New National Anthem Policy

[kidhawk]

[urltargetblank]http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000933962/article/roger-goodells-statement-on-national-anthem-policy[/urltargetblank]

As it is a policy that will also cover the Seahawks (along with the rest of the NFL), I think it's appropriate to post this in this particular forum. Let's try to keep it related to our team/players.

POLICY STATEMENT

The 32 member clubs of the National Football League have reaffirmed their strong commitment to work alongside our players to strengthen our communities and advance social justice. The unique platform that we have created is unprecedented in its scope, and will provide extraordinary resources in support of programs to promote positive social change in our communities.

The membership also strongly believes that:

1. All team and league personnel on the field shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.

2.The Game Operations Manual will be revised to remove the requirement that all players be on the field for the Anthem.

3. Personnel who choose not to stand for the Anthem may stay in the locker room or in a similar location off the field until after the Anthem has been performed.

4. A club will be fined by the League if its personnel are on the field and do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.

5. Each club may develop its own work rules, consistent with the above principles, regarding its personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.

6. The Commissioner will impose appropriate discipline on league personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.

 

[bmorepunk]

Seems like the best compromise. The NFL shouldn't be forcing players to be out there standing, and players don't have to be on the field if they don't want to (depending on how teams handle this with the rules). Just removing the requirement that everybody be out on the field for the anthem takes this down a notch. And if a player wants to make a statement, it comes with a cost, not that it hasn't already with some of them.

Without Bennett around to be the catalyst for this on the Seahawks, I don't know how many players will actively be interested in missing it or going all out on a protest.

 

[original poster]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/NFLPA/status/999325257403002881[/tweet]

The NFLPA are pissed.

 

[JGfromtheNW]

Decent compromise. Folks will still complain about players who stay in the locker room during the anthem, though.

Pretty stupid that they didn't even consult the NFLPA in regards to this change.

 

[HawkerD]

I think the NFL may get more negative press than it bargained for. Its not a first amendment issue (although many will incorrectly say that it is) but players may want to be more defiant because they are now being told to do something contrary to what they believe is right.

I also heard that fines will be at the discretion of the individual teams so some teams may chose not to impose penalties.

 

[HawkGA]

If players are staying in the locker room, it's not going to remove it from the headlines.

 

[kidhawk]

I also heard that fines will be at the discretion of the individual teams so some teams may chose not to impose penalties.

A few things. First, it says that the NFL will fine teams that have people not standing for the anthem, so teams would take a hit (which one would have to assume increases with frequency) each time someone didn't stand for the anthem. Second, it also states that teams may set their own policies as long as they follow the guidelines set forth in the league-wide policy, so I don't see any teams allowing players to come out and not stand for the anthem. Finally, it says that the commissioner will discipline any personnel not standing for the anthem.

There's really not any room for teams to just allow it to happen unless they are willing to fork over the fine money every week. I just don't see this happening.

 

[bmorepunk]

If players are staying in the locker room, it's not going to remove it from the headlines.

The people who will get riled up about it generally want nothing short of all those players being cut, or at least forced to stand up by making them so uncomfortable through financial damage that it isn't worth it. I don't understand the need to force other people to do things that are symbolic simply to stroke one's sensibilities, but it is a thing. It seems like these people have made this a central tenet of NFL watching instead, of actually watching NFL games.

It's good that the players and teams have an out here. It'll be interesting to see if there's many players that will stay in the locker room (or entire teams). If enough players think that they could eventually get the treatment Eric Reid or Colin Kaepernick this may mostly solve itself anyway, and those who are super sensitive to this will have won the culture war.

Clark's the only sort of high profile player that went with Bennett on this last year I can think of that is still on the roster. And if he's not extended by the time the season starts this probably factors into any decisions he might make. If enough players don't want to deal with this they may decide to stay in the locker room as a group. That has some advantages over a partial taking of the field, but the lack of presence will be much more noticed.

 

[IndyHawk]

You can stand or wait in locker room..It is really simple ..
I could care less who does what..Just do one or other...

 

[Cyrus12]

Seems fair to me.

 

[Crizilla]

Still baffling to me some of these players can't take 1 minute of their life, once a week, to stand and respect the National Anthem. It's pathetic. Of course I am all for punishment to police who abuse their power but there are other times to protest. It's been beaten to death already and now when Goodell finally tries to do something, it looks like it won't do much.

At this point I don't know what to say. Life goes on. Be thankful you're in this country because most Americans have no clue what it's like to be at war or on the defense. America has enemies. Wake up.

 

[Uncle Si]

“It’s been beaten to death..”

I mean I doubt you meant to be ironic. But Jesus.

What a crap policy and a crappy way to connect with your players.

I get people are sensitive about the anthem. But there are very few moments any athlete, especially of color, has an opportunity to make a statement that may actually be acknowledged. For that they are resigned to the underbelly of the stadium, out of site.. literally not to offend the very people they are pleading to.

This is unfortunate. NFL had a chance here.




America has enemies. None bigger than itself.

 

[seahawkfreak]

“It’s been beaten to death..”

I mean I doubt you meant to be ironic. But Jesus.

What a crap policy and a crappy way to connect with your players.

I get people are sensitive about the anthem. But there are very few moments any athlete, especially of color, has an opportunity to make a statement that may actually be acknowledged. For that they are resigned to the underbelly of the stadium, out of site.. literally not to offend the very people they are pleading to.

This is unfortunate. NFL had a chance here.




America has enemies. None bigger than itself.

