Earlier on Friday, San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler shared a piece on his website entitled “Home of the Brave?” in which he strongly criticized American politicians and “the state of this country,” in general, following the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that resulted in the deaths of 19 young children and two teachers.
In the post, Kapler admitted he wanted to “drop to a knee” or “walk back inside” during the playing of the national anthem ahead of Wednesday’s home game versus the New York Mets at Oracle Park. Kapler addressed media members before Friday’s matchup at the Cincinnati Reds and announced he’ll be staying inside for renditions of the anthem for the foreseeable future.Â
“I don’t plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel better about the direction of our country,” Kapler explained, as noted by NBC Sports Bay Area. “That’ll be the step. I don’t expect it to move the needle necessarily, but it’s just something I feel strongly enough about to take that step.”Â
