NFL may change anthem policy next season...

[Nickhead]

if players continue to protest. IMO, it's great news. regardless of how symbolic the anthem is, when you have a bunch of millionaires protesting in front of a crowd that averages about 40K a year in income, it is truly a slap in the face to the ones in paid attendance. :thumb:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/361478-nfl-owners-considering-rule-to-keep-players-in-locker-rooms-during

Some NFL owners might consider keeping teams in the locker room during the national anthem next season if player protests continue, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

“I think that if players are still kneeling at the end of the year, then it could very well happen,” a source told the newspaper.

Multiple people told the newspaper that it was too early to tell if league owners would follow through on a new policy, adding that there have not been detailed discussions.

NFL players have protested social justice issues, such as police brutality, since the 2016 season, either kneeling or raising a fist during the national anthem. The issue was brought into the spotlight again in September, when President Trump suggested those taking a knee should be fired.

On Monday, he called for Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch to be suspended for the remainder of the season after Lynch sat for the United States national anthem, but stood for the Mexican anthem during a game in Mexico City.

Players have been spotted protesting each week since Trump's remarks.

The protests have stirred controversy among fans and businesses as well. Papa John's earlier this month suggested the protests were to blame for their sagging sales numbers.

Prior to 2009, teams remained in their locker room for the national anthem. The league policy currently requires players to be on the sideline for the anthem.

[Rausch]

Without getting political the free market has always allowed the opportunity to make more money and provided less protection for the worker.

The state/feds tend to pay less and offer more protection in civil rights/social matters.

[ptlyon]

I always remember every game I watch how much better people they are than I, so I'm thankful of that

[Rausch]

I always remember every game I watch how much better people they are than I, so I'm thankful of that

Good point.

I should start doing that...

[T-post Tom]

It's like parenting small children. Would be effective. Good move, if needed.

[GloucesterChief]

Or you know they could change it back to the players not even being required on the field while the anthem is playing. They only had the players out on the field since 2009. Before that it was completely optional.

[KCrockaholic]

Ya bet let Marshawn out to stand for the Mexican anthem because you know they have such better morals than America.

[BlackOp]

Or you know they could change it back to the players not even being required on the field while the anthem is playing. They only had the players out on the field since 2009. Before that it was completely optional.

The NFL is getting the blowback it deserves...karma sleeps until it's ready to punish you. It'll find your Achilles heel.

They have NEVER been "patriotic"....it took the DOD paying them millions to get the players out there, standing, for the anthem. It's a sham...a photo op.

Like any good marketing strategy...you want people to associate unrelated things together...Like Papa Johns and Peyton Manning. The DOD/MIC used the NFL connection to recruit young and malleable minds to go fight their manufactured "profit wars".

It worked so well...that the two are almost inseparable in less than a decade's time. You have military people boycotting the sport over something that has nothing to do with it. That's rich...

This shit never happened when the NFL was actually, almost, relevant. They can burn in their greed...they mixed military propaganda with their product and can suffer the consequences.

The NFL is dead...and justifiably so.

[Rausch]

The NFL is getting the blowback it deserves...karma sleeps until it's ready to punish you. It'll find your Achilles heel.

Truff...

[Best22]

Or you know they could change it back to the players not even being required on the field while the anthem is playing. They only had the players out on the field since 2009. Before that it was completely optional.

They've been doing it for years. Not sure about the optional part

[Titty Meat]

Good militarism in football is stupid

[KCrockaholic]

They've been doing it for years. Not sure about the optional part

NFL players today aren't half the man that Walter Payton was.

[BlackOp]

Truff...

People are confusing the NFL's motive for having pregame military displays. Fans were juked into believing it was an organic expression of appreciation.

It wasn't...it was strictly for profit.

The NFL is, was, and will always be run by a bunch of corrupt, soul-less scumbags.

[Rausch]

People are confusing the NFL's motive for having pregame military displays. Fans were juked into believing it was an organic expression of appreciation.

You always bait us with truth and then fill us with bullshit...

[BlackOp]

You always bait us with truth and then fill us with bullshit...

