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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: 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. :)