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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 The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 28 2018, @04:18AM
I think you need to take a step back and realize that most people who are angry over this nonsense are not engaging in anything remotely approaching jingoism or symbol worship. They're just people who don't think America is wrong in everything it has ever done. At worst it's simple tribalism, which is a quality inherent to every last member of the human race.
No, it is not. There is no problem. One group set out to piss all over something they knew damned good and well another much larger group does not like seeing disrespected. They trolled successfully; nothing more, nothing less.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.