There is nothing untruthful about what I wrote...do you think the NFL payed for those 300 ft. flags?

[teedubya]

This whole ordeal has been a pay-for-patriotism play by the Dept of Defense. That is true. I think it's safe to say that it has backfired for the NFL.

http://mashable.com/2015/11/05/nfl-paid-patriotism/#rjUeqnHP3Zqn

[BlackOp]

http://mashable.com/2015/11/05/nfl-paid-patriotism/#rjUeqnHP3Zqn

"The NFL, more than any other American sport, attaches itself to the imagery and symbolism of war and the U.S. military. Tributes for troops before and during games are common, as are reunions between family members separated by active duty. Oversized flags, soldiers in uniform, soldiers with guns — it's all there.

But it turns out these displays of patriotism and appreciation haven't just been the NFL trying to do what it considers a good thing. Rather, the Department of Defense has given millions of dollars to sports leagues for what is now being being called "paid patriotism" — in other words, subtle military advertising embedded in professional sports games with no disclaimer about who is funding the breathless pageantry."

[Rausch]

This whole ordeal has been a pay-for-patriotism play by the Dept of Defense. That is true. I think it's safe to say that it has backfired for the NFL.

http://mashable.com/2015/11/05/nfl-paid-patriotism/#rjUeqnHP3Zqn

I'd argue it hasn't backfired for the DOD just yet.

:D

[St. Patty's Fire]

Or just don't perform the anthem.

Never really understood why the anthem is a staple of sporting events. Doesn't really have anything to do with anything.

Either way, this whole mess is just really, really dumb, and on the list of problems with this country, I'd say this ranks in the low 1000s.

[RobBlake]

if players continue to protest. IMO, it's great news. regardless of how symbolic the anthem is, when you have a bunch of millionaires protesting in front of a crowd that averages about 40K a year in income, it is truly a slap in the face to the ones in paid attendance. :thumb:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/361478-nfl-owners-considering-rule-to-keep-players-in-locker-rooms-during

Yeah cause money means much

[Spott]

Or just don't perform the anthem.

Never really understood why the anthem is a staple of sporting events. Doesn't really have anything to do with anything.

Either way, this whole mess is just really, really dumb, and on the list of problems with this country, I'd say this ranks in the low 1000s.

Exactly this.

[ARROW2]

Or just don't perform the anthem.

Never really understood why the anthem is a staple of sporting events. Doesn't really have anything to do with anything.

Either way, this whole mess is just really, really dumb, and on the list of problems with this country, I'd say this ranks in the low 1000s.

In the low 1,000,000,000,000

[ARROW2]

A few black dudes kneeling makes you not watch? Really? Especially when the original reason has gotten lost and the narrative twisted and changed by the divider in chief. Whatever. I just want to watch some damn football. I don't give a fuck if Monica Lewinsky is taking care of someone in the locker room during it. I just want to watch the game.

[ARROW2]

Those cancelling sunday ticket are stupid. The ticket doesn't even show the anthem most of the time, it's right to the pregame talk in the booth, then the game.

[scho63]

So basically the NFL has decided to hide the teams in the locker room and not deal with it.

Gutless bastards

[bowener]

This is how it was until 15 years ago or so, right? It was voluntary for players up until then if I remember correctly.

IDGAF what they do before the game, but for anybody upset by players kneeling should probably consider being outraged by the amount of taxes spent on and lost to the teams on the field.

[Reerun_KC]

Those cancelling sunday ticket are stupid. The ticket doesn't even show the anthem most of the time, it's right to the pregame talk in the booth, then the game.



No different than those kneeling. They are protesting their right and do are those canceling.

[wazu]

NFL should just ride it out. In a few years when other players are seeing their market value far below what their play warrants, this will stop. Right now I think a few, like Peters, think that Kaepernick is a one-time situation.

[Molitoth]

So basically the NFL has decided to hide the teams in the locker room and not deal with it.

Gutless bastards

How exactly is the NFL supposed to deal with it? lol

Don't tell me they could force players to stand.

