If I were Mara and/or Shurmur. On the morning of a game I would put the names of the 46 players to be active that day into a hat and have one of the team captains pick from it. Whatever name is picked, that player gets to decide whether or not the team will remain in the locker room for the anthem or will stand at attention for it on the sideline.
This accomplishes three things:
1) First and foremost being that whatever it is they do, they do as a team.
2) The decision is made by a player (not someone from ownership or management).
3) The choice of player is random (and all inclusive of those who would be standing or sitting that day), so fairness in representation is assured. And given that it is a 16 game season, the sample set should be large enough that all demographic/socio-economic viewpoints are given a say).
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in addition to what Robbie mentioned, now you could potentially divide a locker room because a player made an unpopular decision.
It shouldn't be unpopular because they are a team and should support each other. That's the whole point. That whatever they do, they do as a team, and they all need to agree on it in the first place. If they can't agree on that, then the plan falls apart before and they would need to go to plan B. But the team has bigger problems if they can't be supportive enough of each other to agree to this all for one and one for all approach. And it's not as if anybody will be asked to kneel (since they will be staying in the locker room), so no one would feel forced to show disrespect (which is a lot worse than feeling compelled to show respect).
The only other plan (than mine) that makes sense to me is for the players to simply remain in the locker room for the anthem. At least in that scenario nobody needs to feel compelled to either respect or disrespect the national anthem.
The only plan that really makes sense is to stop playing the anthem and doing the flag ceremony before the games. At best, it's a phony display of patriotism being orchestrated by the NFL. And now we're seeing what it invites when not everyone is on the same page.
The only plan that really makes sense is to stop playing the anthem and doing the flag ceremony before the games. At best, it's a phony display of patriotism being orchestrated by the NFL. And now we're seeing what it invites when not everyone is on the same page.
These guys are employees! Wanna protest something? Do it on your own fucking time and dime. Period!
Any other take on this is wrong.
Players are paid due to the paying customer.
Hello?
Goodell should have imposed strict fines and punishments to the offending player or players and moved on. Anyone crying about it could have been shown the nfl bylaws or whatever they are called.
Can’t believe how confused or lost some are despite the cut and dried nature of thing thing. Once the Nfl failed to act they put the presure on the owners. The owners can’t win here now because they come across as the heavy if and when they rightfully bring the hammer down on a player.
Goodell is a chicken shit asshole.
Express yourself on your own dime. Not on mine!!!
That’s the perplexing thing to me. And what’s more perplexing is that said player picks THAT hill of all hills to stand on. How convenient. I’ll protest during the fight song of the very country that my job is representing.
It’s bullshit. Sorry. It is.
They don't. But in this case, the brand will be hurt if they try to stop players from indulging in said behavior. Quite a conundrum. NFL players aren't your typical 9-to-5ers.
Players should be like everyone else and follow company policy while at work and use their stature fame and resources to promote their cause on their own time.
Wow! What a concept!!
You mean I should not go to work on Tuesday and right in the middle of my dept meeting scream out how much i hate my local congressman? Bad idea?
Why don’t any of these guys speak up during interviews? They are interviewed all week long. Not a word. Most can’t can’t to get the hell away from the microphone even though media speaking is in their very job description. But no, let’s go ahead and kneel during a song that honors the veterans of this country. Why? Just to say FU to the police force. Gimme a fucking break.
But by the NFL owners implementing the rule and forcing the players to stand it only serves to bring more attention back to the sideline pregame, much like how the president came out of no where and made a comment about it served to reignite the issue.
This was just an incredibly dumb move by the owners and without a doubt it's going to blow up in the NFL's face. The coaches are smarter than the owners . . . I expect most of them will stay the hell out of this and let the players do what they want and leave it to the league to decide on what to do once the players inevitably defy the rule.
I just don't understand why this shit upsets people so much. If you feel that one should stand during the anthem, then fucking stand, you can't control others.
You are right about the NFL having every authority to control what these players do on company time, but the truth is that most making this argument are using it as a veil. The truth is that it pissed you off, and you want to shut them up. Hence the "!!!!" At least be honest.
I will say that sports in general are wrapping themselves far to up in the flag. Cut all this pregame bullshit out and just have a simple rendition of the Anthem.
+1
This statement should be pinned to the top of every discussion on the subject. I'm sure there are some smart, hard-working folks on this site, but we don't have the power of football players. If I went to jail for running a dog fighting ring, my company probably wouldn't rehire me when my sentence was up. A little different world for athletes - they can defy bosses.
Ya..
That will happen.
How many of poster on this forum can go against your employer's policies and rules? How many can protest at their place at their place of work and keep their job? If such are the guidelines by which we live, why is it acceptable that pampered athletes have such entitlements? If they want to become activists for a specific agenda, they should do so on their own time, not owners or fans dime.
Ya..
That will happen.
Who do you think they should donate their salaries to?
Milton, you are way off here. This isn’t high school JV football. This is a major societal issue that your solution is further cramming down the throats of many players who just want to be left alone. The NFL is a business and not just for the owners. Most players treat it as a business as well and want to go to work, and go home. Now your forcing them to act on something they want nothing to do with?
