The National Football League recently announced a new policy that would require all team players who are on the field to stand when the national anthem is played before a football game.
The recent change in policy is part of the league’s effort to end a heated political controversy that has plagued the NFL over the past couple of years. Effective immediately, the team players are no longer allowed to kneel during the national anthem as a form of protest, which many have chosen to do in past seasons.
The new policy indicates that NFL players can be disciplined by their teams for participating in such protests, with the league having the power to fine the teams with players who continue to refuse to follow the new policy. Players are allowed, however, to stay in the locker room during the anthem if they choose not to properly participate according to the new rules.
The policy change comes on the heels of widespread anthem protests which began when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first decided to kneel during the national anthem in 2016 to protest law enforcement violence against minorities. Since that time, this controversial issue has even made it to the White House, where President Donald Trump blatantly referred to the players that chose to kneel as unpatriotic.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been dealing with the controversy over the active player protests during the national anthem since this time. Kaepernick currently remains unemployed by the NFL, and has filed a grievance accusing team owners of colluding to keep him out of the league. Social justice activists continue to support Kaepernick and those who kneel in protest. In response, Veterans groups organized boycotts and urged fans to stop watching all NFL games until players were reprimanded for their disrespect. The NFL’s ratings took a considerable hit.
Goodell indicated that the player protests created a “false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic. This is not and was never the case.” In addition, he said, “The new policy will keep our focus on the game and the extraordinary athletes who play it — and on our fans who enjoy it.”
Goodell also said that the vote at the league’s meeting in Atlanta in May was unanimous, but some teams are still showing resistance to the new rules. San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York made a statement later that said that they had abstained from voting, and indicated that he wanted to meet with his team “to make sure everything we do is about promoting the right types of social justice reform and getting to a better America.” In addition, Christopher Johnson, CEO of the New York Jets, said his team would cover any fines initiated with the new policy because “I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players. Instead, we will continue to work closely with our players to constructively advance social justice issues that are important to us.”
While the new policy states that each football team can still develop their own working rules for players and team personnel who don’t stand, they must still be consistent with the new principles. This means that any team could choose to pass along fines to players or pay them like Johnson plans to. The guidelines concerning the policy do not give an indication of what is specifically considered to be a sign of disrespect towards the national anthem, nor does it confirm the amount of the fines to be levied.
The controversy continues, though. The NFL Players Association said the players’ union was not consulted when creating the new protocol and said that league officials were hypocrites. “What NFL owners did today was thwart the players’ constitutional rights to express themselves and use our platform to draw attention to social injustices like racial inequality in our country,” said Malcolm Jenkins, head of the Players Coalition. “Everyone loses when voices get stifled.”
President Trump, however, is a huge supporter of the new policy and stands by his Twitter post, “Sports fans should never condone players that do not stand proud for their national anthem or their Country. NFL should change policy!”
~ Conservative Zone
What a bunch of whimps, if they can’t control the player’s something is wrong. I am the boss so stand or hit the road period.
Hit them where it hurts ,just boo all players involved, and daily protest letters to all those players, owners and especially their sponsors , hit them where it hurts their profits
I don’t know who it will work for as I could care less about the NFL today as I am a retired USMC vet and I am fully retired from watching or hearing any more about what they are doing.
They showed their true colors by not standing for the anthem. Colin Kaepernick is not concerned about social justice. He is concerned about showing his animosity towards a justice system that wants people to obey the law. He wants no interference when the thugs like Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin want to intimidate every day citizens. He sis no better than obama in the fact that obama made his mind up about any situation that involved black people before he read about the evidence or studied the actual situation. He backed Brown even after the thug was shown trying to take the officer’s gun off of him forcibly. obama did his job as the community organizer in the white house and inflamed racial tensions because that is what he was there for. When will they stop caving to pressure from these anti American black privileged individuals. They are the true racists, not Americans who refuse to watch the games. They can all rot in Hell as far as I am concerned. No more NFL for me!
NFL-NO FANS LEFT!!!!!, Do not need to say anything more!!!!!!
Working for a multi-billion dollar corporation that prides it with diversity and inclusion and is heavily represented by a large national union , I am not allowed to protest in any way during company time or on its’ property. Sure, their may be strikes which are honored by fellow unions but certainly NO ONE is getting paid by the company and the pickets are off property. If NFL players want to protest then it should be at a venue that is public, or their own. The new policy it seems is too little too late but at least it’s something. In reality, fans really want the players to WANT to stand and respect the flag as opposed to being coerced.
Players are allowed, however, to stay in the locker room during the anthem if they choose not to properly participate according to XXXXXXXX
This does not change anything.
Staying in the locker room is still an act of defiance.
I just it difficult to understand how these players, mostly Black, mostly college dropouts, mostly millionaires claim that they are and have been discriminated and they therefore feel this is a way of calling attention to their plight.
They arrive at the stadium driving one of their several very expensive autos, go the locker room wearing very expensive clothes, change into a uniform provided by the owner and goto play a very violent sport. If they are injured, they receive the very best medical treatment available.
After the game, they change clothes, take a shower in a very modern facility and if necessary take a whirlpool bath, massage and then change into their very expensive clothes, return to one of their very expensive autos and either go out to eat at a very expensive restaurant before returning to their very expensive residence sometimes accompanying by one or more female admirers.