[Calcountry]

A few black dudes kneeling makes you not watch? Really? Especially when the original reason has gotten lost and the narrative twisted and changed by the divider in chief. Whatever. I just want to watch some damn football. I don't give a **** if Monica Lewinsky is taking care of someone in the locker room during it. I just want to watch the game."Wow, if only you could have worked Harvey Weinstein into this post, it would have been a classic.

[ClevelandBronco]

It’s not the goddam Olympics. Do away with the silly musical loyalty oath ceremony. Just play football. Or, in the case of the Broncos, just play whatever game comes to mind in the moment.

[TLO]

Or just don't perform the anthem.

Never really understood why the anthem is a staple of sporting events. Doesn't really have anything to do with anything.

Either way, this whole mess is just really, really dumb, and on the list of problems with this country, I'd say this ranks in the low 1000s.

Can you please list 1 - 999 for us?

Thank you

[WhawhaWhat]

Can you please list 1 - 999 for us?

Thank you

Problem #100: a bitch.

[RINGLEADER]

I just read that Trump just pissed all over this idea.

Not much the NFL can do to force players to do anything. I’m sure they’ll try to address it in the next CBA and it will be a huge issue. Ultimately, if TV networks pay less that will result in lower salaries and maybe that will bring about change but I doubt it.

[Fish]

“I think that if players are still kneeling at the end of the year, then it could very well happen,” a source told the newspaper.

So this is just the thoughts of some anonymous dope.

[Grim]

So this is just the thoughts of some anonymous dope.

I guess we shouldn't expect any less from a blogger on "thehill.com".
"Anonymous sources" are what keeps crap sites like that going.

[oldman]

Previous to 2009, it was uncommon to have the players on the field during the national anthem. It seems to me the sane thing is to revert to that practice. No kneeling, no riding a bike, no teary-eyed white guy, no problem.

[srvy]

Or just don't perform the anthem.

Never really understood why the anthem is a staple of sporting events. Doesn't really have anything to do with anything.

Either way, this whole mess is just really, really dumb, and on the list of problems with this country, I'd say this ranks in the low 1000s.

I may be wrong but I think it started because most were being held in State or Municipal owned buildings. Now it not unusual to be owned but a owner.

[GloucesterChief]

I may be wrong but I think it started because most were being held in State or Municipal owned buildings. Now it not unusual to be owned but a owner.

It started with baseball who did it as an act of patriotism to try and get their players excluded from the draft during WWI. Other sports leagues just copied.

[ForeverChiefs58]

The kneeling is all about race, and making it political.


I’d say when players who kneel like the race baiting liar Michael Bennet, and say they will raise a fist for black panthers every time he sacks a white QB; they make it more about black power and turn off the majority of their white fan base who do not agree with the made up stories and made up narrative.

Not a big difference between the KKK and black panthers. Both seek violence instead of peace.

If a white player said he would do a symbol for white power every time he makes a play, I’m guessing it wouldn’t go over quite as well with black audiences and they would rightfully turn that shit off.

The difference is a lot of whites still want to watch football and be away from politics and bullshit for a couple hours of their life. As the players keep chipping away at it, and making it political, more and more people who disagree will turn off football.

If people wanted to watch politics they’d watch the freaking news.

[Easy 6]

The kneeling is all about race, and making it political.


I’d say when players who kneel like the race baiting liar Michael Bennet, and say they will raise a fist for black panthers every time he sacks a white QB; they make it more about black power and turn off the majority of their white fan base who do not agree with the made up stories and made up narrative.

Not a big difference between the KKK and black panthers. Both seek violence instead of peace.

If a white player said he would do a symbol for white power every time he makes a play, I’m guessing it wouldn’t go over quite as well with black audiences and they would rightfully turn that shit off.

The difference is a lot of whites still want to watch football and be away from politics and bullshit for a couple hours of their life. As the players keep chipping away at it, and making it political, more and more people who disagree will turn off football.

If people wanted to watch politics they’d watch the freaking news.

