Posted in: NFL, Pop Culture, Sports | Tagged: #TakeTheKnee, Colin Kaepernick, kneeling, nfl, protests

NFL Owners Approve Policy Fining Teams If Players Kneel During National Anthem

Published Wed, 23 May 2018 13:35:32 -0500

In a bizarrely contradictory new policy claiming to support social justice while introducing fines for teams whose players kneel during the National Anthem, NFL owners have unanimously approved a new set of rules to curb the controversial protests. The policy states that the owners "have reaffirmed their strong commitment to work alongside our players to strengthen our communities and advance social justice," referring to a "unique platform" with "unprecedented scope" to "promote positive social change."

However, after noting that in the opening paragraph, the policy goes on to detail plans to end players kneeling during the National Anthem in protest, revising the NFL rulebook so that players can (and must) remain in the locker room if they don't intend to stand for the National Anthem. Any team whose players "do not stand and show respect" will be fined, and teams are encouraged to develop their own rules to facilitate compliance. Additionally, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall is charged with imposing "appropriate discipline on league personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and Anthem.

NFL Network's Ian Rappaport posted the full policy to Twitter:

Here is the NFL's new national anthem policy: pic.twitter.com/ybjKoO6E3s

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 23, 2018

And noted that the policy had been unanimously adopted:

This was unanimously adopted by the teams, Roger Goodell said. "We want people to stand. We do believe that moment is important to focus on." Also added he wanted to give players options. https://t.co/iUCYamJZco

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 23, 2018

The #TakeTheKnee protests were started by Colin Kaepernick to call attention to police brutality and racial inequality, but when President Donald Trump took personal offense to them. Kaepernick has been essentially blackballed from playing in the NFL as a result of the protests. He filed a charge of collusion against NFL owners in 2017.

In response to the new policy, the NFL Players Association posted the following response, vowing to review the policy and challenge any aspect inconsistent with the union's collective bargaining aggrement: