49ers unveil giant U.S.-shaped American flag before Cowboys’ game

The San Francicso 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium is the birthplace of the NFL’s current social protest movement.

The 49ers tried to overshadow that during the anthem of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. A giant American flag, cut into the shape of the United States, was unveiled during the pre-game ceremony. It surely looked cool, but was it appropriate?

Former 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick started the protest movement when he first sat during the national anthem in pre-season games in August 2016 and then took a knee during the anthem (along with teammate Eric Reid) before a game in San Diego on Sept. 1.

The movement remained contained mostly around Kaepernick with a few players across the league joining him on a knee until President Donald Trump verbally attacked the protesting players during a rally last month in Alabama. That caused widespread acts of social protests by teams, including team owners, the following Sunday.

Respect for the flag, if the standards of respect and etiquette on USflag.org are followed, include not altering the shape of the flag.

Some of the codes:

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

This story was originally published October 22, 2017 at 2:09 PM with the headline "49ers unveil giant U.S.-shaped American flag before Cowboys’ game."