Still cannot believe not one media outlet, sports or otherwise, had anything to say about Bennett being outed as a straight up liar when the Las Vegas video footage was released

He even got a glowing, softball laden pre-game interview with Michelle Tafoya after the fact... that guy and his brother can both eat shit

[Rain Man]

Still cannot believe not one media outlet, sports or otherwise, had anything to say about Bennett being outed as a straight up liar when the Las Vegas video footage was released

He even got a glowing, softball laden pre-game interview with Michelle Tafoya after the fact... that guy and his brother can both eat shit

What happened in Las Vegas?

[Rain Man]

Previous to 2009, it was uncommon to have the players on the field during the national anthem. It seems to me the sane thing is to revert to that practice. No kneeling, no riding a bike, no teary-eyed white guy, no problem.

Yeah, I really don't care about football players' interests off the field, whether it's political or recreational or anything else. I just want to watch them play football.

Maybe this stuff is the first step toward replacing players with robots, now that I think about it.

[BigRichard]

What happened in Las Vegas?

http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/09/30/michael-bennett-arrest-video-paul-newday-weekend.cnn

[Easy 6]

What happened in Las Vegas?

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nfl-s-michael-bennett-says-police-threatened-blow-my-f-n799276

LVPD went on to release multiple bodycam, and casino camera footage that shows none of what Bennett said happened was true... he was only trying to be some kind of SJW martyr

[ForeverChiefs58]

What happened in Las Vegas?

https://youtu.be/jgp2qjfUwWM

[ForeverChiefs58]

So based on the BS lie that he was profiled by a black cop and threatened because of his race, he now says he will do black panthers, black power every time he sacks a white QB

[AssEaterChief]

It started with baseball who did it as an act of patriotism to try and get their players excluded from the draft during WWI. Other sports leagues just copied.

And it gained more prominence during WW2

The problem is we have had a bunch of unnecessary wars since then… Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Iraq, Afghanistan

Nobody gives a shit about the military any more, and for good reason.

[ThaVirus]

Nobody gives a shit about the military any more, and for good reason.

This country is neck-deep in absurd military worship

[ForeverChiefs58]

And it gained more prominence during WW2

The problem is we have had a bunch of unnecessary wars since then… Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Iraq, Afghanistan

Nobody gives a shit about the military any more, and for good reason.

Wtf?

Self entitled, spoiled, ignorant, selfish idiots.

Ridiculous. But keep spewing that bullshit and being oblivious.

Let me guess...not your president.

[AssEaterChief]

Wtf?

Self entitled, spoiled, ignorant, selfish idiots.

Ridiculous. But keep spewing that bullshit and being oblivious.

Let me guess...not your president.

IDK….I'm a veteran…what did I say that is factually incorrect? Or what do you disagree with….I mute the national anthem any time it comes on tv…or change the channel.

This has nothing to do with who the president is, I don't vote and never have. It doesn't impact my life..

[Dayze]

215 posts in 2+ years.

seems legit.

[beach tribe]

IDK….I'm a veteran…what did I say that is factually incorrect? Or what do you disagree with….I mute the national anthem any time it comes on tv…or change the channel.

This has nothing to do with who the president is, I don't vote and never have. It doesn't impact my life..


Why exactly?

[srvy]

Can we reinstate Bob Dole as mod for mult management?

[ForeverChiefs58]

Interestingly, years ago basketball, which is made up of mostly black players, had a player that was a Muslim, and refused to stand for the anthem. It made fans buying tickets upset.

The very next off season they made it a rule that all basketball players must stand.
Boom problem solved.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Here's a fascinating fact: The national anthem was played at baseball games decades before it was actually the national anthem. There are records of "The Star Spangled Banner" gracing the diamond going back as far as 1897, but the song wasn't adopted as the national anthem until 1931.

Over time, a mix of technology, war, and keeping up appearances kept the song in the sports spotlight. Its first big moment reportedly came in 1918 during the 7th-inning stretch of the World Series.

It's no coincidence that its first surge in popularity came during wartime. Nationalism stoked by World War I meant that people were more affected by the song, and the fact that major league baseball players were being actively drafted meant those who weren't drafted benefited from showing their patriotism. Over time, other sports began adopting the practice.

