“As a team, we have decided we will not participate in the national anthem,” the team said in a statement. “We will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of color in this country. Out of love for our country and in honor of the sacrifices made on our behalf, we unite to oppose those that would deny our most basic freedoms.”

The complete lack of players made for a bizarre scene in which team mascots and game officials were the only figures television cameras could focus on besides the flag and Linsey. Unlike some other stadiums, where fans booed at the protests, the fans in Nashville were eerily quiet during the anthem, and after the song’s conclusion the players began running onto the field.