“Harrison Butker in shambles!” – Chiefs vs. Ravens NFL Kickoff Game starts with controversy as Black National Anthem leaves fans divided

Black National Anthem performance leaves fans divided ahead of NFL Kickoff Game between Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

“Harrison Butker in shambles!” – Chiefs vs. Ravens NFL Kickoff Game starts with controversy as Black National Anthem leaves fans divided

NFL Kickoff Game started with rendition of Black National Anthem (Image via Imago/X)

An NFL game generally brings people together from all walks of life. Fans, due to their passion for the game, generally leave their ulterior motives behind and embrace each other both in victory and defeat. But something the league organized today before the NFL Kickoff Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens has left fans scratching their heads.

Before the start of the game, singer Tasha Cobbs Leonard performed ‘Lift Every Voice’. The song, first performed in 1900, became known to be the Black National Anthem. During the rendition, players were seen standing and acknowledging the importance of it. It has been used in Week 1 games and the Super Bowl since the infamous George Floyd murder. But at a time when the country is heading into an important phase of its history, this rendition seemed to divide fans.

After this, Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt unveiled their Super Bowl LVIII winning banner at the Arrowhead Stadium. Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs are looking to win another Super Bowl on their way to scripting history. So is Travis Kelce, who had girlfriend Taylor Swift in the VIP boxes to cheer him on as they take on the Baltimore Ravens.

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‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ then took center stage as singer Coco Jones performed a beautiful rendition of the country’s National Anthem. That performance brought the Arrowhead up on its feet and the crowd roared on when a B2 Bomber flew overhead. That brought the focus back on the need to perform the Black National Anthem.

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Fans voice their opinion on Black National Anthem rendition at NFL Kickoff Game

Fans had divided opinions with regards to this issue. Some felt the rendition was unnecessary. The Star-Spangled Banner was enough to unite the country. On the other hand, some were appreciative of the gesture as it showed that the needs of the African American community were still on everyone’s mind. This division was ideal considering the Presidential Elections were a couple of months away.

Kansas City Chiefs look to defeat Baltimore Ravens to start three-peat quest
Kansas City Chiefs look to defeat Baltimore Ravens to start three-peat quest (Image via Imago)

Fans took to social media to voice these comments. Both supportive as well as the frustrations. Check out some of those comments below;

This NFL season is looking to be better than what was before. In that effort to do so, the NFL might have to take the current political situation into account. After all, fans want the game to be a pure spectacle. The Chiefs and Ravens will look to provide that in the first game of this exciting NFL season.

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