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NFL Policy on Anthem - What Do You Say? (1 Viewer)

What Do You Think Of NFL Policy Requiring Players To Stand Or Remain In Locker Room?

  • Love it

    Votes: 13 9.9%

  • Like it

    Votes: 15 11.5%

  • Neutral

    Votes: 19 14.5%

  • Don't like it

    Votes: 32 24.4%

  • Hate it

    Votes: 52 39.7%
  • Total voters
    131
Joe Bryant

Joe Bryant

Guide
Staff member
You've seen the NFL Policy on the Anthem. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/23582533/nfl-owners-approve-new-national-anthem-policy

ATLANTA -- 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.

The policy subjects teams to a fine if a player or any other team personnel do not show respect for the anthem. That includes any attempt to sit or kneel, as dozens of players have done during the past two seasons to protest racial inequality and police brutality. Those teams also will have the option to fine any team personnel, including players, for the infraction.

"We want people to be respectful of the national anthem," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "We want people to stand -- that's all personnel -- and make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That's something we think we owe. [But] we were also very sensitive to give players choices."




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What do you think?

 
Any change of policy should have been collectively bargained.  Absent that agreement nothing should have been this whole time.

But we are in a society where people want to put symbols over the freedoms they are supposed to exemplify.  Those freedoms should be paramount.

 
The think the NFL is run by the biggest bunch of greedy panty-waists in the entire free world. Next to our government of course. 

Commissioner Goodell: What should we do, owners?

Owners: What will impact the bottom line the least?

Goodell: Standing up for our flag waving patriots.

Owners: Write it up!

 
I'm with Steve Kerr
 

"I think it's just typical of the NFL," Kerr responded when asked about the league's new policy after shootaround Thursday in advance of Game 5 of the conference finals. "They're just playing off their fan base, and they're just basically trying to use the anthem as fake patriotism, nationalism, scaring people. It's idiotic, but that's how the NFL has handled their business."

"I'm proud to be in a league that understands patriotism in America is about free speech," he said. "It's about peacefully protesting. I think our leaders in the NBA understand that when an NFL player is kneeling, they were kneeling to protest police brutality, to protest racial inequality. They're weren't disrespecting the flag or the military, but our president decided to make it about that and the NFL followed suit and pandered to their fan base by creating this hysteria.

"It's kind of what's wrong with our country. People in high places are trying to divide us, divide loyalties, make this about the flag, as if the flag is something other than what it really is. It's a representation of what we're about, which is diversity, peaceful protest, the abilities, the right to free speech. So, it's really ironic, actually, what the NFL is doing."
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Rozelle and Tagliabue were leaders of the NFL. Goodell is nothing but a reactionary. 

I agree with a lot that say this is only about money for the league. It use to be only players tarnished the Shield. Now it is players and owners/leadership. 

 
I find it interesting flag wavers would rather have people forced out on the sideline in an act of fake, paid for patriotism, than just letting them sit in the tunnel and have only real "patriots" out on the sideline during the national anthem.

 
Our soldiers fought for the freedom for NFL Owners to tell their players exactly what to do.  I love it! 

 
Going to backfire on the owners...

A player stands but puts his fist up

A player stands but turns his back on the flag

None of the players come out of the locker room for it.

I'm not union fan, but it's not collectively bargained.

This is about Goodell trying to make himself the fixer of all problems.  And he sucks at that.  Yet the owners kept him around.  Just the good ole boys doing their thing.

 
I was taught to stand and take off my hat. In the military I was taught to stand at attention.

Just respectful. We're all Americans, once in awhile it's good to show that respect. 

Using the national anthem to start a political protest to me is disrespectful. Just my opinion as a veteran and someone that feels patriotic.

 
I don't like the NFL owner's phony Patriotism For Profit marketing scheme. (And I feel the same about their Pink for Sweater Puppies nonsense).

OTOH they're not obligated to provide a platform for the players' free speech expressions.

OTOOH The only awareness that these athletes are raising is that they don't understand "time and place".

