by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:23 PM ET, Mon October 9, 2017
A regional airport in Minnesota spoke out against NFL players sitting or kneeling during the national anthem at a meeting regarding incoming air travel for Super Bowl LII.
Next year's Super Bowl will be held in Minneapolis, and a large influx of air traffic is expected at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. As a result, Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport is one of the local facilities listed to handle planes rerouted for inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
According to the Duluth News Tribune, airport officials met last week to discuss the increased air travel expected before and after the Super Bowl. During the meeting, commission member Jeff Czeczok filed a motion to protest NFL-related flights until the league institutes a rule forcing its players to stand during the national anthem.
While the majority of commission members agree with Czeczok's comments on the protests, the motion failed for lack of a second.
"I just would like to remind the people sitting at this table that, you know, we have a national organization that has team members kneeling down during our national anthem," Czeczok said during the meeting.
Another member of the commission, Marty Johnson, agreed with Czeczok, saying that he didn't have any problem with protesting, just not during the national anthem.
"As long as the film crews and the media keep spotlighting the fact that this guy didn't stand and this guy didn't stand, they're going to keep doing it," Johnson told the Duluth News Tribune. "The media is the problem."
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In addition to Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport, other second-tier facilities being contacted to handle flights if inclement weather impacts the region include St. Cloud Regional Airport, Rochester International Airport, La Crosse Regional Airport and Chippewa Valley Regional Airport.
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