Mets manager Terry Collins “happy” players stand for national anthem

Don’t expect any Mets players to take a knee during the national anthem, at least not for the rest of this season

The world of sports and politics collided on Saturday when President Donald Trump criticized players who choose to kneel during the national anthem in protest of racial inequality.

Mets manager Terry Collins was asked about these public protests, and while he didn’t criticize them, he did mention he was “proud” of his guys for standing up during the national anthem.

"“I’ve got to tell you, I’m not a big political guy, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I respect — I have been blessed enough to travel the world — and I respect our country immensely. We do have rights here, which other places don’t. I respect that, also.But I’m proud of my guys that they go line up every night, stand and face the flag. Everybody’s allowed to have their own thoughts and certainly I don’t criticize anybody, I don’t do that stuff. But I’m happy that our guys do what they do.”"

While most of the focus has been placed on the NFL and NBA, Major League Baseball was brought in to the discussion when Oakland A’s rookie catcher Bruce Maxwell took a knee during the anthem prior to Saturday’s game. The son of an Army officer, Maxwell became the first MLB player to publicly protest in this manner.

“The point of kneeling is not to disrespect our military. It’s not to disrespect our constitution. It’s not to disrespect our country,” Maxwell told reporters after that Saturday night game. “My hand was over my heart because I love this country. I’ve had plenty of family members, including my father, that have bled for this country, that continue to serve for this country. At the end of the day, this is the best country on the planet.”

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I have a feeling this topic isn’t going away any time soon, and if more players start kneeling, we could see it asked more in locker rooms once next season starts.