The NFL Will Fine Teams If Players Kneel During Anthem: “All League and Team Personnel Shall Stand and Show Respect for the Flag and the Anthem”

-blogged by @theRealAlexisDanielle

Two years ago, former 49ers Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick,  started a wave of protests against police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem at a football game. Now, as the 2018 season nears its launch, NFL owners have created ruling to dead the action.

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Tuesday, league owners met and discussed possible regulations and punishments for teams that kneel during the anthem. Wednesday the league decided that teams will be fined if players kneel.

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“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,” the NFL said in a statement.

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According to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, owners voted on the ruling and will also allow players to stay in the locker room during the anthem.

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“This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem,” Goodell said. “Personnel who choose not to stand for the anthem may stay in the locker room until after the anthem has been performed.”

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As for the players, they had no say-so in the matter and were not consulted about the proposal.

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“We were not consulted ahead of this meeting on any potential changes to the anthem policy,” the N.F.L. Players Association executive George Atallah said in a statement. “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.”

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Tuesday, it was reported that owners proposed that home teams would declare if teams should remain inside of the locker room or come onto the field for the playing of the anthem and In turn, if players took a knee, that team will be handed a 15-yard-penalty. Though the new ruling does not refer to any penalties, the league did not comment on these reports.

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It was not publicized which owners proposed or had input on this rule, and the league had not yet commented. Though Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did say that he knows fans want owners to “zero in” on football for their viewing experience.

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Houston Texans owner Bob McNair also previously aired his disdain for the protests: “kneel: “You fellas need to ask your compadres, fellas, stop that other business, let’s go out and do something that really produces positive results, and we’ll help you.”