If a Tuesday event sparked so much controversy, why is it not in the newspaper until Saturday?

Let's say that after an injury on the field, a high school athlete chooses to use his idle time jogging around the field carrying a banner for a political cause (better healthcare for injured athletes, black lives matter, white lives matter, or anything you can imagine). Or if the athlete simply does jumping jacks and then later, when asked why, says it was to protest a certain issue or injustice (that you imagined in the previous example). Should the athlete face sanctions? If the coach of either team or any other school or community leader criticizes the individual, should that person be maligned?