SCRANTON -- From east to west coast along the sidelines and even overseas, NFL players and coaches showed a unified front in the war of words coming from The White House.
"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say get that son of a b---- off the field right now. He's fired. He's fired," President Trump said Friday.
A lone player from the Pittsburgh Steelers came out for the National Anthem. The rest stayed in the locker room.
Many other teams chose to kneel, lock arms, or raise fists. Started by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick a season ago to protest racial discrimination and police brutality faced by minorities in America.
"In the end, you have to do the right thing and we came together as a whole and as a team and we felt like it was the right thing," said Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars.
"We're a united front. We're all sons of b------."
At the Penalty Box in Scranton's Minooka section, fans watched football and politics collide.
Some here see the protests as a perfectly fine way to speak out against perceived injustices.
"If they feel they have the right to protest over something or there's an injustice, who's to say they can't-do it," said Chris Maple, Scranton.
President Trump has implied as much saying owners should fire players who won't stand for the Star Spangled Banner.
"If you want to go on a knee for the National Anthem, wait until it's over," said Leonard Dragwa, Carbondale.
"I don't agree they should be fired. Do I agree they should be sidelined? Yeah, but fired, no," said Edie Levens, Scranton.
"Whether you agree with it or not, it's freedom of expression, if the people telling them not to do it, that's the un-American side," said Maple.
"Either it's going to divide us or unite us, you got to pick a side."
Taheed Jewell is an Eagles fan. What he saw across the league on NFL Sunday were teams and their owners standing or kneeling firm in their beliefs.
"The NFL showed America they're united with their brand, basically. The owners, the players, they basically showed America they're united no matter what's going on. They are united as a company, as a brand," said Jewel.