DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus NFL halts anthem policy after Dolphins criticized for considering suspensions of players who protest

The NFL and National Football League Players Association have agreed to halt enforcement of rules regarding the new national anthem policy while the two sides work on a resolution.

The league and its players union issued a joint statement late Thursday, hours after The Associated Press reported that Miami Dolphins players who protest on the field during the anthem could be suspended for up to four games under a team policy issued this week.

"The NFL and NFLPA, through recent discussions, have been working on a resolution to the anthem issue. In order to allow this constructive dialogue to continue, we have come to a standstill agreement on the NFLPA's grievance and on the NFL's anthem policy. No new rules relating to the anthem will be issued or enforced for the next several weeks while these confidential discussions are ongoing," the statement read.

Miami's nine-page discipline document included a one-sentence section on "Proper Anthem Conduct" and was provided to the AP by a person familiar with the policy who insisted on anonymity because the document is not public. It classifies anthem protests under a large list of "conduct detrimental to the club," all of which could lead to a paid or unpaid suspension, a fine or both.

The Dolphins said in a statement: "The NFL required each team to submit their rules regarding the anthem before their players reported to training camp. We will address this issue once the season starts. All options are still open."

The document stated Miami can choose not to issue any suspensions nor fine any player who protests the anthem. Some of the other "violations" listed under "conduct detrimental to the club" include drug use or possession, gambling, breaking curfew and riding motorcycles as a driver or passenger from the start of camp until the last game of the season.

The team's rookies reported on Wednesday.

Dolphins veteran receiver Kenny Stills took a knee with a hand on his heart during the anthem throughout last season. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips put his arm around Stills before one game. Two other players who knelt — safety Michael Thomas and tight end Julius Thomas — are no longer with the team.

Defensive end Robert Quinn, who raised his fist during the anthem while with the Rams, is now with the Dolphins.

Miami's anthem policy came after the NFL decided in May that teams would be fined if players didn't stand during "The Star-Spangled Banner" while on the field. The league left it up to teams on how to punish players. None of the team policies had been made public.

Jets acting owner Christopher Johnson said shortly after the league announced its policy that he will not punish his players for any peaceful protests — and would pay any potential fines incurred by the team as a result of his players' actions.

The NFL rule that was passed in May forbid players from sitting or taking a knee if they are on the field or sidelines during the national anthem, but allowed them to stay in the locker room if they wish. The new league rules were challenged this month in a grievance by the players union.

"Players who are on the field during the Anthem performance must stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem," says the 16th and final bullet point on Miami's list of conduct considered detrimental, below disparaging teammates, coaches or officials including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The NFLPA said earlier this month that the NFL policy, which the league imposed without consultation with the players union, is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and infringes on player rights.

When the league announced the policy, Goodell called it a compromise aimed at putting the focus back on football after a tumultuous year in which television ratings dipped nearly 10 percent.

The NFL started requiring players to be on the field for the anthem in 2009 — the year it signed a marketing deal with the military.

In 2016, then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began protesting police brutality, social injustice and racial inequality by kneeling during the national anthem and the demonstration spread to other players and teams. It became one of the most controversial and sensitive issues in sports.

Critics led by President Donald Trump called the players unpatriotic and even said NFL owners should fire any player who refused to stand during the anthem. Some players countered that their actions were being misconstrued and that they are seeking social change rather than protesting the anthem itself.

Trump's criticism led more than 200 players to protest during one weekend, and some kept it up throughout the season.

"We want people to be respectful of the national anthem. We want people to stand," Goodell said at the May meetings, when he dismissed concerns about the lack of union involvement by contending the league met with countless players over the past year.

"We've been very sensitive on making sure that we give players choices," the commissioner added, "but we do believe that moment is an important moment and one that we are going to focus on."

The league and a coalition of players have been working in tandem to support player initiatives for a variety of social issues. The NFL is committing $90 million over the next seven years to social justice causes in a three-segment plan that involves league players.

Kaepernick didn't play at all last season and still hasn't been picked up by another team. He threw 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions in his final season in 2016. Safety Eric Reid, one of Kaepernick's former teammates and another protest leader, is also out of work.

Both have filed collusion grievances against the NFL.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/nfl-...sm_npd_nn_fb_ma

How long will it be before the orange one sticks his nose into the negotiations of private business again.

Give me the good old days when Football was about Football.

The players today huddle in wonderment of what they will do when the Anthem plays instead of being focused on keeping Pittsburgh from crushing us in our own house.

