Philadelphia Eagles' Chris Long (56), Malcolm Jenkins (27) and Rodney McLeod (23) hold their fists up during the National Anthem before an NFL football game in November 2017. Jenkins did the same in Thursday night's game. | Matt Rourke/AP Photo Trump blasts NFL players for kneeling at preseason games 
 
 President Donald Trump blasted NFL players on Friday morning for protesting during the national anthem at preseason games, accusing them of being "unable to define" what they are protesting and suggesting the athletes should instead "be happy" and "be cool." 
 
 "The NFL players are at it again - taking a knee when they should be standing proudly for the national anthem. Numerous players, from different teams, wanted to show their “outrage” at something that most of them are unable to define. They make a fortune doing what they love," Trump said in a tweet. 
 
 Story Continued Below 
 
 Trump's tweets came after some football players kneeled or showed other signs of protest during the national anthem at several preseason NFL games Thursday night. 
 
 "Be happy, be cool! A football game, that fans are paying soooo much money to watch and enjoy, is no place to protest. Most of that money goes to the players anyway. Find another way to protest. Stand proudly for your National Anthem or be Suspended Without Pay!" Trump said on Twitter. 
 
 Contrary to the president's claim, the NFL players who kneel for the national anthem have been vocal and specific about their protests, which began two seasons ago in opposition to racial injustice and police brutality. Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and some of his teammates wore t-shirts Thursday that said “more than 60% of prison populations are people of color” on the front and “nearly 5,000 kids are in adults prisons and jails” on the back, according to NBC Sports. 
 
 The NFL Players Association did not immediately return a request for comment. 
 
 The protests, which have grown over the past two seasons, sparked controversy and led NFL owners to approve a new policy in May that allows teams to fine players and other personnel who fail to stand during the national anthem. Players have the option to stay in the locker room during the song. Enforcement of that policy has been put on hold as the league negotiates with its players over the controversy. 
 
 Critics of the protest say players are disrespecting the American flag and national anthem when they protest during the song. But many protesting NFL players have argued that it is important to use their national platform to speak out against injustice, and that they have a right to free speech. 
 
 Jenkins and Eagles cornerback De'Vante Bausby raised their fists for the Star Spangled Banner Thursday night, according to the Associated Press. Miami Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson kneeled for the anthem before their game. 
 
 Protests during the national anthem as an NFL-wide trend began years ago, sparked by then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the anthem. The 30-year-old athlete took a knee in 2016 to protest racial injustice in the U.S., including police brutality. 
 
 The president drew attention to the issue last year at a rally in Alabama, collectively labeling kneeling players as a "son of a bitch" and suggesting they be thrown out of the league. Trump's attention to the issue prompted significantly more players to protest, metastasizing the issue from a sports debate to a nationwide controversy. 
 
 Such protests also caught fire among other NFL players, and even college and high school athletes across the country. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who once conspicuously kept a "Make America Great Again" hat in his locker and who the president has joked could have been his son-in-law, praised the protests in an interview with Oprah Winfrey during the offseason, breaking with the president on the issue. 
 
 Kaepernick, a free agent who went unsigned and did not play in the league last season, tweeted his support for the players who protested on Thursday night. 
 
 “My brother @kstills continued his protest of systemic oppression tonight by taking a knee,” Kaepernick said. “Albert Wilson joined him in protest. Stay strong brothers!” ||||| Baltimore Ravens players, including former player Ray Lewis, second from right, kneel down during the playing of the U.S. national anthem before an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at... (Associated Press) 
 
 NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the sports world reacting to President Donald Trump's remarks about pro football (all times Eastern): 
 
 9 p.m. 
 
 When you add up the numbers, about one in eight NFL players did not stand for the national anthem this weekend. 
 
 AP reporters and photographers counted the players kneeling or sitting at every NFL game Sunday. With one more game to go Monday night, already more than 200 players chose to protest. A handful of others raised their fists. 
 
 The league has 1,696 players on active rosters. 
 
 Last week, only six NFL players protested, continuing the movement started last year by former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick. 
 
 But President Donald Trump's comments and tweets saying protesting players should be fired sparked a massive show of defiance. Three teams stayed off the field for the anthems entirely. Other teams locked arms, with some players standing, some kneeling and some sitting. 
 
