Both the Chiefs fans and the Texans players chose to express their social and political beliefs before Thursday’s game, and it resulted in a bit of a tense moment involving them.
The Chiefs players took the field for the national anthem, but their opponents decided to remain in the locker room during that time, in what they referred to as a display of “unity.” Well, Chiefs fans didn’t necessarily agree with that idea, so when the Texans players did take the field for a moment of silence before the coin toss, they were showered with boos.
JJ Watt and Deshaun Watson are the Texans’ leaders, so they appropriately stood next to each other during the moment of silence. But while Watson has yet to weigh in about the fans booing, Watt wasted no time in doing so after the game, questioning the reaction from Chiefs supporters in the stands at Arrowhead Stadium.
“The moment of unity I personally thought was good,” Watt said on NFL Network, as transcribed by USA Today Sports. “I mean the booing during that moment was unfortunate. I don’t fully understand that. There was no flag involved. There was nothing involved other than two teams coming together to show unity.”
Fans paid money to attend the game, and they’re entitled to voice their opinion, just like players do, using the league as a platform to reach millions of people.
