Patrick Mahomes and his teammates stand during the national anthem.Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs during the national anthem. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)


The NFL kicked off Thursday as the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Baltimore Ravens. As always, the national anthem and what many fans consider the ‘black’ national anthem were performed ahead of the game.

Grammy Award winner Tasha Cobbs performed the anthem “Lift Every Voice And Sing.” It has been a yearly tradition to have it sung before the opening game of every NFL season, and it seems as though fans are getting upset.

NFL fans are now threatening to boycott the league, as many are expressing outrage with the decision on X. However, there has recently been some discussion from a former NFL Star fighting back at these fans.

Former defensive Chris Long, who played 11 seasons in the league split between the St. Louis Rams, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles, responded to a tweet calling one NFL fan “Fragile.”

Why Are NFL Fans Upset About The ‘Black’ National Anthem?

The original X post asks, “Why has the NFL replaced our National Anthem with the so-called ‘BLACK’ national anthem?” It should be noted that the league did not replace the National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice And Sing.”

The league doesn’t seem to suffer from fans “boycotting” it. On Thursday night, the Kansas City Chiefs versus Baltimore Ravens game saw nearly 30 million viewers tune in, a record for the league. The 2015 New England Patriots versus Pittsburgh Steelers game held the previous record.

The NFL season will continue through the so-called “boycotting,” which will not affect the league. In week two, the Chiefs will play the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Ravens will try to knock off the Las Vegas Raiders.