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 5:20 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump has continued to express his displeasure on Twitter about how NFL players are choosing to kneel or sit for the national anthem before games. 
 
 In one tweet, Trump said that "Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable. Bad Ratings!" In another tweet, he says people "MUST honor and respect" the American flag. 
 
 About 150 players around the NFL sat, knelt or raised their fists in defiance during the league's early games. 
 
 In another tweet, Trump said the NHL champion Pittsburgh Penguins will be going to the White House f or a ceremony. Trump recently rescinded a White House invitation for Stephen Curry of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors. 
 
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 4 p.m. 
 
 Meghan Linsey finished singing the national anthem before the Seattle Seahawks game at the Tennessee Titans, and then the runner-up in "The Voice" took a knee as she finished. So did the guitarist accompanying her. 
 
 At least 130 players around the NFL sat or knelt during the anthems in the early games. The Seahawks and Titans didn't come on the field until after Linsey finished singing. A handful of players stood outside the tunnel. 
 
 Earlier in Detroit, singer Rico Lavelle dropped to his right knee, bowed his head and raised his right fist wrapped around the microphone while finishing up his rendition of the national anthem before the Lions-Falcons game. 
 
 — AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker reported from Nashville, Tennessee 
 
 ___ 
 
 4:01 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump has continued to express his displeasure on Twitter about how NFL players are choosing to kneel or sit for the national anthem before games. 
 
 In one tweet, Trump said that "Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable. Bad Ratings!" In another tweet, he says people "MUST honor and respect" the American flag. 
 
 More than 130 players around the NFL sat, knelt or raised their fists in defiance during the league's early games. 
 
 In another tweet, Trump said the NHL champion Pittsburgh Penguins will be going to the White House for a ceremony. Trump recently rescinded a White House invitation for Stephen Curry of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors. 
 
 ___ 
 
 3:50 p.m. 
 
 The Tennessee Titans are joining the Seattle Seahawks in deciding not to come out for the national anthem. 
 
 The Seahawks announced nearly 30 minutes before kickoff that they would not stand for the national anthem because they "will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of color in this country." 
 
 The Titans followed 10 minutes later by saying they will remain in the locker room during the national anthem. They posted a statement on their website noting they want to be unified as a team with the players deciding jointly that staying inside was the best course of action. 
 
 The team also said their commitment to the military and community is "resolute" and that "the absence of our team for the national anthem shouldn't be misconstrued as unpatriotic." 
 
 Seattle has been one of the more outspoken teams in professional sports on social issues, led by Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin. 
 
 — AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker reported from Nashville, Tennessee 
 
 ___ 
 
 3:40 p.m. 
 
 The Los Angeles Sparks did not participate in the national anthem before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, joining a long list of protests being conducted on football fields across the NFL. 
 
 Moments before the Sparks and Minnesota Lynx were scheduled to line up for the national anthem, the Sparks left the floor. The Lynx stood arm-in-arm with each other while the anthem was performed. As soon as it was finished, the Sparks re-entered Williams Arena to a chorus of boos. 
 
 The gesture comes in solidarity with NFL players who either sat, took a knee or did not take the field for the anthem after President Donald Trump criticized football players for enacting such protests. At least 130 players were kneeling or sitting during the first NFL games. 
 
 — AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski reported from Minneapolis 
 
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 2:55 p.m. 
 
 It appeared no drivers, crew or other team members participated in a protest during the national anthem to start the NASCAR Cup series race Sunday in Loudon, New Hampshire. Several team owners and executives had said they wouldn't want anyone in their organizations to protest. 
 
 Richard Childress, who was Dale Earnhardt's longtime team owner, said of protesting, "It'll get you a ride on a Greyhound bus." Childress says he told his team that "anybody that works for me should respect the country we live in. So many people gave their lives for it. This is America." 
 
 Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty's sentiments took it a step further, saying: "Anybody that don't stand up for the anthem oughta be out of the country. Period. What got 'em where they're at? The United States." 
 
 When asked if a protester at Richard Petty Motorsports would be fired, he said, "You're right." 
 
