Thanks to the Fins the NFL put the “Anthem Protest Policy” on hold. Guess that means more players kneeling and committing other acts during the Star Spangled Bannner. How can the players and owners not see how damaging this is? Fans will become ex fans and vote with their dollar. Appalling.
The math wasn't going to work for the Fins in this case. 4 games for each infraction? Are they going to risk sinking the season because some players decide to protest? What happens if more than say, 8 players kneel or stay in the locker room? That's a combined 32 games. Which players do they suspend for the 4 games? What happens if they're in the thick of a playoff race, do they suspend a Tannenhill or some other critical linesman or skill position? Game suspensions just aren't practical especially if they try to make it mass punishment. At some point, they'll only have bench guys to suit up since it wouldn't surprise me if that just makes more players protest. Now if they wanted to make a point, you do it by hitting players in the pocket. Even then, they would face quite the lawsuit from the NFLPA. Somewhere in between is where the answer lives. The Dolphin owner might want to rethink and moderate his undying support for this.
I guess some players really feel like fighting for human rights is a lot more important than losing a few viewers. But go too extreme the other way and you risk pissing off a lot of other people.
Kneeling is certainly more respectful than burning or defecating on the flag....or worse, spitting on, and harassing kids returning - the few that came back alive, after fighting in the Vietnam war. I lived through that. I also remember USC playing Alabama in freakin' 1970, in Alabama, as the first fully integrated team to play in the Deep South. So, I would say, some of these young men come from backgrounds and experiences not that far removed in history, from generations of injustice. The act of kneeling is respectful, I pray and kneel in church, do you?
The Dolphins weren’t actually going to suspend anybody. Here’s my understanding of the situation... The NFL owners adopted a policy at this offseason’s league meetings that would fine TEAMS (not individual players) if a member of the organization knelt during the anthem. Those fines would be paid by the owner. However, the teams are free to recoup those league-mandated fines by fining their players for kneeling. Notably, Christopher Johnson said he would not do this and would accept any fines incurred from his players protesting. Other owners did not share this policy and opted to have the players pay the protest-related fines they trigger. But in order to even be ABLE to fine your players for something, it needs to be clearly stated as a violation of team code. Owners can’t fine their players for something unless it was pre-defined as an infraction. So the Dolphins (and I’m suspecting many other teams) wrote “Anthem Conduct” into the “Conduct Detrimental to the Team” section of their team policy. Conduct detrimental infractions, per the CBA, allow the team to fine players up to 1 game check or suspend them up to 4 games. In all likelihood, the Dolphins would have simply invoked this rule to fine players to the amount they were fined by the league, which they were enabled to do by listing it as a Conduct detrimental violation. I suspect many teams planned to do this and Miami simply got screwed by TMZ getting their hands on it first.
Gave up my Jet season tickets years ago with no PSL and never looked back with a single regret and I am beyond happy I made that decision. Canceled my Direct TV football package months ago,,,,keep kneeling boys I will be out with the wife n kids on Sundays and watching football when and if I want but mostly on Saturdays.
The NFL brought in record revenue this year because of their TV deals which don’t run out until 2022. Any attempt to make it look like the NFL is hurting because of anthem protests is just a cover up for the actual reason you don’t like the anthem protests.
Its the stupid Dolphins and their moronic announcement fanning the flames. This whole issue has gone from a form of protest to a pissing contest on who's going to blink first, the owners or the players. No one wants to give an inch. Yeah owners want to protect their money stream, but it if it really was about money the players and their union would be just as interested and worried about turning fans away, they share the revenue.
All of this can be avoided if the NFL follows the college model....the players are in the locker room during the anthem. Sometimes fans are treated to this...
Wouldn't bother me if we got to see OSU's marching band every Sunday! Those kids bring it!! Who needs the NA when we get pure entertainment!
Had absolutely nothing to do with the Fins. The league tried to enforce a new policy without following the CBA. To date, the protest haven't cost the league or owners anything. Revenue is up and continuing to rise. Not 1 Jet player has protested yet some here claim they are boycotting the Jets due to protesting. Once the team gets turned around, they will be back pledgeing their unwavering support.
How dare they. Not like the patriotic fans running to the bathroom, sucking down beers, taking on their phones, taking selfies for IG and pretty much everything else but standing and paying tribute. How the fuck is this a story still?
A players association lawsuit would go nowhere. This is really an issue that is nothing more than an extension of the concept of league versus player platform that the players already adhere to. During league events the field is the league’s platform not the player’s platform. Just as with endorsements, the player can wear their personal endorsements off the field but on the field they are restricted to the leagues sponsors - or face a fine. Same with political statements. The league has every right to determine what statements are approved to be made on the field during league activities. That in no way restricts the players from making their own political statements on their own time and using their own platforms. But the games are not the player’s platform to make their own statements just as it isn’t to promote their own personal sponsors that conflict with league deals, and the league would be well within their rights to levy financial punishment for using the league platform for personal messaging that opposes any league rule.
They had better come up with a better consequence than suspensions. Those can be overwhelmed simply by sheer numbers. If enough players protest, they can't suspend them all for the stated 4 games or risk not being able to suit up enough starters for a viable line up. If they don't suspend for the 4 games, mgmt. looks weak. It will come down to a test of wills.
