NEW NFL POLICY – AT 2:31 P.M. ET:  The NFL has announced new rules dealing with the "kneeling" issue that erupted last season.  From USA Today:

Amid repeated protests during the playing of the national anthem over the past two seasons, the NFL on Wednesday passed a revised policy that mandates players and team personnel present on the sideline “shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.”

The revision allows players who would not wish to stand to remain in the locker room. Also under the revision, each franchise will have the power to issue their own policies, which could include fines for players protesting the anthem, under the conduct detrimental provision of the league’s personal conduct policy.

The league also now has the power to fine any franchise that has personnel that does not stand or "show respect" while present on the sideline for the anthem.

The policy was passed Wednesday in Atlanta at the spring league meeting.

One issue that may arise is a disagreement with players. Though NFL ownership hammered out the anthem policy over the course of a couple of days in Atlanta, no players or their union were part of the policy change.

“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, director of external affairs at the NFL Players Association, wrote on Twitter.

COMMENT:  Already the leftist columnists are erupting, charging that these rules represent deep oppression, racism, the dark ages, and Trumpism.

Seems to me the rules are perfectly reasonable.  No player is required to sing the anthem.  No player is required to place his hand on his heart.  No player is required to speak an oath.

The NFL is a private organization.  Players are invited to join a team.  They cannot be required to do so.  But if they choose to join, they must accept the reasonable, lawful rules of behavior set down by the league, just as television performers must accept the standards and practices of the network for which they work. 

If players cannot accept these reasonable rules, they can gather their millions together and form their own league.

May 23, 2018