Taking a knee: NFL owners debate anthem policy
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[May 23, 2018]
NFL owners are still debating
where they stand collectively on the issue of players refusing to
stand individually.
At the league meeting in Atlanta on Tuesday, no consensus was
reached on how the NFL should handle players who don't want to stand
for the national anthem.
ESPN reported that numerous options were discussed, including one
that would assess a 15-yard penalty and/or a fine if players don't
stand.
Other possibilities, per ESPN, include letting each team set its
policy, clearing the field of all football personnel during the
anthem, telling players who won't stand to remain in the locker room
during the song, changing contract language to require standing for
the anthem, or maintaining the status quo.
MMQB's Albert Breer tweeted, "Per sources, one anthem idea being
discussed: Leaving it up to home team on whether teams come out for
the anthem; if teams do come out for the anthem, potential that
teams could be assessed 15-yard penalties for kneeling."
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Currently, NFL regulations say that players "should" stand for "The
Star-Spangled Banner."
The issue exploded into a national debating point the past two
seasons. Then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick
refused to stand for the anthem as a form of social protest
beginning in 2016, and other players followed. Last year, President
Donald Trump ripped players who refused to stand for the anthem, and
he called on the NFL to sanction those players who didn't stand.
"We have all the interests in every constituency that's involved
here," Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "We recognize that
with our visibility and the interest themselves, it's taken on a
life of its own. With all of that, we have to be measured.
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![](../images/052318pics/sports44.jpg)
Some of the Miami Dolphins take a knee during the anthem prior to
the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory
Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
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"We tell the world, 'Look at us. Don't turn your head. Look at us.
Wait a minute. Look at the NFL, look at what we're doing.' And we
understand that when you have some issues, we've asked you to look,
now, so let's do as good as we can do."
Jones, New York Giants owner John Mara, Pittsburgh Steelers owner
Art Rooney and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson told USA Today
Sports that talks about the subject were to continue into Wednesday.
Mara told ESPN he thought a consensus could be reached.
Detroit Lions president Ron Wood told the Detroit Free Press, "My
preference would be to find a solution that works for everybody and
it's done at a league level, so we'll see what happens the next
couple days."
Jones said Tuesday night, "I don't want to assess where we are
tonight. We'll resume tomorrow. I wouldn't assess right now."
--Field Level Media
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