As expected, several players are very unhappy about the NFL's new national anthem policy. The revision allows players to stay in the locker room during the national anthem, but those who choose to be on the field must stand. If any NFL personnel chooses not to stand during the anthem, the club will be fined by the league and further disciplinary action can be levied upon the player by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The conduct change was implemented in response to the protest started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who began kneeling during the anthem to call attention to police brutality and racial injustice.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Malcolm Jenkins released a lengthy response on Twitter with the hashtag #TheFightContinues:
"What NFL owners did today was thwart the players' constitutional rights to express themselves and use our platform to draw attention to social injustices like racial inequality in our country. Everyone loses when voices get stifled.
"While I disagree with this decision, I will not let it silence me or stop me from fighting. ...
"For me, this has never been about taking a knee, raising a fist or anyone's patriotism but doing what we can to effect real change for real people."
Jenkins' teammate, Eagles defensive lineman Chris Long, who has been one of the most outspoken players on social and political issues, who donated his entire $1 million base salary last season to charity and who has defended Kaepernick on many occasions, also released a statement on Twitter:
"This is fear of a diminished bottom line. It's also fear of a president turning his base against a corporation. This is not patriotism. Don't get it confused."
He concludes with a vow to use his platform to advocate for change. "I'm someone who's always looked at the anthem as a declaration of ideals, including the right to a peaceful protest. Our league continues to fall short on this issue."
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin told Seattle radio station @710ESPNSeattle, "I'm not surprised - the NFL cares about one thing and that's the NFL - that's the bottom line...I'm not surprised, I'm disappointed."
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith wrote on Twitter:
"'Appropriate respect for flag and anthem' implies that guys were being disrespectful towards it. Which is an opinion. Most people who believe that ignore the responses from the players and more importantly why men chose to protest."
One NFL team stood up for the players. New York Jets chairman Christopher Johnson said the team would not enact any specific rules prohibiting players from kneeling or any other forms of expression. "There will be no club fines or suspensions or any sort of repercussions. If the team gets fined, that’s just something I’ll have to bear,” Johnson said.
NFL Players Association executive George Atallah said the players were not involved in the decision of the new anthem policy and they will be looking into the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to see if any rules were violated.
Source: usatoday.com