Well the game isn't being played at the same time as the anthem. So there's that.

Have you read or heard of any player protests during the off season?

So your advice is to "Shut up and play" ?

Wasn’t trump gloating about winning this?

Yea.....

White america is in zero position to tell black people what to do during the national anthem. The same people that are outraged over kneeling, which many vets will tell you is a sign of respect, are the same people that don’t believe in anthropogenic climate change.

We segregated their parents/grandparents, dropped n bombs on them all day.

How dare they?

I was going to say, just turn the game on 5 minutes after the top of the hour.

I'm done with the fiasco.

Good for them. Although it doesn't effect me, I wasn't going to stand for the anthem anyway.

As I mentioned in a much longer post awhile back, the NFL let this snowball into an enormous issue; right or wrong, the NFL could have shut this down from the get go but didn't. No matter how hard they have tried, the owners have been at the mercy of public opinion for some time now and have nobody to blame but themselves. I've (mostly) moved beyond having an emotional response to the topic, but I do find it hilarious that the NFL can't get this right in the eyes of the public/regain control. It's not very often that you see one, let alone a group of billionaires, lose control in such spectacular fashion.

I belong to the VFW and stop into them all over the country, and have not heard one Vet say they think its a sign of respect except Swish and OCD. Most of the VFW's won't even show the games on Sunday anymore. You should get your lies straight before spouting your Liberal crap.

people still go into VFW?

https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/31/us/veterans-for-kaepernick-trnd/index.html

this is why i never take a word you say seriously. you are clearly out of touch with broader America. there have been a ton of vets coming out in support of Kaep.

and i dare you to call us non-patriots.

I never stand when we perform it.

In a free society, I don't think it should be compulsory to stand during the anthem.

Yet, I understand the position that the league is coming from; they have a large demographic of traditional and nationalistic individuals, and they don't want to offend and/or alienate anymore of this fan base. I've heard many people, mainly those who have served in the military, police, or had family who served, and all last season these people boycotted the NFL. This hurts the leagues bottomline. As the players continue their kneel, the league will continue to see a fall in viewership and ticket sales.

So, its a tough situation for the NFL.

Personally, I think that the players should have the right to kneel if they choose. And I don't think that they should be compelled to stand through threat of punishment. I just think that there is something wrong with the idea that we live in a free country, but people are being persecuted for not displaying the accepted amount of patriotism/respect/etc. for our anthem.

Now, the reasons behind the kneel, I believe 100% that they have a legitimate gripe. And I also believe that kneeling to bring attention to that gripe, it has been somewhat effective in raising awareness, but it has yet to bring about the right kind of dialogue to address the problem.

I think the American thing to do, from the NFL's position, is let them kneel. The NFL might not agree with their position, and fans might not agree....but, you know, that's whats great about this country.

And the NFL might take a hit financially, but, they will just have to chalk it up as a cost of doing business.

The story that should--but won't--go away. It's only furthering the divide.

I believe in just causes, but I don't believe in dumb causes.

raising awareness on police brutality is a dumb cause?

No, it isn't.

I'm saying that this particular method is not only not working, it is in fact furthering the divide.

I prefer the way LeBron, Curry, and Durant are raising awareness. Chris Long is another guy.

Bro, what's the goal? Is to be defiant and win the battle or to work w/others to actually solve real-life problems?

so then perhaps you should state you have a problem with the act itself, not the cause of it.

whats the goal of people protesting for breast cancer? it isn't gonna solve problems, right?

Stupid as hell right there. Who protests for breast cancer?

https://www.google.com/search?q=protest+...406&bih=696

if my grandma heard you say that, she'd uppercut you.

Its just another issue that has grown out of drug prohibition. The immigration problem, militarization of police, civil rights abuses, institutionalized racism, the exploding prison population.......geez.....so many issues have roots in our drug policy....I hate holding this shovel, and this horse is pretty much mashed into a puddle.....but until our politicians get a clue and change policy, then we are going to keep having all of these other secondary problems that we've created with a one big misguided policy.

I don't want to argue about it. I stated my beliefs. I wasn't expecting for most to agree.

I would bet money that if it wasn't for Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf the NBA probably would've kneeled at one point. Of course I doubt the majority of NBA fans would care.

You just said you’ve heard vets say kneeling is a sign of respect, I know I have. No lies here, just perspective. I’ve heard vets say it’s not disresptful, I’m not saying the majority of vets feel that way, but a percentage does.