 Another team owner Chip Ganassi says he supports Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's comments. Tomlin said before the Steelers played on Sunday that players would remain in the locker room and that "we're not going to let divisive times or divisive individuals affect our agenda." 
 
 ___ 
 
 1 p.m. 
 
 NFL players used the national anthem to show their defiance to President Donald Trump's criticism, with at least 100 players kneeling or sitting in protest and one team staying in the locker room. 
 
 Most teams in the early afternoon games locked arms in solidarity. At least three team owners joined their players. 
 
 More than 100 players sat or knelt, the form of protest started last season by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick is now a free agent, and supporters believe teams have avoided signing him because of his protest. 
 
 The Pittsburgh Steelers remained in the locker room as the national anthem played before their game with the Chicago Bears. Coach Mike Tomlin stood by himself on the sideline. 
 
 How each team would observe the national anthem emerged as the center of attention on this NFL Sunday in the wake of Trump's critical remarks toward players who don't stand for the anthem. 
 
 Tomlin had said before the game that Pittsburgh's players would remain in the locker room and that "we're not going to let divisive times or divisive individuals affect our agenda." Tomlin added that the Steelers made this choice "not to be disrespectful to the anthem but to remove ourselves from this circumstance. People shouldn't have to choose." 
 
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 12:12 p.m. 
 
 The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to stay in their locker room for the national anthem before their game against the Chicago Bears, coach Mike Tomlin has told CBS. 
 
 The move was apparently in reaction to President Donald Trump's suggestion that NFL owners fire players who kneel for the national anthem. 
 
 Several players from the Jaguars and Ravens decided to kneel in the first NFL game of the day in London. Then Tomlin said his players would not be on the sideline at Soldier Field in Chicago for the anthem. 
 
 — AP Sports Writer Jay Cohen reported from Chicago 
 
 ___ 
 
 12:13 p.m. 
 
 Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagilabue called President Donald Trump's comments on NFL players "insulting and disgraceful." 
 
 Tagliabue, who was in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a guest of Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, spoke to the media before Carolina's game against the New Orleans Saints. 
 
 "For me to single out any particular group of players and call them SOB's, to me, that is insulting and disgraceful," Tagliabue said. "So I think the players deserve credit for what they do. And when it comes to speech they are entitled to speak. And we are entitled to listen. We are entitled to agree or disagree. But we're not entitled to shut anybody's speech down. Sometimes you don't like what you hear and that is true in life in lots of contexts, but you can't shut people down and be disgraceful when you are doing it." 
 
 Richardson is not making a statement on the Trump's remarks, per team spokesman Steven Drummond. 
 
 — AP Sports Writer Steve Reed reported from Charlotte, North Carolina 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:45 a.m. 
 
 A handful of Miami Dolphins players are wearing black T-shirts supporting free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick during pregame warm-ups. 
 
 The shirts have "#IMWITHKAP" written in bold white lettering on the front. 
 
 Kaepernick was the first athlete to refuse to stand during the national anthem as a protest. This season, no team has signed him, and some supporters believe NFL owners are avoiding him because of the controversy. 
 
 Among the players sporting the shirts before their game against the New York Jets are wide receiver Kenny Stills, running back Jay Ajayi and offensive linemen Laremy Tunsil and Ja'Wuan James. Stills, also a team captain, posted a photo on Twitter of himself wearing the shirt , along with the post: "In case you didn't know!" 
 
 — AP Sports Writer Dennis Waszak reporting from East Rutherford, New Jersey 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:02 a.m. 
 
 Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is defending President Donald Trump's attacks on football players who kneel during the national anthem. 
 
 Speaking on ABC's "This Week" Sunday morning, Mnuchin says the National Football League enforces other types of rules and Trump thinks "owners should have a rule that players should have to stand in respect for the national anthem." 
 
 Mnuchin adds that "they can do free speech on their own time." 
 
 Trump suggested during a speech Friday night that NFL owners should fire players who kneel during the national anthem. A handful of NFL players have refused to stand to protest several issues, including police brutality. 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:01 a.m. 
 
 The Pittsburgh Penguins say they've accepted an invitation from President Donald Trump to go to the White House after winning the Stanley Cup. 
 
