Bruce Pearl folks....
http://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/index.ssf/2016/10/auburn_basketball_team_plans_different_protest_stand_national_athem.htmlIn light of the silent protests taking place across the sports landscape started by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem, SEC men's basketball coaches and athletic directors discussed how they wanted to handle such protests, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Bruce Pearl has discussed the protests with Auburn's men's basketball team, whose 13 scholarship players are all African-American, and the players plan to "find a different way to protest" rather than do something during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner before games.
"We're going to continue to stand out for the anthem," junior guard TJ Lang said. "We're going to find a different way to protest and acknowledge the problem that's going on. Just standing, it kind of means a little bit more just with our troops and everything.
"We have people (in the program) who have family that are in the military, in the armed forces who give their life for that flag, so it kind of means a little bit more to us than the police brutality-type deal. I feel like as a team we're coming together, we're going to find a different way to protest, whether it is wearing something or going out in the community and just trying to raise awareness."
Pearl is not one to shy away from weighing in on social or political issues.
The third-year Auburn coach consistently tweets about conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine.
Pearl's had speakers from various backgrounds speak with his team, from basketball Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Charles Barkley, to alleged rape victim Brenda Tracy, to military and law enforcement personnel.
He is continuing to have discussions with Auburn's players about how they intend to address issues that concern them.
"I'm confident that we as a team will respect the flag," Pearl said. "My teams always have stayed out for the national anthem and my teams did it way before 9/11; since I've been a head coach we've always done it. It's sort of been one of our team rules. Yet I recognize the First Amendment, the freedom of speech and understand the possibilities exist.
"But our team is going to honor the flag and we're talking about ways that we can bring awareness through other forms of community service and even protest about the challenges that our young African-Americans face regarding profiling and some of the challenges that law enforcement experience. Our kids have a heightened awareness, as they should."