When 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made a stand by sitting during the national anthem Friday night, it was destined to become the NFL's latest hot topic.
Bills coach Rex Ryan on Sunday made it clear his players stand during the anthem. Hours earlier, the Giants made a concerted effort to do just that. But to Panthers coach Ron Rivera, the issue doesn't have a one size fits all answer.
"To each his own. Everybody's going to do it their way," Rivera told BBR Sunday. "To me, it's a very personal thing because of my dad, his military background, knowing that his family and my mom's family served in the military."
Of anyone inclined to throw a hot take on Kaepernick's one-man protest, you'd think it'd be someone like Rivera.
A son whose father, Eugenio, spent 32 years in the U.S. Army — service that included two tours in Vietnam. A military brat with an upbringing that emphasized dedication and discipline. A coach who's invited veterans to speak to players of an organization that's turned into one of the NFL's most military-friendly.
"My view is (the anthem) is about honoring the people that served and made the commitment to our country, some who even made the ultimate sacrifice," Rivera said. "When I stand, that's what I'm standing for. I'm standing for the people that came before my father and the people that came after him."
Yet unlike some coaches, players and the corner of the internet currently locked in passionate debates about Kaepernick's stance, Rivera doesn't want to have a say in what someone else does during the anthem.
"This is America and people are given freedoms and rights. Whatever he chooses he chooses. So be it," Rivera said. "We have to do what we think is right. I think that's the most important thing.
"Let's not forget what this country's built on, and that's freedoms."