All these solutions are half assed. Deal with the kneeling or ban it, anyhing else is going to prolong it and make it worse.
How many of poster on this forum can go against your employer's policies and rules? How many can protest at their place at their place of work and keep their job? If such are the guidelines by which we live, why is it acceptable that pampered athletes have such entitlements? If they want to become activists for a specific agenda, they should do so on their own time, not owners or fans dime.
So if the players Union goes on strike are you willing to make same financial and time investment watching scab players?
No, it wouldn't. And even if it did, how is "dealing with" the kneeling (which is one of your proposed solutions) not also a case where the players have effectively dictated what the rules will be?
The NFL is already a laughingstock on this issue. Anyone who's been paying attention should have long ago realized that the NFL cares about the military, veterans, the flag, and the anthem, about as much as they care about breast cancer awareness or former players with CTE. We should stop giving them credit they haven't earned.
Kapernick's and other African American players grandparents fought in World war 2, Vietnam, and Korea, just like your grandparents. The only difference is they don't see cops killing Americans that look like you and getting away with it.
Just saying...
Having the players stay in the locker, 15 yard penalties, letting 1 player decide what the team does that week....it’s all garbage. The NFL needs to put the issue to bed and the only way that can be done is fully supporting the protests or banning them. It may sting at first but it would eventually go away.
Getting rid of the anthem would be an absolute joke mainly because the players will just find something else to protest.
Having the players stay in the locker, 15 yard penalties, letting 1 player decide what the team does that week....it’s all garbage. The NFL needs to put the issue to bed and the only way that can be done is fully supporting the protests or banning them. It may sting at first but it would eventually go away.
Getting rid of the anthem would be an absolute joke mainly because the players will just find something else to protest.
They left the issue alone for all of last season, and business suffered (apparently as a result). Which is why they created this new policy - which is almost certainly going to exacerbate the situation.
As long as the NFL insists on wrapping themselves in God & Country before every single game, the issue will persist. Ditch the pre-game sanctimony, and you remove the platform for effective civil protest.
It just doesn’t make sense.
Who’s siding with the nfl?
All because of their religious attachment to patriotism, you see people defending the actions of owners because "they want to protect their money." What sports fan watches games so that the businessmen running it prosper?
My other issue is that celebrities, or athletes in this case, are often disingenuous. I have no doubt this is a serious issue that many players believe in, but why aren’t they doing more? Is it because it would require hem to spend their free time and money to organize?
The whole things is just weird. I believe in the cause but the severe lack in follow through with anything that doesn’t involve the cameras is bothersome.
Players should be like everyone else and follow company policy while at work and use their stature fame and resources to promote their cause on their own time.
While most of us indeed would not be able to do this at work, I am not sure the comparison between everyone with a 'job' and a 'boss' with an NFL player is valid. These aren't employees at the local store. They are the very best on the planet at what they do. The league relies on them to exist. They play under contracts that have been collectively bargained. And, the NFL had no rule against kneeling. There was only the suggestion that the players 'should' stand (not 'must') in the NFL procedures manual. The players risk their physical and mental well being, and most are out of the league in a few years. As for the owners, they care about one thing...not loosing money (including the money they charge the military). How many people were previously upset that the networks weren't showing the anthem? How many people were getting beers during the anthem?
I understand why someone might be upset at the protests. And yes, some might be better served by directing more energy to the cause off the field. But let's not pretend owners are upstanding folks and that the NFL is a wholesome, patriotic league. Far from it. They will develop the rule/procedure that they think will save them the most money.
People are just jealous of athletes because they got wealthy off a talent they could never have. People are usually less jealous of other millionaires because they (wrongfully) believe that that some outcome is achievable for them. So with that in mind, people are unnecessarily hard on athletes. "I couldn't get away with that at my pencil pushing job!!"
Being an NFL athlete is a unique thing and not translatable. And people refuse to grapple with that nuance.
Just get rid of the Anthem at sporting events. Problem solved.
The flyovers, the military salutes, the camo gear, it's all to market to these zealots. It works, and it makes money.
Athletes like money too, it’s isnt just the old crusty white guys. There isn’t a single reason why the stars of this league aren’t doing more.
It’s ok for the owners to care and protect their bottom line. No different than any other company. And that’s separate from how athletes go about enacting societal change, they can go do whatever they want on their own time. The problem is they don’t, which I find really fucking strange (not all of them but most of them).
I think the NFL should be helping the players organize things in each community, they really dropped that ball hard. But either way it doesn’t give an employee the right to disrupt business, regardless of the cause.
If the NFL silences the protests (for money reasons), it's their right, but it doesn't mean it *Is* right.
Now, did the NFL play a role in police brutality? No. And to be fair, they're in a tough spot. But by silencing those protests, they've put themselves in the heart of the problem. They *blackballed* the player who started all of this.
Does that mean the protests are working? Sort of. It's shining a light on now a few American problems. Will it lead to change? Probably not. So those who knelt have done a lot for their community. They used their platform to address a problem. Now, we're more alert to the problem at hand. That's not insignificant.
Was there a racist post? Must have been deleted and I missed?
Or is anybody who happens to not see eye-to-eye with you a racist?