Both sides are mind of dip####s.

Ya know, our country was doing just fine without a national anthem before 1931.

 
tommyboy said:
I was taught to stand and take off my hat. In the military I was taught to stand at attention.

Just respectful. We're all Americans, once in awhile it's good to show that respect. 

Using the national anthem to start a political protest to me is disrespectful. Just my opinion as a veteran and someone that feels patriotic.
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That's fantastic. I stand when I'm in my seat at a stadium, too.

But that's not what's wrong with this decision.

As mentioned above, it wasn't collectively bargained. I'm not pro-union (in general, I think they suck), but the NFL players ARE and are in a contract with the owners. The NFL completely disregarded that with this "compromise".

Also as mentioned above, I've never NOT seen a long line at - or the destination closed at - a concession stand during the anthem. 

 
Uruk-Hai said:
That's fantastic. I stand when I'm in my seat at a stadium, too.

But that's not what's wrong with this decision.

As mentioned above, it wasn't collectively bargained. I'm not pro-union (in general, I think they suck), but the NFL players ARE and are in a contract with the owners. The NFL completely disregarded that with this "compromise".

Also as mentioned above, I've never NOT seen a long line at - or the destination closed at - a concession stand during the anthem. 
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I'm not arguing for or against the NFL, it's players or fans. Just giving my feelings

 
Borden said:
So, is it not still disrespectful?
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Sure it is. So?

Well, maybe. I don't know what the proper distance is that one has to be away from a set point before they're no longer under suspicion for not being patriotic enough.

 
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Andy Dufresne said:
Sure it is. So?
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The league is saying that it’s not okay for players to kneel because it’s disrespectful. But yet they have all the concessions open. Imposing fines because players are disrespectfully taking a knee but having stadium staff running around and talking and everything else is okay and not disrespectful enough to stop?

 
:shrug:

I think they're all doing what they're doing for the wrong reasons, so I can't really explain away any of this. 

The owners are saying one thing when they actually mean another, which is "You're angering the customers."  They should just be honest about this. 

 
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Why play the anthem before a sporting event anyway?  It is a football, basketball or baseball game..that's all.   Just a game..

 
ultimately I don't really care as it has no impact on me, but I agree with those who say that this will not fix the problem. it will probably only serve to increase the divide between the 2 sides.

 
For me it doesn't matter all that much as I don't watch that part of the broadcast.

I don't see the need to play the anthem before sporting events unless it a special occasion like opening day or the Superbowl etc. However, since they are playing it, it wouldn't bother me if the NFL required everyone on the field who represents the brand to stand respectfully and DQ anyone that doesn't.

 
brun said:
. However, since they are playing it, it wouldn't bother me if the NFL required everyone on the field who represents the brand to stand respectfully and DQ anyone that doesn't.
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Why only "everyone on the field" and not the other 75,000 people in the stadium (including the owner and every team employee)?

 
brun said:
For me it doesn't matter all that much as I don't watch that part of the broadcast.
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to that point specifically: aside from playoff games or the SB, do the networks actually show the National Anthem in their coverage? on Sundays it's RZ for me, and their coverage goes straight from the studio to the Octo-Box and kickoff.

i'm trying to recall if it is shown on TNF, MNF, SNF....i somehow don't think it ts. could be wrong though. 

 
Quint said:
to that point specifically: aside from playoff games or the SB, do the networks actually show the National Anthem in their coverage? on Sundays it's RZ for me, and their coverage goes straight from the studio to the Octo-Box and kickoff.

i'm trying to recall if it is shown on TNF, MNF, SNF....i somehow don't think it ts. could be wrong though. 
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The new American flag should be an Octo-box, featuring 8 very significant highlights in American history.

 
Tom Hagen said:
Fair point but the NBA seems to have evolved on this issue since then.
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What does the NBA do to allow its players to protest?  Why don't the NBA players protest during the anthem like NFL players.  I've read in several places that the NBA has this issue handled the correct way, but I don't know what the NBA does.

