NFL reportedly approves new 'compromise' anthem policy
NFL owners have passed a new policy on national anthem protests, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported Wednesday morning.
According to ESPN, the new policy will mandate that players who are on the sidelines for the playing of the national anthem must stand.
However, the policy also gives the players the choice of staying in the locker room and not participating.
Justifiably, numerous NFL pundits and fans are calling it a “compromise.”
Anthem policy is compromise — if players are on sideline, will stand. But players may choose to stay in the locker room if they prefer not to stand.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) May 23, 2018
NFL owners can boast that they’re forcing players to stand for the national anthem, hence they’re “doing something.” But by that same token, players who want to protest the anthem will still have the option to do so, albeit in a less visible forum.
To go along with the new policy, the NFL will be instituting disciplinary action to enforce the rules.
The NFL will fine any team whose players are seen kneeling, sitting or otherwise not showing “appropriate respect” for the national anthem. On top of that, each team will have the capacity to fine players further for an anthem violation.
The new policy reportedly has the support of 24 team owners.
The NFL Players Association, on the other hand, doesn’t seem so willing to jump on board.
“We were not consulted ahead of this meeting on any potential changes to the anthem policy. If there are changes to the policy that put players in a position where they could be disciplined or fined, we are going to do what we always do — fight anything that encroaches on players’ rights to the end,” George Attalah, assistant executive director of external affairs for the NFLPA, said in a statement via ESPN. Attalah further lambasted the policy change on Twitter.
Maybe this new rule proposal that is being voted on is a "compromise" between the NFL office and club CEOs on various sides of the issue, but certainly not with player leadership; we weren't there or part of the discussions.
— George Atallah (@GeorgeAtallah) May 23, 2018
Of note, because the policy change is an adjustment to the NFL’s game operation manual, it does not need to be collectively bargained.
The previous policy on the national anthem only suggested that players “should” stand for the anthem.
The controversy surrounding national anthem protests was sparked by then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016. It has since grown into a big enough issue that President Donald Trump has addressed it on numerous occasions.
The NFL is currently embroiled in two separate collusion grievances. Both Kaepernick and his former teammate Eric Reid have filed collusion grievances against the league through the NFLPA.
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