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| - While at least one article with the claim labeled itself as satire, some social media posts with the fictional story did not. It's unknown where the rumor originated.
A false rumor that Chiefs Coach Andy Reid joined Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin in banning the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," also known as the Black national anthem, at NFL games is circulating online.
For example, the website SpaceXMania published an article on Dec. 11, 2024, with the headline: "Chiefs Coach and Coach Tomlin Stand Together in Banning Black National Anthem: 'One Flag, One Anthem'." The top of the article read:
The ongoing debate over the inclusion of the Black National Anthem at sporting events has seen significant developments, with two prominent NFL coaches now taking a firm stance on the issue. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid recently expressed his full support for Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's decision to ban the playing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the Black National Anthem, at games. The stance of both coaches is clear: "One Flag, One Anthem."
Based on comments on social media posts spreading the rumor, some readers seemed to interpret the story as a factual recounting of real-life events. However, there was no evidence of any NFL coach, including Tomlin and Reid, supposedly "banning" the song from games or attempting to persuade the league to do so.
Social media posts that promoted the rumor did not provide any evidence to substantiate it, such as links to reputable news reports.
The original creator of the fictional story was unknown. The Facebook page The People's America first posted it in November 2024 (archived), weeks before the SpaceXMania article published. Additionally, the rumor spread via posts by other Facebook pages, such as The American Dream Hub, and accounts on Threads.
(Facebook/The People's America)
That said, the article by SpaceXMania included labels to describe the story as satirical. The website's "About Us" page reads:
Welcome to our website, owned and operated by Funky Productions LLC. We are a team of writers and editors based in New York, USA. Our mission? To bring you the freshest fake news, some sassy analysis, and a good dose of satire, all rolled into one crazy concoction that orbits around Elon Musk and everything that's lighting up the viral/trending charts.
The national anthem before kickoff generated news headlines in 2016, when some Black players began to kneel during the song in protest of racism in the U.S. In 2020, Tomlin said that players who kneel have his support, according to ESPN.
Concurrently, the NFL has occasionally invited singers to perform the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," or the Black national anthem, before kickoff. The 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas was the fourth Super Bowl to include the song.
Snopes has addressed similar fictional claims about Tomlin and Reid in the past, including the assertion that Tomlin suspended two players for kneeling during the national anthem and a rumor that Reid refused to participate in Pride month.
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