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Al Jazeera reports
The National Football League (NFL) announced a new policy that will fine teams an undetermined amount if players on the field fail to stand during the national anthem.
[...] The new policy does not require players be present during the anthem, allowing those who wish to protest and not attend the ceremonial act to remain in the locker room.
Players said they were not consulted and threatened to challenge the policy in the courts. A statement by the NFL Players Association said its athletes had shown ample patriotism by way of their social activism and community support initiatives.
[...] New York Jets chairman Christopher Johnson said he supported the measure out of obligation to the membership, but said players can take a knee or perform another type of protest without fear of repercussion from the team. He will pay their fines.
"If somebody [on the Jets] takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organisation, by me, not the players. I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players," Johnson said.
New York Magazine notes
The monetary risk to Johnson isn't huge, since no Jets players took a knee last season. [...] Johnson is currently acting as owner of the team while his brother, Woody Johnson, serves as Trump's ambassador to Britain.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @01:09PM (17 children)
The country is all about free speech and equal opportunity.
Taking a knee celebrates the first and begs for the second.
This from a group of folks who have used the opportunity to do quite well.
What could be wrong with this?
Well, to have a country we have to have unity, which the anthem is all about.
As in an amazingly diverse group of folks setting their differences aside and standing together.
If this is not the place to do this necessary thing where is?
The players certainly have the right to take a knee, but in doing so diminish the thing which makes that right possible.
A little too much me over we for my taste.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by sjames on Saturday May 26 2018, @01:30PM (1 child)
The thing has been diminishing itself. They are just putting that diminishment on display. The only reason it has so many up in arms about it is that it makes them uncomfortable.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @07:31PM
Meh... They should just be escorted off the field into a one-way airplane ride to their home country called gofuckyourselfland.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by c0lo on Saturday May 26 2018, @01:56PM (6 children)
If all you are left to define yourself as a country is standing for anthem, I deplore you.
But here's a crazy idea: how about actually offering the promised equality of opportunity, maybe the players won't need to beg for it?
You really believe that equal opportunity can't be achieved if the players aren't standing for anthem? 'I can't understand this twisted logic, I suspect this is more related with some sort of beliefs close to the religious in nature.
Isn't the "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country" a bit worn out by hollow repetition over ages to use it again as an argument? Look, it has been over 50 years of "doing for the country" and too many are still to see something about the country doing something for them; it starts sounding like a sham.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by EEMac on Saturday May 26 2018, @02:45PM (1 child)
"But here's a crazy idea: how about actually offering the promised equality of opportunity, maybe the players won't need to beg for it?"
Football players make MILLIONS of dollars a year doing something they were recruited for starting at a young age. If they complain about "equality of opportunity", it is hypocritical and offensive.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by c0lo on Saturday May 26 2018, @03:00PM
Because the equal opportunity is meant to be only for the footballs players, right?
They aren't suppose to say a word about the others who don't have even the remote opportunity to be heard?
Maybe even "social activism and community support initiatives" are offensive for the National Football League and need to be fined?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Runaway1956 on Saturday May 26 2018, @03:36PM (3 children)
No, never. Hollow repetition? Maybe, by cynical SOB's who have nothing to give, themselves. IMO, anyone who has nothing to give, deserves to take nothing. That goes for all those politicians in Washington, and the state capitals, as well as corporate officers.
(Score: 4, Informative) by c0lo on Saturday May 26 2018, @04:04PM (2 children)
There are thousands of persons** who almost do a shit for their country and move the rest overseas in tax heavens and yet are rewarded with tax breaks which don't expire after 7 years. Those tax breaks drive the country deeper in the deficit and you only need one guess for the money of whom will be used to balance the deficit.
If the country shits on those who give and rewards those who don't, where's the reason to continue giving?
---
** Hint: those persons aren't allowed to vote but are allowed to use their money as political speech. And by God, their whispered speech in certain lobbies weight a lot more than the voice of the citizens with voting rights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday May 26 2018, @04:27PM (1 child)
I'm better than that. Millions of other people are better than that. A cop makes headlines now and then, because he is better. Teachers sometimes are cited for going above and beyond. In general, I have little use for social workers, because they can be so blind, and uncaring. But, the good ones - they are better than gold. A few rare politicians, who stick to their principals, instead of whoring themselves to every lobbyist who knocks on his door. And, I haven't even mentioned the little people who are never recognized.
You don't need a "reason" - giving is who and what you are. Unless, of course, you aren't.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday May 26 2018, @05:04PM
1. At least you admit is not rational and don't delude yourself trying to rationalize it. Raising my hat to you.
2. note that you are presenting people are justification for your giving. Not country. The difference is important: you'll find such people everywhere, no matter the country. And all of them worth your or my giving.
