<P> On October 8, 2017, Vice President Mike Pence left a game between the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and the San Francisco 49ers, members of which had knelt during the anthem, "because President Trump and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem ." </P> <P> Oklahoma senator James Lankford said Russian internet trolls, seeking to polarize Americans, helped fuel a debate . </P> <P>" We watched, even this weekend, the Russians and their troll farms, their internet folks, start hashtagging out #TakeAKnee and also hashtagging out #BoycottNFL," he said during a hearing on threats faced by the United States. "They were taking both sides of the argument this weekend...to try to raise the noise level of America and make a big issue seem like an even bigger issue as they are trying to push divisiveness in this country ." </P> <P> Major sports sponsors Nike, Under Armour, and Ford all issued statements in support of athlete's freedom of expression after Trump's comments regarding the NFL . Nike's statement read, "Nike supports athletes and their right to freedom of expression on issues that are of great importance to our society ." In September 2016, after Brandon Marshall knelt during the national anthem, Century Link and Air Academy Federal Credit Union dropped him as a paid sponsor . Radio station WFAY dropped a broadcast of an East Carolina University football game on the station after the marching band took part in the protest, calling it an insult to the U.S. Armed Forces . John Schnatter of sponsor Papa John's Pizza blamed the protests for a drop in sales and a 24% fall in stock during 2017, saying that the "controversy is polarizing the customer, polarizing the country ." Later that day, the company announced that the NFL shield or "official sponsor" designation on Papa John's commercials and advertising would be removed . In December 2017 Sanderson Farms CEO questioned whether the NFL protests were to blame for falling chicken wing prices . </P>

How many nfl players have taken a knee