Back in 2016, then-quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem in protest against racism and police brutality. Kaepernick started a short-lived movement dividing much of the country, but it started to lose steam after high-profile figures like President Trump called it out as unpatriotic. Copycat anthem protests became a routine occurrence in the NFL and among student athletes across the country. The NFL was losing money after many began to boycott the league. In response, they issued a new policy last May, in which teams are fined if players on the field kneel during the anthem. Some colleges, such as East Carolina University and Colorado Christian University, also banned the disrespectful protest.

Suddenly, protests virtually disappeared, and the media stopped talking about it. Perhaps they realized the protests were ineffective at accomplishing the change they desired.