As the Dodgers and Giants introduced on the foul lines before Thursday’s season opener, San Francisco reliever Sam Coonrod was the only person on either team to not kneel.
Managers, players, coaches and staff all kneeled during a moment of silence meant to support Black Lives Matter.
Sam stuck out like a sore thumb, but he did give a reason as to why he refused to kneel:
“I meant no ill will by it,” Coonrod said. “I don’t think I’m better than anybody. I’m just a Christian. I believe I can’t kneel before anything but God, Jesus Christ. I chose not to kneel. I feel if I did kneel I’d be a hypocrite. I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”
His Skipper supported his decision:
Some on the internet believe his support for Trump had everything to do with his decision not to kneel.
Coonrod said he didn’t know about or talk to his teammates about the gesture in advance, although The Athletic reported the exact details of what players would be doing six hours before the game.
Coonrod is a second-year reliever who made 33 appearances out of the Giants’ bullpen last year.
Now he’s temporarily a household name.
