“I will respect the players more if they do kneel, because they are doing what they feel is right to do,” Alex said.

Jackson agreed, saying the players were simply exercising their rights. “It might look weird or something during the national anthem, but that should be O.K.,” he said.

Tailgating nearby was Carlos Neal, 48, who was tending to multiple grills at two tents and a pop-up camper.

He said he always kneels in protest during the national anthem, has been doing it “for a while” and would do it today as he watched the Lions’ game on television in a parking lot.

“I am with the players all the way,” he said. “I respect every single one of them if they protest, and even if they don’t, I still respect them for their rights.”

As for the president, he added: “Trump’s has got to lay off that Instagram and Twitter crack, put his phone down and stop all this nonsense. Somebody needs to take that phone away from him. We got real problems going on in this world, and this is what he wants to do? No sir.”