We continue to share the thoughts and reactions to the demonstration showed by all of the Chiefs as well as Marcus Peters. First, some background. How did the idea to lock arms come about? Chiefs players said after the game they had a meeting about this on Thursday.
“A couple guys jumped up on the podium and spoke their heart and as a team, we love those guys and we’re going to have their backs,” Travis Kelce said. “We want to make a difference ourselves and this is a great opportunity on the NFL platform and it’s a good start.”
An important point here is that the Chiefs players want to make an actual impact - not just demonstrations. As Marcus Peters said, they don’t want to just talk about it, they want to be about it.
“The cool thing about the meeting that we had was, this isn’t the only thing we’re going to do,” Chris Conley said. “We’re not just going to link arms before games, we’re going to do hands-on activities with the community to reach out and try to improve relations.”
Jeremy Maclin said similar things about meeting with community leaders down the road.
“That was important for us to be together – that we were a team and that we’re going to do this together,” Alex Smith said. “I know Marcus was linked up down there. We all walk in different shoes. Marcus is from the east Bay. Who am I to say? My experiences are different from his and different from every other guy on the team. So, raising a fist, you know, fine. We were together out there and linked up. You know, it’s a special day in history, for this country – 9/11. I think it’s a day to be thankful for your freedoms, for the people that’ve provided them – that have made the ultimate sacrifice for us. That’s that freedom. It’s a great country.”
I would also point out that linked arms with the rest of them right in the middle was Andy Reid along with the Chiefs coaching staff.
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“Listen, I’m going to tell you we’re in America,” Andy Reid said. “This kid (Peters) comes from Oakland and does a phenomenal job in the community and Oakland. There’s no question that he’s all in. There’s no question he respects whatever law enforcement, military, you don’t ever question that with this guy. He just wants what is right, like we all do. I think that’s the important thing. What the players are doing right now is important. Let’s just all get along and that would be a beautiful thing.”
I wish I could scream that last line from the mountaintops.