 The Penguins released a statement Sunday saying they respect the office of the president and "the long tradition of championship teams visiting the White House." The Penguins were honored by Barack Obama after winning the Stanley Cup in 2016 and previously by George H.W. Bush in the early 1990s. 
 
 "Any agreement or disagreement with a president's politics, policies or agenda can be expressed in other ways. However, we very much respect the rights of other individuals and groups to express themselves as they see fit." 
 
 Trump revoked the White House invitation to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors Saturday, after the team had said they might not accept. 
 
 —Stephen Whyno reporting from Washington 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:15 a.m. 
 
 Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti says he "100 percent" supports his players' decision to kneel during the national anthem ahead of Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley. 
 
 At least seven Ravens players and more than a dozen Jaguars players took a knee during the anthem while the rest of the players stood locked arm-in-arm in an apparent response to President Donald Trump, who said this week that NFL owners should fire those who disrespected the American flag. 
 
 But the Ravens issued a statement from Bisciotti minutes after kickoff, saying: "We recognize our players' influence. We respect their demonstration and support them 100 percent. All voices need to be heard. That's democracy in its highest form." 
 
 Jaguars owner Shad Khan stood arm-in-arm with his players during the anthem. 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:30 a.m. 
 
 About two dozen players, including Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette, took a knee during the playing of the national anthem before the start of the teams' game at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. 
 
 Other players on one knee during the performance included Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley, wide receiver Mike Wallace and safety Lardarius Webb as well as Jaguars linebacker Dante Fowler, defensive tackle Calais Campbell, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. 
 
 Players on both teams and Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who were not kneeling, remained locked arm-in-arm throughout the playing of the national anthem and "God Save The Queen," the national anthem of Britain. 
 
 No players were kneeling during the playing of the British national anthem. 
 
 President Donald Trump had a suggestion on Saturday for National Football League owners whose players decide to take a knee during the national anthem: fire them. ||||| FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, right, hands the Vincent Lombardi trophy to Nick Foles after winning the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game against the New... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, right, hands the Vincent Lombardi trophy to Nick Foles after winning the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game against the New England Patriots in Minneapolis. The Eagles won 41-33. President Donald Trump has called off a visit... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, right, hands the Vincent Lombardi trophy to Nick Foles after winning the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game against the New England Patriots in Minneapolis. The Eagles won 41-33. President Donald Trump has called off a visit... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2018 photo, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, right, hands the Vincent Lombardi trophy to Nick Foles after winning the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game against the New... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — Digging deeper into a culture war that he's repeatedly stoked, President Donald Trump called off a visit to the White House by the Philadelphia Eagles, citing the dispute over whether NFL players protesting racial injustice must stand during the playing of the national anthem. 
 
 Trump said in a statement Monday that some members of the Super Bowl championship team "disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country." 
 
 He said the team wanted to send a smaller delegation Tuesday, but "the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better." 
 
 Instead, Trump said he would be hosting "a different type of ceremony," featuring the U.S. Marine Band and the U.S. Army Chorus, that "will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the National Anthem." 
 
 None of the Eagles took a knee during the anthem in 2017. 
 
 One of the people set to attend the ceremony told The Associated Press less than half of the team's 53-man roster planned to go. The person spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the decision. 
 
 Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney replied with his own statement, saying that he is "equally proud of the Eagles' activism off the field" and that the players "represent the diversity of our nation — a nation in which we are free to express our opinions." 
 
 "Disinviting them from the White House only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend," Kenney said. 
 
 Last week, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said he would not attend the ceremony because he didn't want to be part of a photo op and wanted "to avoid being used as any kind of pawn." In addition to Jenkins, defensive end Chris Long was the most outspoken player against going. Quarterback Carson Wentz had planned to attend. 
 
 It was unclear exactly what prompted the change of plans. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about what had sparked the decision and why the circumstances were different from other events honoring winning teams, which some players have boycotted. 
 
 Late Monday, though, Trump wrote on Twitter that "Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event." 
 
 Several players asked about Trump's decision not to host them declined to respond. The Eagles issued a statement without directly addressing the White House cancellation. 
 
 "Watching the entire Eagles community come together has been an inspiration," the team statement read. "We are truly grateful for all of the support we have received and we are looking forward to continuing our preparations for the 2018 season." 
 