Historian Marc Ferris wrote a history of the national anthem in which he points out that, at first, the anthem didn't exactly come free.

"The thing is, you had to hire a band," he told NPR in 2016. "That was expensive, so it was only for special occasions," like opening day.

Ferris says that after World War II, sound systems allowed teams and parks to play the anthem sans band. That's when the practice became particularly widespread, because the new tech coincided with a huge swell in patriotism.

After World War II, the commissioner of the NFL at the time, Elmer Layden, made a specific plea to keep the anthem as a game-day tradition.

"The playing of the national anthem should be as much a part of every game as the kickoff," he said. "We must not drop it simply because the war is over. We should never forget what it stands for."

... and NFL players definitely didn't always stand on the sidelines for it.

While the anthem continued to be a game-day fixture, NFL players typically stayed in the locker room for it.

There were exceptions, of course -- players observed the anthem after 9/11, and during Super Bowl games. But it wasn't until 2009 that players were mandated to be on the field for the song.

The US Code says you should stand for the anthem

Section 301 of the United States Code says that during a rendition of the national anthem, people "should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart" (except for uniformed military personnel, who should stand and salute for the length of the song). If you're wearing a hat you're supposed to take it off.

If no flag is on display, people are supposed to face towards the source of the music and behave in the same manner.

There's a separate US Code section for how to respect the flag, implying that the anthem and flag, while often presented together, are different patriotic entities.

Oddly enough, the US flag code doesn't mention the anthem at all. It does mention the Pledge of Allegiance, which "should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart."

but there's no such rule in the NFL rule book

In the "2017 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League," there are no specific directives for what players should do during the national anthem. In fact, neither the anthem nor the flag are ever mentioned.

But what about personal protest? The rule book does touch upon that, but not in any way that could be seen as specific to kneeling during the anthem.

Under Article 8, Section 4, titled "Equipment, Uniforms and Player Appearance," it says:

Throughout the period on game-day that a player is visible to the stadium and television audience (including in pregame warm-ups, in the bench area, and during postgame interviews in the locker room or on the field), players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office.


In fact, in 2016 the NFL made clear that players were not required to stand for the anthem.

"Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the national anthem," the NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said last year after 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's protests gained attention.

For those who wonder if Kaepernick's controversial "pig cop" socks ran afoul of the NFL rule outlined above, they didn't -- he wore those during practices, not on game days.


There was money behind some of the NFL's past patriotism

In 2015, a Senate report released by Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake poured cold water on some of the more heartwarming moments of patriotism seen in professional sports.

The report found the Department of Defense had spent $6.8 million on what they called "paid patriotism" between 2012 and 2015. This money was spread out among 50 pro teams from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, MLS and others.

In exchange for the money, teams organized displays of national pride including flag presentations, the honoring of military members, reenlistment ceremonies, and even the most unassailable and uplifting of patriotic moments: surprise military homecomings. To be clear, plenty of teams also do, and have done, such things with no compensation.

But the connection between "paid patriotism" and players being mandated to be present for the anthem is tenuous. The report does mention several instances where teams were paid for anthem performances, but that was about the specific artist or presentation. There is nothing in the report to suggest teams were paid or coerced into pulling players on to the field as part of "paid patriotism" initiatives.

In fact, Pentagon spokesman Army Major Dave Eastburn recently clarified the Defense Department's current relationship with professional sports.

"DoD does not require or request that athletes be on the field during the playing of the national anthem when military members are part of the patriotic opener," he said in a statement to CNN.

"Community relations participation, such as flyovers, color guards, and military band support, are unpaid activities. DoD does not pay outside parties to host such community outreach activities."

[Rain Man]

This country is neck-deep in absurd military worship

Yeah, it's kind of ridiculous. I respect the tough mofo's who are walking around in Afghanistan, but that's a pretty small percent of veterans. I'm not sure that a guy who ran the laundry at Fort Drum should be boarding the plane ahead of everybody else and getting free meals at Applebee's.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Both directly and indirectly, we the taxpayers are paying both these billionaire owners and the rest of this disrespectful, unpatriotic organization, including Roger Goodell.

