A league spokesman for the NFL said that owners are considering a rule change that would require players to stand for the National Anthem.
Sports Illustrated (@SI) reports that the owners are set to discuss the possible rule change in a meeting next week. The current policy asks for players to stand at attention during the National Anthem with their left hand placed upon their hearts. Currently, there is no discipline for not participating. The old rule only requires players to be on the field during the National Anthem. There is currently no league discipline for not standing during the National Anthem. Under the proposed new rule, players will be disciplined for not standing for the National Anthem. A move which goes directly against that pesky “freedom of speech” thing. The NFL is clearly crumbling under the political pressure placed on the league by the president and his cohorts. It will be interesting to watch how players, coaches, and fans react if this new rule change goes into effect. I believe the NFL is taking the coward’s way out. When a multi-billion dollar a year business allows an outside presence to interfere in their business one time, they make themselves vulnerable to that outside presence forever. That outside presence is Donald Trump. A man who single handedly put a once-profitable football league out of business (USFL) with idiotic decisions. This is the man that the NFL wants to allow into their business to impact how the company is run? A man who has a personal vendetta against the NFL because he’s been denied ownership of a team on two separate occasions? Oppression takes many forms. Denying a man’s rights to free speech is a form of oppression. The oppressed usually fight back. When protest occur by these same black players who make your whole multi-billion dollar business run, huge contracts will not save you. Some things are bigger than money……..or maybe, those huge contracts will save them. Money is more important than pride and being treated as human beings should be treated to some people. Either way, the NFL is going to learn a valuable, and most likely costly lesson after everything is said and done. No matter what you do, you can’t please all of the people, all of the time. The NFL should stay as far away from this rule change as they possibly can. Politics mixed in with sports is a losing battle all of the time. Non-violent, silent protest hurt no one. The people speaking out against the protest are doing so for political gain. To place yourself in the middle of this would be business suicide. The simple solution to this issue that is really not a problem, is to do absolutely nothing at all. Even if the NFL does require its players to stand during the National Anthem, Donald Trump will find another reason to attack the league……..because he has a petty personal vendetta with the NFL. Then what? Will you change the rules again? How many times? At that point do you even own your league anymore or does Donald Trump own the NFL?
