CBS Takes a Knee, Does Not Show Anthem

The NFL Thursday Night Football game between the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles featured a new twist in the National Anthem protests – CBS and the NFL Network decided not to televise the pre-game playing of “The Star Spangled-Banner.”

None of the players on either team kneeled during the anthem according to accounts of fans attending the game although two Eagle’s players did raise their fists while it played.

CBS handles production of TNF which is also broadcast on the leagues NFL network so the decision to skip the anthem was up to the network. The move came just over a week after CBS spokeswoman Jennifer Sabatelle told Sporting News “The anthem will be live,” during last week’s game. The sudden shift came after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued his statement saying that he feels that “everyone should stand.”

CBS is still reeling from a now-retracted report that Colin Kaepernick would stand during the anthem’s playing if an NFL team would sign him. Colin denied the claim almost immediately after the report was published.

No statement has been issued by either the network or the league on Thursday’s omission and CBS did not immediately return CDN’s request for comment.