WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:
- The National Football League has announced on Wednesday new official rule against kneeling during the national anthem for the upcoming season.
- Players who will be on the field when “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played will be required to stand.
- Teams whose players choose not to stand on the field will be fined by the NFL.
After a year of disagreement inside the NFL, team owners have reached an agreement with a new policy, garnering a unanimous vote from 31 of the league’s owners. The league has 32 teams but the San Francisco 49ers abstained.
Jed York, the C.E.O. of the San Francisco 49ers explained that he abstained from voting because he wanted to discuss the new policy with his players first.
Under the new policy, players have the option of staying behind the locker room during the national anthem. But if players choose to be on the field before the game when the anthem is played, they will be required to stand.
If a player or team employee chooses not to stand, that player’s franchise will be fined by the NFL. It is the team’s prerogative to fine their own players if they kneel.
“The Commissioner will impose appropriate discipline on league personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem,” NFL’s official statement said.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on the NFL last year to punish players who kneel during the national anthem.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, Get that son of a bitch off the field right now!” Trump said in September.
“Clearly our objective of the league and to all 32 clubs, which was unanimous, is that we want people to be respectful of the national anthem,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
“We want people to stand, that’s all personnel, and make sure we treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That’s something we think we owe. … I think the general public has a very strong view of what respect for the flag is. We have language in our policy that talks about that.”
“There’s been incredible engagement with the players,” Goodell added.
However, the NFL Players Association issued a statement regarding their displeasure with the new policy.
“The vote by NFL club CEOs today contradicts the statements made to our player leadership by Commissioner Roger Goodell and the Chairman of the NFL’s Management Council John Mara about the principles, values and patriotism of our League,” the union said.
“Our union will review the new ‘policy’ and challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement.”
Players kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality, social injustice and racial inequality in their communities.
Source: Yahoo Sports
21 comments
I agree that the NFL players should be fined (heavily) with disrespecting the flag and national Anthem. Those prima donnas need to take there issues elsewhere…. that is not the time or place! Have respect for there fans and our country…Let them form a group elsewhere and let them protest somewhere else..Do their personally need more recognition they all ready have? Grow up you over paid athletes! Stay in the locker room but don’t come out on the field and embarrass our kids and our country..
If the players don’t like it, they can quit.
People are getting tired of all this hate propagating from the community targeting law enfocement
Where else in the world could these “athletes “ make as much money as they do here in America playing sports? Yes! They need to STAND during our national anthem!! I agree with Fran, the field is not the place. Too many good men and women have died for the freedoms we all enjoy!! Maybe u r making too much money!
if they don’t stand they don’t play. If they stay in the locker they don’t play . then they can leave the U.S.A
The former president and attorney general in their infinite wisdom led a segment of the black community to believe the police are responsible for where they are in life. This hatred fired up by the aforesaid administration getting involved in two incidents which the police were found to have been doing their job is growing to this day, putting a target on the back of law inforcement causing the the death of same . Some NFL players want to continue this message of hate, based on a falsehood by disrespecting our flag. Protest the police by using your fame to show respect for this country’s flag, and the majority of police, and find a way to root out the racial brutality in the brutal business of policing.
Disrespecting our country – that backed and paid for your over priced choice of career is NEVER BE TOLERATED. They say they are protesting the injustice, brutality, and racism in their community. Hmmmmmmm how many of those spoiled brats live in the projects today??? NONE!!! So, they are not protesting “their community mistreatment”.
When I was younger the football association had a backbone. Athletes were seen as role models – those role models had to live up to that public image. If you decide to beat your wife – you were no longer a player, if you decided to run a dog fighting pit – you were no longer a player, if you were arrested for DWIOR drugs – you were no longer a player, if you kidnap and hold women against their will – you were no longer a player, you raped a woman you were no longer a player, you kill someone you were no longer a player and APPROPITATELY you were BLACKLISTED AND NO OTHER TEAM WOULD TOUCH YOU…. your career ended right there. THATIS WHERE WE NEED TO GO BACK TO. From the first kneeling I quit watching football and I will continue to boycott it until these Children are taught how to act like a professional. NFL is so pathetic!!!!
All of these people hit the nail squarely on the head! United we WILL stand.
As a Navy veteran, my opinion is these absolute fighting men need to be respected, not the flag. We have Freedom of speech, which includes freedom to protest. Many organizations start off with a prayer which is against our constitution. We have freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion. To impost ones beliefs on others is worse than kneeling for the flag. That’s my opinion as a veteran.
How can employees (which the players are) bend a knee while they are working which is what they are doing while on the field? I just can’t see anyone from the UPS, Fed X, my doctors office ,my local hospital, my local food store, my lawyers office, any commercial pilot or any other ’employee’ of any firm doing this while on the job. If they did, I suspect they would be on the unemployment line the following day!
Due to the disrespect, we stopped watching NFL. Those sponsors will not make a ent off us. Hope they stand now.
You are the ones who disrespect This isn’t your country to begin with You stole it from the native Americans bit you’re proud of your thefts But your pride of destroying other people and occupying their land will be brought down Now you take your downtrodden cave mentality beast nature somewhere else barbarian
Myrna, you’re not making any sense. Please start back on your medication sweetie.
When you kneel at the altar before communion, is that disrespectful? When you kneel to pray is that disrespectful? How is kneeling before our flag disrespectful?
Pay attention honey! Intent was stated and it is not their playpen.
Kneeling before communion means we are ‘humbling’ ourselves before God. This is obliviously not their intent.
Sorry NFL….. The Cat is out of the Bag…!! NFL player’s do you want to do something worthwhile and gain some respect?? Get together and march into the inner cities and stop these “Gangs” that are killing our kids….!! Use your wealth & time for a good cause. …!! Just maybe, just maybe, you’ll get some respect….!! David J. Burry, US Army 1964-69.
Amen my friends.
Common sense is not common anymore.
It doesn’t matter to me what they do now. They lost my viewership last year. I don’t call it boycotting anymore I call it I’ve lost complete interest in NFL football and those unpatriotic, jump on the bandwagon, sorry excuse for Americans!
I stand to honor the promise the flag represents.
You kneel because that promise has been broken.
I stand to affirm my belief that all are created equal, and to fight alongside you for that promise.
You kneel because too few stand with you.
I stand because we can be better.
You kneel to remind us to be better.
I stand to honor all that have fought and died so that we may be free.
You kneel because not all of us are.
I stand because I can.
You kneel for those who can’t.
I stand to defend your right to kneel.
You kneel to defend my right to stand.
I stand because I love this country.
You kneel because you love it too.
written by: Andrew Freborg
I totally disagree what happen to freedom of making our own choices especially when this country don’t respect the true meaning of our flag.