As a non-American, when I was first made aware of the controversy surrounding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, I couldn’t understand why Americans were so offended and upset by the player’s actions. It seemed like a fairly clear-cut case of the players exercising their First Amendment right to free speech, in a moment that many Americans consider an important part of their cultural identity.

That was until I went to several major league sporting events in the United States, then it all started to make sense.