3. speaking of non-rational motives - I stopped playing the fool and loving a girl that loved another (and used my love to obtain benefits) at about 21 years of age Comes with growing up, I guess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @02:28PM (3 children)
You've got it completely backwards. The jingoist have the right to not like some players protesting during the anthem, but in trying to stop it, they diminish the ideals the anthem is supposed to celebrate.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by VLM on Saturday May 26 2018, @04:05PM
To provide the opposing point of view, pro sports players are tax sucking welfare queens and the world is full of dirtballs who don't like our country that no one cares about, so its more an annoyance that we're paying tax money to the dirtballs to be dirtballs, than the fact that they're dirtballs to begin with.
Sorta like opposition to the US Military, specifically the Army; nobody gives a F if there's some terrorist on the other side of the planet who hates the US Army; but it takes a special kind of dirtball to accept a salary from the US Army while opposing everything the USA stands for at the same time.
(Score: 3, Funny) by TheRaven on Saturday May 26 2018, @07:09PM
You almost make it sound like doing what you're told or facing a fine isn't what the anthem stands for.
sudo mod me up
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @11:15PM
Where did the jingoists, or anyone else, try to stop it? No one tried to have the kneeling players arrested. No one burned down the stadiums. No one kidnapped their children to force them to stand.
What they did do was stop watching on TV and stop going to the games. You have the right to freely speak, but you don't have the right to make anyone listen to you.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by VLM on Saturday May 26 2018, @04:00PM
I'd rather have my plumber lecture me on how his beliefs about neurosurgery are holier than thou, than listen to a adult who plays a kids game as a day job lecture me on morals ethics and political philosophy.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday May 26 2018, @04:59PM (2 children)
I don't believe that the players should not be legally allowed to take a knee. Let them if they want to.
I do believe, as do many other handegg fans, that kneeling is a stupid-ass move considering the country they're protesting is the only one that allows them to be paid millions of dollars a year to throw around a damn ball, and that protests such as that one coming from a privileged class will infuriate the fans rather than rally them to the players' cause.
I also believe that the protests are idiotic because Americans watch football as a distraction, in other words, they want to get away from all that political bullshit.
This is just another example of leftist appeasement causing the left to eat itself, like the Starbucks bathroom decision. Wimpy management is afraid to put the smack down on this bullshit, and now it's done irreverable damage to their bottom-line. Look, the NFL is a business.
(Score: 2) by ilPapa on Sunday May 27 2018, @01:11AM
And also the country that allows them to be tased by police and arrested for a parking violation.
https://deadspin.com/milwaukee-police-release-video-of-bucks-sterling-brown-1826275081 [deadspin.com]
You are still welcome on my lawn.
(Score: 2) by vux984 on Sunday May 27 2018, @08:11PM
"I do believe, as do many other handegg fans, that kneeling is a stupid-ass move considering the country they're protesting is the only one that allows them to be paid millions of dollars a year to throw around a damn ball"
In other words you are saying that the only people who are allowed to protest are those who are personally affected. If someone who is successful and privileged and visible takes up the cause of those who are not as fortunate, it's a stupid-ass move, because they're doing fine. I'd argue that people who have succeeded so completely in America have a moral obligation to take up the causes of those who are not successful.
I wonder sometimes if Colin had protested the anthem because of the abysmal problems with the veteran's health-care administration whether the reaction would have been different? Or would it be a stupid-ass move, because he's got a good doctor and a good health insurance plan?
"I also believe that the protests are idiotic because Americans watch football as a distraction, in other words, they want to get away from all that political bullshit."
Then don't play the anthem. When I'm looking for a distraction I don't play the national anthem, and wave a flag around. In fact I never play the national anthem or wave flags around because that's not real patriotism. That's why this whole fiasco is so amusing to me. Standing for the anthem isn't about paying respect, what does the anthem care? Its a song for fucks sake. No, it's about being seen standing for the anthem. These days that's called "virtue signalling'.
Defending the country is patriotic, exercising your rights is patriotic; standing when a shitty song is playing is not "patriotic" except that you are exercising your freedom to stand. But likewise taking a knee is equally patriotic as you are exercising your freedom NOT to stand. Veterans fought to defend this freedom of speech and expression, including the right to protest. They fought for a country where you can stand for the anthem or not stand. It isn't disrespectful to the veterans to protest; if anything its a celebration of what they fought for: a country where the civilians can freely protest the symbols of government.
Any veteran who gets butthurt over anthem standing has forgotten what he fought for.
Meanwhile, vet's have lots very real problems facing them; and frankly the whole country getting into a tizzy about how important it is to stand for an anthem at a football game as if that was somehow 'honoring the veterans' is a joke. What about the real issues facing vets -- health care, jobs, PTSD, they need real solutions to real problems. But instead of solving those, we've got a bunch of redneck fuckwit's carrying on about "the troops", but they won't do fuck all for the troops, its just virtue signalling -- you gotta stand! if your seen standing, and seen to be making a scene if someone else isn't standing... then your good. And you don't have to actually do a damned thing for "the troops".
"Look, the NFL is a business."
Not a terribly smart one. :)