ESPN Will Not Air National Anthem During 'Monday Night Football'

Network president Jimmy Pitaro touched on the topic because the situation has become a hotly debated subject around the country, going as high as the White House.

ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro announced Friday that the network will not air the national anthem during Monday Night Football.

There may be exceptions as the season rolls along, but otherwise the network will not show that portion of the game during the preseason, as has been the practice years past.

Pitaro touched on the topic because the situation has become a hotly debated subject around the country, going as high as the White House.

Players have been taking a knee during the national anthem to protest injustices toward African-Americans in the U.S.

A rule change was approved by team owners before the start of this preseason, which gives players the protest option of staying in the locker room during the national anthem. Should they take a knee on the field, they will be fined.

Still, that has not stopped players from taking a knee during the preseason, now in its second week.

Donald Trump has made the topic one of his primary talking points on social media and at his rallies. The president has called any player who takes a knee a "son of a bitch" and said they should be fired.

Last season, the NFL and players union supported the athletes' right to peacefully protest.

The first player to take a knee, igniting the fuse of the explosive debate, was Colin Kaepernick.