 
Andy Dufresne said:
I don't like the NFL owner's phony Patriotism For Profit marketing scheme. (And I feel the same about their Pink for Sweater Puppies nonsense).

OTOH they're not obligated to provide a platform for the players' free speech expressions.

OTOOH The only awareness that these athletes are raising is that they don't understand "time and place".

Both sides are mind of dip####s.

Ya know, our country was doing just fine without a national anthem before 1931.
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Best post in the thread IMO.  Both sides are wrong here, if for no other reason they fail to understand the strength of their respective convictions doesn't make them an absolute truth.

 
Andy Dufresne said:
Because most of those people aren't under the employ of the owner.

Obtuseness is not an argument.
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I wasn't making an argument. I was asking a question. 

"Most of those people"  - you know, the fans - are the folks that have the owners running dumb assed rules like this in disregard to collective bargaining.

I have to deal with unions every day and I hold my nose when I do, but such is the life I've chosen.

 
I think this is going to backfire in that the owners just gave it new life.

At the very least I think the guidelines should spell out that acts of team unity such as linking arms are allowed if done in a respectful manner while standing. 

Guidelines were done with players having no say in their construction and leaves them with no voice on Sunday.

 
(My post from other thread. I didn't vote because I feel differently about the idea vs execution.)

It is fine to have a workplace rule on standing and separately deal with social justice issues, as many teams are in their communities. It might even be helpful since  "protesting the protesters" detracts from the message. The locker room option is a respectful accommodation..So I support some version of this 

But it wasn't well-executed. "Must stand and show respect" is non-specific and subjective. And can be interpreted as calling out kneeling players as disrespectful, which is a matter of opinion. And, while player input was not required because it simply involved a change to the game manual, it is not a sign of good faith to have no input. .It has brought more attention back to an issue that was dying down on its own. Jim Trotter spoke to players who felt the issue was dying down, but now feel the need to do something.

Jets CEO, Christopher Johnson noted that this final version "was vastly less onerous than the one that was presented to me late last week."
I'm curious as to how punitive it originally was. Johnson has told the team there will be no repercussions and he will pay any fines. 

 
cashman88 said:
What does the NBA do to allow its players to protest?  Why don't the NBA players protest during the anthem like NFL players.  I've read in several places that the NBA has this issue handled the correct way, but I don't know what the NBA does.
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Some examples:

The Sterling Brown case is a good example because the police video released the same day as all of the NFL anthem stuff. The Bucks stood by Brown and made an official press release (pasted below) that slammed the city and called out racial bias. 
Steve Kerr and Greg Popovich constantly talk and write about racial inequity and white privilege. 
Top NBA stars like LeBron James use their platform to speak out against injustice (LeBron turned over his Instagram account during the playoffs to people seeking a variety of ways to improve their communities)
Teams have warmed up in "I Can't Breathe" shirts and taken hoodie photos.
the LA Sparks remained in the locker room during the national anthem of the wNBA finals last season. 

The abuse and intimidation that Sterling experienced at the hands of Milwaukee Police was shameful and inexcusable. Sterling has our full support as he shares his story and takes action to provide accountability.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated case. It shouldn’t require an incident involving a professional athlete to draw attention to the fact that vulnerable people in our communities have experienced similar, and even worse, treatment. 

We are grateful for the service of many good police officers that courageously protect us, our fans and our city, but racial biases and abuses of power must not be ignored. 

There needs to be more accountability.  

The Milwaukee Police Department and local officials have acknowledged the challenges they are working to address, and we urge them to enact higher standards and more direct accountability. We all want to be able to trust each and every officer serving to protect us.   

Incidents like this remind us of the injustices that persist.  As an organization, we will support Sterling and build on our work with local leaders and organizations to foster safe neighborhoods and better our community. 

 
I think the worst part about the guidelines is they were done without a formal vote by owners. So the individual owners didn't have to take a stand and can craft a response any way they want.

 
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