Yet they see themselves as being discriminated and held down by society, a white man’s society.
There are many other men who would love to be in their shoes, literally, and be discriminated like they are.
The NFL? Oh yes, I remember when they only played football and did not make political gestures during a sporting event.
I’ll probably see some NFL games but generally only out of curiosity for scores for a max of maybe 5 mins. My days of spending all day or evening watching the NFL on the Tube are gone, never to be won back. I get it, they are concerned about race etc, but if they want to impress me, (all players) let’s see them protesting on the street corners outside a Planned Parenthood Abortion mill M-F. The reality is that’s where the REAL systematic, genocide, (i.e. Racism) is happening. 57% of the black race is being murdered before they can be born. Wonder how many gifted African Americans in all kinds of fields have been killed in this manner and are lost to the ultimate betterment of humanity?
Otherwise, I do not plan to watch a bunch of highly paid, over coddled, 7th Graders who have never been made to grow up. They will realize all too soon that their stardom & careers are very short-lived and fleeting. Only then will they understand they are watched for their entertainment value not for some social or political statement they made have feelings for. At that point they will realize I shoulda’ been nicer to my fans.
Bottom line, the Flag, the Anthem, America and our vets are to be cherished at all costs.
They dissed the men and women who put there lives in harms way for their freedoms and that is not accetable in my book ever. They lost me for life and I will dis the nfl every chance I get. I will stand with the Service people of this country any day but not with any nfl garbage like this.
The only way NFL would recover is firing ALL the rebels. The teams can easily find new, better and decent players (watch them in College football). Until then, we will not be watching NFL anymore. We do not need thugs with money in our sports.
I do not think that they will recover. Too many of the players are stupid enough to make comments in public in front of a Reporter and the public will know. Their just a bunch of men playing a kids game.
Fire all of the unpatriotic players.
I think that everyone associated with these teams need to stand up without any forms of disrespect for our flag. These overpaid athletes need to show America that they respect the flag and America. If they did this in any other job, they would be terminated. My opinion is it should be the same for these players and coaches. Fire them if they can’t stand and show respect for our country. Try that in the corporate world and lose your job. Take their living away and see what happens to them then.
The NFL is finished. They will never make back to the days of old. Once they got into politics that was the end. Once the remaining NFL fans find out that some of the revenues from the ticket sales are going into the fund the NFL set up for social justice to Black Lives Matter they will raise hell. Disrespect the flag, the military, this country and now give money to a group who calls for police to be killed. They are insane. My Sundays are better spent on other things than watching that BS.
The NFL players have contribute to the climate that has resulted in the killing of 35 law enforcement officers in 2017 and 28 law enforcement officers in the first five months of this year. Them and Black Life Matters has created an atmosphere where their is no respect for our law enforcement officers. Social Justice stinks. I will not watch the NFL this year. I found that the alternative I watch last year to be better. Let’s continue to boycott the NFL this year.
I’m done with the NFL. You can’t force a person to be an American. You can’t force me to watch these jerks either. There are many good Americans out there that would love to play the game. Kick these jerks off the team and replace them with people that respect our flag.
To late………We already know their colors……..NFL is dead ……..respect is long gone………bye bye…….
If you’re not on the field this is no different than kneeling. What a bunch of BS. Still refuse to watch.
I remember the NFL they were shoe shine boys! Right?
Why should I care what a bunch of overpaid steroid using girlfriend assaulting watermelons have to say? I’ll not purchase a ticket, watch a tv game or surely not buy their crappy shirts and sheeet. These guys are only muscle bound gladiators who got through college with professors handing out the grades all the money they brought into the college/university.
To channel Rhett, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn!” ! I’m done with these spoiled little adolescent millionairs. I haven’t watched a game in two years!
I was The Managing Director of 3 Funeral Homes and respect the rights of all but if an employee had decided to use a public display of protest that put a blemish on the reputation of the Funeral Homes they would have been unemployed immediately. If anything needed to be addressed we did it in private discussions.
After more than 50 years as a fan, I’ll find other uses for the time once devoted to NFL watching. As a retired veteran, brother of a vet, son of a WW2 vet and POW of the Japanese, the disrespect of our anthem and law enforcement officers by NFL players doesn’t stopif they stay in thelocker room-it’s in their hearts.I’m no longer an NFL fan, period.
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. No more nfl … 50 years of watching.., NO MORE. I am a veteran and feel personally disrespected.
I do not think the nfl will ever recover. I will turn on a game for a couple of minuets just to see how empty the stands are, and say good riddance.
Stay in the Locker Room for the whole Game.
The National Felons League just doesn’t get it. This is not going to bring back any of us that have quit your cowardly monopoly. Stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.
They are trying to un-ring a bell that cannot be un-rung ! September 24, 2017, the Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jags go to London England to play a football game . Before the game ,wile our National Anthem was played payers from both teams took a knee and disrespected our National Anthem but worst of all the players then stood for GOD SAVE THE QUEEN ? Maybe someone should give these overpaid football player and coaches an American History lesson . The war of 1812 and the bombing of a fort in Baltimore Harbor by British ships 1814 ring any bells ?
Kaeparnick’s black father deserted his white mother, so she put him up for adoption and he was raised by the white Kaepernick family. Never saw him campaign for black male responsibility or black families sticking together.