May 24, 2018
NFL: Players Must Stand
Days ahead of Memorial Day, NFL announces new policy on national anthem. Turns out the *new* policy isn’t really *new* at all.
Why Now?
Important Context:
- NFL players didn’t always come on the field for the national anthem – only since 2009.
- “New policy” allows players to choose to yet again NOT go on the field for the national anthem.
- *If* on the field, players must “stand and show respect” during the anthem or face a league fine & possibly a fine from the team.
Why Now?
NFL:A “It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic. This is not and was never the case.”
Something To Consider: Americans are watching less TV overall & NFL viewership has declined by millions since 2015. Some viewers say they boycotted the NFL because of the players on-field protests.
“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.”
Chris Long, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end, responding to the "new policy" via Twitter. Long supports players on-field protests and is an outspoken critic of President Trump.
Different sports have different policies for player etiquette during the national anthem. The NBA has a strict one – and Nascar – none at all.
- NFL owners approve national anthem policy for 2018: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000933971/article/nfl-owners-approve-national-anthem-policy-for-2018
- Why the NFL’s Ratings Saw a Steep Decline in 2017:A https://www.si.com/tech-media/2018/01/03/nfl-ratings-decline-espn-fox-nbc-network-tv
- Chris Long Rips NFL’s New Anthem Rules: ‘This Is Not Patriotism’: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2777605-chris-long-rips-nfls-new-anthem-rules-this-is-not-patriotism
- GOOD READ:A How the NFL’s new anthem policy compares to other sports leagues: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/05/nfl-new-anthem-policy-rule-nhl-nba-nascar-mls-ncaa
- Dissent Amongst Teams: https://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/national-anthem-christopher-johnson-fines-1.18700702
Despite the NFL”s approval of a revised policy thatA requires players on the field to stand during the national anthem, Jets chairman Christopher Johnson told Newsday on Wednesday that his players are free to take a knee or perform some other protest without fear of repercussion from the team.League owners unanimously adopted a policy that allows players who don”t want to participate in the anthem to remain in the locker room. Players who do appear on the field for the anthem must stand; if they don”t, their respective club faces a league-issued fine and teams can levy additional fines.I do not like imposing any club-specific rules, Johnson said. If somebody [on the Jets] takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organization, by me, not the players. I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players. Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest. There are some big, complicated issues that we”re all struggling with, and our players are on the front lines. I don”t want to come down on them like a ton of bricks, and I won”t. 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.
by Jenna Lee,
