Lions Owner Will Donate to Charity if Players Don’t Kneel

The Detroit Lions' owner, 94-year-old billionaire Martha Firestone Ford, asked her team not to kneel for the playing of the national anthem. Ford told the team that in exchange, she would make a donation in her name to an issue at the heart of the players’ cause. She made the request just days after she locked arms with them on the field during the anthem. Only two of those players, linebackers Steve Longa and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, took a knee for the playing of the anthem on Sunday, while the rest of the team linked arms on the sideline. Running back Ameer Abdullah and defensive end Cornelius Washington said the trade-off in following Ford's request to not kneel will be worthwhile if she can help them have a more direct impact on solving problems within the community. More here.