NFL owners once again showed the cowardice that has run through their veins ever since Donald Trump used the national anthem controversy to deflect from his own problems and inserted himself into the situation.
Since African-American players decided to use a silent free speech to protest over the treatment by law enforcement during the anthem, mostly conservative critics cried out in disapproval, but it wasn't until Trump stepped in that ramped up the nonsense.
NFL owners have unanimously approved a new national anthem policy that requires players to stand if they are on the field during the performance but gives them the option to remain in the locker room if they prefer, it was announced Wednesday.
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All 32 owners approved the policy, which will be part of the NFL's game operations manual and thus not subject to collective bargaining. The NFL Players Association said in a statement that it will review the policy and "challenge any aspect" that is inconsistent with the CBA.
Stay tuned...
Dan Graziano writes, "Commissioner Roger Goodell announces the decision as “unanimous,” but within hours, 49ers owner Jed York says he abstained, and Jets owner Christopher Johnson tells Newsday that he’ll never fine a player who violates it. The Trump administration claims victory, the players’ union says it has been betrayed, and the whole thing feels like a mess at the end of the league’s effort to simplify it.
See also: Trump weighs in again, and let's investigate the NFL for Blacklisting.
What's so ridiculous about all of this is that I imagine the protests would be mostly over anyway.
The Bleacher Report: THE NFL'S LAST MEN KNEELING
During the last week of the 2017 NFL regular season, seven players knelt down during the national anthem: Duane Brown, Marquise Goodwin, Eli Harold, Louis Murphy, Eric Reid, Stills and Olivier Vernon.
I know if even one player knelt during the anthem Rush Limbaugh would portray him as a symbol of the entire NFL, which is around 1,696 players but really, what stupid f***ning morons the league is.
Update: You can't make this up.
Now ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reports that there was never a formal owners’ vote—as there usually is—and the NFL just did a little informal polling and thought everyone would be cool with it.From the report:
Sources said league executives polled owners and knew how they would vote but didn’t hold an official tally, which is atypical for a major resolution.
Already, three team owners have taken the opportunity to distance themselves from this policy. Niners owner Jed York said he abstained, and Wickersham reports that Raiders owner Mark Davis did too. Jets chairman Chris Johnson said he’d pay for any fines if players wanted to demonstrate during the pregame anthem.
What monumental jackasses.
I can't say I'm surprised.
