthem on ESPN2 and then revisit the story on ESPN. We will cover the news story like we cover all news stories.”
The reason there is so much interest, of course, is due to the presence of Colin Kaepernick.
The 49ers quarterback made headlines during the preseason when he opted to sit during the national anthem in a protest of racial inequality in the United States. He stated:
I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. 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 story has continued to grow, with Kaepernick’s jersey topping NFL sales and protests during the national anthem spreading not only around the NFL, but also to other sports and to other levels of competition.
If you’re looking to watch the national anthem and don’t have cable, you can click here for information on how to watch a free live stream. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:20 p.m. ET, with the anthem likely taking place about five to 10 minutes prior.