By the way, your usage of the term “liberal”, in a condescending manor is laughable. Republicans and the south should bring back the term “yankee”, I think it fits their morals and ethics a bit better.

Why don't you stop in Swish and talk to some of the Vets? They're not just a bunch of
out of touch old guys.

These spoiled players are going to protest themselves out of a job.. Do they want to ruin the NFL over percieved iinequality? I should be so put upon as these idiots.

i dont need to talk to other people. i already know that what you stated is completely false.

just because you dont happen to meet any vets who support kaep says nothing more than you simply dont talk to people outside of your own safe space.

cause if you did, you'd realize how many vets are out there that DO support kaep, or at the very least, dont find the anthem protest offensive.

Sounds like you might be sticking to your safe place too. I wish somebody would run a poll ( not CNN, MSNBC and all the other fake media) on how the military past and present feel on this subject. Of course you would never admit you're wrong.

Stop fighting and read the Poll...

https://iava.org/anthem/

Simple fact is that a majority of vets are Republican or conservative by nature at a rate of about 60%-40%, so your poll would be lopsided.

wrong about what? YOU'RE the one who stated that you haven't met one vet who supported the protest other than myself and OCD.

and i provided FACTS stating that youre clearly wrong. now you decided to move the goal post and want to make a poll about whether the military is in support of it or not?

i know people who are in support and who aren't, yet somehow the guy who hasn't met one vet in support is trying to call someone out on safe space.

the ignorance of you trump supporters is limitless.

The poll 40 posted shows more vets against than for .... Maybe 60-40.... So on balance it sure as he'll isn't only OCD and Swish.

Also on the same page it shows 62% of the population believes athletes have the right to peaceful protest ....

I guess I was wrong. I thought more Vets would have held the position that they served to protect America's right to hold whatever the hell point of view it wants .... Not to serve so people conform to what they believe.

Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
The NFL National Anthem Debate is alive and well again - can’t believe it! Isn’t it in contract that players must stand at attention, hand on heart? The $40,000,000 Commissioner must now make a stand. First time kneeling, out for game. Second time kneeling, out for season/no pay!

6:17 PM - Jul 20, 2018

what a moron.

Trump is the first President I can remember that interferes with businesses the way he does.

888, I'm afraid to dip into this conversation again, but I think the issue isn't about whether the players have the right to protest or not. In fact, I don't think anyone would have a problem w/them attending protests and participating in a peaceful manner.

The issue is that they are at work. They are not on their own time. They are in uniform. They are getting paid to do a job. That job is in the entertainment field. And alienating a significant percentage of your paying customers is not a sound business judgement.

I was forced to do many things when I was employed as a teacher. I sure as hell didn't agree w/them all, but they paid my salary and I followed their rules. I spoke up to change some of them, but I would NEVER openly defy the wishes of my employers. I think most of us fall into that category.

Guys making millions of dollars are not sympathetic characters. They come across as defiant, spoiled ingrates. "Look at me." Why are they not furthering the cause during the off-season? A couple are, but that's it.

It's a bad look.

I prefer guys like LeBron James. He speaks w/intelligence and passion while not offending rational people. He starts programs to help his people. He questions policies. He brings attention to real causes and people actually listen to him because he does it in a respectful manner.

except up until recently, there was no rule stating the players couldnt do what they did, which means they were well within their rights to do so.

thats what you keep forgetting in your post. one of many reason why we will never agree on this topic, or much of others. you once again fail to see the big picture.

Devil's advocate for a moment here...

Do you find police in uniform singing for FB videos, handing out presents or money/food to the homeless, or doing anything kind on camera as a bad thing? They are in uniform and these are all part of a skillful counter protest campaign to put a friendly face on PDs across the country. Do the same rules apply?

How do you feel about Congressmen that attend protest marches or give speeches at organized protests? They are in the uniforms they wear for work, working and protesting at the same time. Is that wrong?

I can go on if you want, but you get the point.

we got infrastructure, taxes, education, immigration, cyber security, tariffs, and a bunch of other crap we gotta deal with.

what does trump talk about? nfl players.

It distracts from his treasonous behavior. Look, SQUIRREL!

I do see the "big picture." You can throw crap out there like that to win an argument, but you are going to lose the war.

Strategy. It's something guys like you don't seem to understand.

You think spitting in someone's face and then asking for respect is the way to go about things. I don't. I prefer working collaboratively w/others is a better strategy.

It’s because the NFL didn’t want him as an owner (IMO rightfully so) and he is still butthurt.