Gabe Kapler Will Not Attend Pre-Game National Anthem Ceremonies Because of 'Direction of Our Country'

Manager for the San Francisco Giants Gabe Kapler has joined his professional athlete friends in the Bay Area, the Golden State Warriors, in his performative outrage regarding the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

On Friday, Kapler posted a message on his website KapLifestyle that he has grave concerns about the direction of this country.

"When I was the same age as the children in Uvalde, my father taught me to stand for the pledge of allegiance when I believed my country was representing its people well or to protest and stay seated when it wasn’t. I don’t believe it is representing us well right now," the message reads in part. ...

"But we weren’t given bravery, and we aren’t free. ... I’m often struck before our games by the lack of delivery of the promise of what our national anthem represents."

Now, Kapler has told Cincinnati reporters that he will no come out of the team locker room for the National Anthem before games. He says that he cannot do so until he feels "better about the direction of our country."

Like Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Kapler is taking a national tragedy and turning it into a story about himself.