Clemson coach would not discipline player for anthem protest

Dabo Swinney says he would not discipline a Clemson player for protesting the national anthem because just like San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick, they have that right.

But Swinney said Tuesday he disagrees with Kaepernick’s actions because it creates divisiveness among people and muddies the message. After Swinney was asked if he would discipline one of the players on the fifth-ranked Tigers for an anthem protest he said Kapernick should have found another way to express his opinion without the polarizing gesture.

The coach noted that too often things get painted with a broad brush and people take sides and bar potential dialogue about issues. The coach says he hates “to see what is going on with our country.”

Kapernick has protested what because of the oppression of black people and people of color in the U.S.

This story was originally published September 13, 2016 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Clemson coach would not discipline player for anthem protest."