The funds flow primarily via mammoth subsidies for NFL stadiums. The Super Bowl will be played this year in the Minnesota Viking's US Bank Stadium, which cost taxpayers there over $500 million despite the reported $5.3 billion wealth of team owner Zygi Wilf.

Adding to that insult, Minnesota government officials who approved that deal received free tickets and food to all future games there.

Minnesota's massive misuse of hard-earned taxpayer capital is hardly unique. Las Vegas just promised its $500 million subsidy to lure the Oakland Raiders to move.

The San Francisco 49ers' new stadium in Santa Clara fleeced taxpayers there for $621 million. All told, according to Watchdog.org, the billionaire club of NFL owners and, by extension, Roger Goodell has expropriated $7 billion since 2000 on taxpayers subsidies for stadiums.

In addition, because funding bonds are typically issued as municipal projects, they evade federal taxation, costing the federal Treasury $3.2 billion during the same period.

https://apple.news/AyVYM9FepRCCjmFwEyoG29A

[scho63]

How exactly is the NFL supposed to deal with it? lol

Don't tell me they could force players to stand.

Yeah, they should should make it clear. If you don't stand for the National Anthem in 2018 you are suspended a game. Second time 3 games, 3rd time 5 games, 4th game a season.

Let's see what happens then.

You can go protest before a game, after the game, in the stands, whatever but let's not turn a moment of unity for all Americans into a divisive racial issue.

Problem solved.

[scho63]

This country is neck-deep in absurd military worship

https://sayingimages.com/wp-content/uploads/dont-be-that-guy-nobody-likes-that-guy-funny-ass-meme.jpg

https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/68306511.jpg

http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/b5/b58491630120b05f422196894269f6ba1f1630b8ce4da52ad204c0a9c4b9ba08.jpg

[ThaVirus]

https://sayingimages.com/wp-content/uploads/dont-be-that-guy-nobody-likes-that-guy-funny-ass-meme.jpg

https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/68306511.jpg

http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/b5/b58491630120b05f422196894269f6ba1f1630b8ce4da52ad204c0a9c4b9ba08.jpg

You're exhibit A, bud.

[GloucesterChief]

Yeah, it's kind of ridiculous. I respect the tough mofo's who are walking around in Afghanistan, but that's a pretty small percent of veterans. I'm not sure that a guy who ran the laundry at Fort Drum should be boarding the plane ahead of everybody else and getting free meals at Applebee's.

My dad is a war vet from Gulf War I, though he was sitting in a carrier in the Indian Ocean and not anywhere near danger other than loss of sleep. He certainly doesn't bring it up and didn't wear his dress uniform to anyplace but Navy functions where it was required.

[BWillie]

I don't care if they stand or sit, I'm just sick of hearing about it. Having them stay in the locker room sounds like music to my ears. I'm sooooo tired of hearing about TMZ stuff and political stuff infused with sports. Sports are my release from all of that shit, or used to be.

[kcxiv]

Ya bet let Marshawn out to stand for the Mexican anthem because you know they have such better morals than America.

outside of cartels you best believe Mexicans have good ****ing Morals.

[ForeverChiefs58]

I don't care if they stand or sit, I'm just sick of hearing about it. Having them stay in the locker room sounds like music to my ears. I'm sooooo tired of hearing about TMZ stuff and political stuff infused with sports. Sports are my release from all of that shit, or used to be.

There are a hand full of players who want to make all of November social justice warrior month. So they can try to cram down ignorant sports fans throats their feelings on how cops mistreat blacks and how so many blacks get put in prison etc.

I already was tired of Bob Costas trying to tell me how bad guns are


If they get their way, the nfl will be about as relevant as women’s basketball

[ForeverChiefs58]

outside of cartels you best believe Mexicans have good ****ing Morals.

Yeah they thought our cops were bad lol


In Mexico, people call the cops for help and get kidnapped and sent to the cartels and put in a hole in the ground.

It’s a travesty.

Outside of that Mexico does have some really great people, and some of the hardest workers I have ever seen.