Did the NFL Ask Eminem Not to Kneel?
Did the NFL ask Eminem not to kneel during his halftime performance at the 2018 Detroit Lions Thanksgiving game?
Introduction
Eminem recently Freestyled about NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem. This has led to some speculation about whether or not the NFL asked him not to kneel.
The answer is complicated. The NFL did not ask Eminem directly not to kneel, but they did reach out to his team to express their concerns. However, it’s unclear if these concerns were shared with Eminem himself or if they were simply passed on to his team.
In any case, it seems that the NFL’s main concern was not with Eminem specifically, but with the potential reaction from fans. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the National Anthem protests, and the NFL was likely hoping to avoid any further unrest by asking Eminem not to participate.
What happened?
In his new video for the song, “The Ringer,” Eminem takes aim at President Donald Trump and his supporters — including those who boo NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality.
“And any fan of mine who’s a supporter of his/ I’m drawing in the sand a line/ You’re either for or against/ And if you can’t decide who you like more and you’re split/ On who you should stand beside/ I’ll do it for you with this: F--k you,” Eminem says in the video.
At one point in the video, which was released Thursday, the rapper is shown kneeling in a field as images of Trump and his supporters flash on screen.
What does this mean?
On Friday night, at a concert in Detroit, Eminem rapped: “That’s why we stand for our flag. Kneel for our fallen gods.”
The lyrics were a clear reference to the NFL protests against racial injustice and police brutality, which have been led by Colin Kaepernick and other players. Many have interpreted the line as a show of support for the protests.
However, some have suggested that the NFL asked Eminem not to kneel during his performance at halftime of the Super Bowl in February, and that his recent lyrics may be a response to that request.
Eminem has not commented on the rumors, and the NFL has denied them.
Conclusion
Eminem’s “line in the sand” moment came on October 6th, 2017, when he released his song “The Ringer.” In the song, he directly criticizes President Donald Trump, rapping, “But this is for Colin / kneeling on a patriotic-pawed (patriotic) flag / Carefully orchestrated Plan to discredit you as a static (static) / Ad hominem attacks in an attempt to deter us (deter us).”
While it is difficult to say definitively whether or not the NFL asked Eminem not to kneel, it seems unlikely. Based on Eminem’s history of speaking out against political figures and current events, it seems more likely that he chose not to kneel of his own accord.