 Wide receiver Torrey Smith, who said previously that he planned to skip the visit, responded with a series of tweets. 
 
 "So many lies," he wrote, adding, "Not many people were going to go." 
 
 Smith, who played on the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia team before being traded to the Carolina Panthers in March, added: "No one refused to go simply because Trump 'insists' folks stand for the anthem. ... The President continues to spread the false narrative that players are anti military." 
 
 He went on: "There are a lot of people on the team that have plenty of different views. The men and women that wanted to go should've been able to go. It's a cowardly act to cancel the celebration because the majority of the people don't want to see you. To make it about the anthem is foolish." 
 
 The announcement was the latest signal that tensions remain high around the NFL protests that began in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began silently kneeling on the sidelines while the anthem played. Kaepernick's protest was an effort to raise awareness around systemic racism and, specifically, the killing of black men by police. 
 
 He was soon joined by teammate Eric Reid. Both Reid and Kaepernick have filed grievances against the NFL and remain unsigned since their contracts with the 49ers expired. 
 
 Last season, Vice President Mike Pence left the 49ers game against the Indianapolis Colts after about a dozen San Francisco players took a knee during the anthem. Pence, who left before kickoff, tweeted soon afterward, "I left today's Colts game becaue @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem." 
 
 Trump has repeatedly decried the players' protest, referring to them as "sons of bitches" who should be fired at a rally for supporters in Alabama last year. Last month, the NFL announced a new policy - praised on Twitter by both Trump and Pence - requiring players to stand for the anthem if they're on the field before a game. 
 
 After the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2017, several players declined to attend the White House ceremony honoring their team last August, citing their differences with the president. In February, the Golden State Warriors declined to attend the White House ceremony honoring their 2017 NBA Championship, instead using their trip to Washington to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture. 
 
 During an interview after the new NFL policy was announced, Trump praised the league for doing "the right thing." 
 
 "You have to stand proudly for the national anthem," Trump said. Or "you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there. Maybe they shouldn't be in the country." 
 
 Late Monday, Trump added on Twitter: "Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!" 
 
 Several members of the Eagles have voiced staunch opposition to the owners' decision. 
 
 "This is a fear of the diminished bottom line," Long said last month. "It's also fear of a president turning his base against a corporation. This is not patriotism. Don't get it confused. These owners don't love America more than the players demonstrating and taking real action to improve it." 
 
 Jenkins has vowed to carry on the cause. 
 
 "I will not let it silence me or stop me from fighting," he said recently. "This has never been about taking a knee, raising a fist or anyone's patriotism, but doing what we can to effect real change for real people." 
 
 Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., invited the Eagles to come to Capitol Hill. 
 
 "I'm proud of what the @Eagles accomplished this year. I'm skipping this political stunt at the White House and just invited the Eagles to Congress. @Eagles How about a tour of the Capitol?" he wrote. 
 
 White House legislative director Marc Short said in an appearance on CNN that he didn't know who had canceled on whom, but said, "It's unfortunate when politics gets in the middle of this." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Whack reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press Pro Football writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report. Follow Colvin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj. Follow Whack on Twitter at https://twitter.com/emarvelous.
– Is it football season already? It must be, based on President Trump's tweets from Friday morning. After reports filtered out about some NFL players kneeling, raising their fists, and taking part in other forms of protest during preseason games on Thursday evening, Trump once more railed against those who did so. "The NFL players are at it again - taking a knee when they should be standing proudly for the National Anthem," Trump tweeted. "Numerous players, from different teams, wanted to show their 'outrage' at something that most of them are unable to define. They make a fortune doing what they love......" He continued in a second tweet: "Be happy, be cool! A football game, that fans are paying soooo much money to watch and enjoy, is no place to protest. Most of that money goes to the players anyway." And a final warning: "Find another way to protest. Stand proudly for your National Anthem or be Suspended Without Pay!" Politico and the Washington Post take issue with Trump's assertion that the players haven't been able to define what they're protesting, with Politico noting the players are pushing back against "racial injustice and police brutality." The Post goes even deeper, compiling very specific statements from the players themselves. In May, the NFL banned players from sitting or kneeling during the anthem, but that policy was put on hold in July and won't be enforced as the league and players union try to hash things out on the sidelines.