It is time for the players to take a stand on the NFL national anthem issue

[cbdo2007]

They are all pawns but they really have all the power and are being disrespected by both the owners and they President. They need to stand up and turn this into a non-issue immediately and notify everyone they will all stay in the locker room during the anthem, without cameras, so that nobody knows if they are standing or not.

It's ridiculous that a game is causing so much division our country and shows we are packing up basic human decency principles, when this is a story at all.

[spooky3]

1. I think the union has it on their agenda for the next negotiation.

[Brother Buzz]

2. Ex NFL player, Alex Karras, explained it years ago

[Hoyt]

3. Players can still make a strong statement if they walk off the field before the Anthem, then walk

back on. That may even be better than kneeling. Of course, it all depends on whether the broadcast shows the "protest."

I agree trump and white wingers have made it a much bigger issue than it needs to be. Heck, if trump would stop inciting police and white wingers to violence and do something about it, there would be no need for this protest.

[gopiscrap]

9. they should all go to the locker room, have some one with their phone filming them

giving the finger to the flag and then send it out. NFL couldn't do a thing since it wasn't on the field and then tell the owners it will just get worse from there til the rule is rescinded

[Johonny]

4. The owners really screwed up. They should have threaten to take games off FOX instead.

They gave into a bully. Which you should never do, because when a bully finds a weakling they don't gain respect when you give in. They just keep bullying. That's what bullys do. They find a weak opponent and keep beating on them.

Given the owners are all billionaires the smart thing for them would have been to tell the GOP, if this keeps becoming an issue we're doing the following:

A) taking our games off FOX when the next TV contract is up.
B) no longer individually donating to the GOP.

Had they threatened to remove the NFL from FOX just see how fast FOX news would have changed its tune...

[PJMcK]

5. They should take a stand about taking a knee

Sorry, but that's a bit funny!

Actually, the Eagles were pretty blunt in their decision to boycott Trump's invitation to the White House. They clearly told him what they think of his position on this issue. Trump's childish "disinvitation" illustrates that he got the message loud and clear.

[gopiscrap]

6. I totally agree

refuse to play til that bullshit rule is rescinded or not come out of the locker room for 15-20 minutes til after the anthem is played to be a warning the next time it's a strike

[NCTraveler]

7. "Games" have often been the place for protest.

“It's ridiculous that a game is causing so much division our country and shows we are packing up basic human decency principles, when this is a story at all.”

While Kaps protest has been seriously derailed, what a brilliant protest it was.

The players are also not of like mind. Something like this would probably have to be negotiated by the union.

[cyclonefence]

8. We need a Jack Olsen

who in 1968 exposed the racism behind the management of the NBA--his series, which appeared in Sports Illustrated, was so ground-breaking that it is quoted today, and it's well worth a read. https://omeka.middlebury.edu/magazines/collections/show/5. Fifty years and not much has changed, it seems.

Olsen, who was best known as a true-crime writer, also wrote Last Man Standing, a wonderful book about Geronimo Pratt, who was a heroic figure, a member of the Black Panthers framed by the FBI, who did not allow his mistreatment to twist his soul. Olsen's publisher refused to publicize this book, the last Olsen wrote, out of fear of repercussions from the FBI, so Jack financed his own publicity tour, accompanied by Johnny Cochrane, who, say what you will about him and OJ, was an important civil rights figure.

I was privileged to know Jack through the Usenet group alt.true-crime, where he was a regular and delightful poster.

[gopiscrap]

10. Johnny Cochrane only did what a good lawyer is supposed to do

get your client (OJ Simpson) off the hook by any legal means possible.

[bornfree17]

11. Can they

Just play football? Why is that asking so much? Stay in the locker room or don't.

[gratuitous]

13. Or just quit with the ersatz patriotism of playing the anthem before every sporting event

That would end this nontroversy in a heartbeat and give every man, woman and child in the stadium three minutes of their life back.

[bornfree17]

14. I'm good

With that

[duforsure]

12. I agree

Do away with it at Sporting events until he's gone , and its not politicized as a dividing tactic. The NFL will pay dearly for siding with this guy, because he won't stop with just this. He'll continue to get his revenge on the NFL. Just like he's trying to do to other businesses that he feels has slighted him, or not bowed down to serve him. He's doing this because they rejected him in the 80's.