Riggght,,,,, because these citizens cannot take another platform? These are very rich young people that do not have any clue about history or politics except from what they get from the mainstream media. Seriously where else does one get their beliefs, family (destroyed), school( sucks and is a beacon for indoctrination) and college ( last bastion of communism). For the final swing, you do not get to express your opinion in a business operation. I do not get to walk into my place of employment and spout my political beliefs. Hell,, we can't even do it here.

So the last of us who believe otherwise and want to keep this shit out of something we enjoy is unfortunate? Personally I don't even want my political views being pushed on sports. This is one of the last bastions in our country that unites us, so keep it all out!

But,,,,,, then again everything is political right, even the flag?

 

[original poster]

“It’s been beaten to death..”

I mean I doubt you meant to be ironic. But Jesus.

What a crap policy and a crappy way to connect with your players.

I get people are sensitive about the anthem. But there are very few moments any athlete, especially of color, has an opportunity to make a statement that may actually be acknowledged. For that they are resigned to the underbelly of the stadium, out of site.. literally not to offend the very people they are pleading to.

This is unfortunate. NFL had a chance here.




America has enemies. None bigger than itself.

Nailed it.

I hope every single player stays in the locker room, that will be powerful and sends a very similar message.

 

[IndyHawk]

“It’s been beaten to death..”

I mean I doubt you meant to be ironic. But Jesus.

What a crap policy and a crappy way to connect with your players.

I get people are sensitive about the anthem. But there are very few moments any athlete, especially of color, has an opportunity to make a statement that may actually be acknowledged. For that they are resigned to the underbelly of the stadium, out of site.. literally not to offend the very people they are pleading to.

This is unfortunate. NFL had a chance here.




America has enemies. None bigger than itself.

Riggght,,,,, because these citizens cannot take another platform? These are very rich young people that do not have any clue about history or politics except from what they get from the mainstream media. Seriously where else does one get their beliefs, family (destroyed), school( sucks and is a beacon for indoctrination) and college ( last bastion of communism). For the final swing, you do not get to express your opinion in a business operation. I do not get to walk into my place of employment and spout my political beliefs. Hell,, we can't even do it here.

So the last of us who believe otherwise and want to keep this shit out of something we enjoy is unfortunate? Personally I don't even want my political views being pushed on sports. This is one of the last bastions in our country that unites us, so keep it all out!

But,,,,,, then again everything is political right, even the flag?

:2thumbs:

 

[bmorepunk]

For the final swing, you do not get to express your opinion in a business operation. I do not get to walk into my place of employment and spout my political beliefs. Hell,, we can't even do it here.

But you're incredibly replaceable. Most NFL players aren't. And the ones that are marginal often aren't that replaceable because of the contract and salary cap considerations.

Few people are like NFL players at all when it comes to comparing workplaces, because the value of a typical NFL player is far higher than the value of a typical (and pretty much any) non-NFL player in employment.

You do get to express your opinion in a business environment, at least as far as it is a pain to whoever you're working for. In the case of the NFL, that pain is much larger than a normal job. And if your boss doesn't mind the message, you probably have even more leeway.

This is also happens when players are caught up in criminal activity. I was in Baltimore during the Ray Rice situation. It was absurdly obvious that he knocked his wife out in the elevator, yet everybody was in denial until the video came out, holding out for that small chance that somehow that wasn't what happened. Fans, the team, the league, other NFL fans (except for Steelers fans). Owners and fans will put up with a lot of that stuff and happily have these guys on their team.

And on that rail I haven't seen the level of outrage for these guys that are clearly involved in domestic violence compared to ones that took a knee or sat on the bench during the Anthem. Maybe because there isn't video. Or just poor priorities.

 

[JGfromtheNW]

“It’s been beaten to death..”

I mean I doubt you meant to be ironic. But Jesus.

What a crap policy and a crappy way to connect with your players.

I get people are sensitive about the anthem. But there are very few moments any athlete, especially of color, has an opportunity to make a statement that may actually be acknowledged. For that they are resigned to the underbelly of the stadium, out of site.. literally not to offend the very people they are pleading to.

This is unfortunate. NFL had a chance here.




America has enemies. None bigger than itself.

Nailed it.

I hope every single player stays in the locker room, that will be powerful and sends a very similar message.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Osprey]

But,,,,,, then again everything is political right, even the flag?

And there's the root of the issue...patriotism should be above politics.

IMHO the problem is when politics becomes your religion it's easy to put it above patriotism.

 

[HawkGA]

Clark's the only sort of high profile player that went with Bennett on this last year I can think of that is still on the roster. And if he's not extended by the time the season starts this probably factors into any decisions he might make. If enough players don't want to deal with this they may decide to stay in the locker room as a group. That has some advantages over a partial taking of the field, but the lack of presence will be much more noticed.

If I recall, it was the entire DL that would sit last year (please correct me if I'm wrong, I might well be), with Britt putting his hand on Bennett's shoulder. The only ones I can think of that won't be back are Bennett (traded), Sheldon (signed elsewhere), and Avril (injury). Does really feel, to me, like a conspiracy against those players.

My original post wasn't intended to condemn or endorse the players, really just to say that I think what the NFL did won't be accomplishing what they hope it will accomplish.

 

[HawkGA]

But,,,,,, then again everything is political right, even the flag?

And there's the root of the issue...patriotism should be above politics.

IMHO the problem is when politics becomes your religion it's easy to put it above patriotism.

I've never liked the idea of patriotism being above politics. Politics is at the very heart of a country, particularly a democracy. Suggesting that love of country should come before politics . . . well, that just means you want people to put away their views to agree with yours. That's a line of argument that we see not just with patriotism but with pretty much everything related to the government. Never had much taste for that argument.