NFLPA files grievance against NFL's anthem policy

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

That is a lie, pure and simple.

The right are fans of saying that they hate mob rule, that they want independence. Yet they deny independence to those who simply want to make a silent and unobtrusive protest. That is enforcing a false morality. As for what I do at work, if I ever manage to employ anyone in my business at some stage, it will be a simple matter. The employee is free to protest at work, unless their manner of protest involves doing no actual work, although no one will see it, because foot traffic is slow here. They will however have the opportunity to be given the day off to go and protest when important demonstrations are on, within reason. Obviously, if one were to go and protest every thing which is being protested, nothing would be done in the country. Its also perfectly probable that if things are ever going well enough that I could afford an employee, I would probably take a day as well and go and protest alongside them, depending on the cause.

Furthermore, I have to say that the manner of the protest which has been censored in the new arrangements by NFL management, WAS unobtrusive, did NOT disrupt the flow of the actual game, and did not involve players refusing to do what they are actually paid to do, which is to run about like lunatics with a pig skin in hand, and collide with one another in the most utterly ill advised fashion possible. Since no gameplay was effected by the protests, the management have not a leg to stand on morally speaking.

a reply to: notsure1

I think you need a reading comprehension lesson.

Forced morality does not mean that one is being forced to do something moral. It means that moral convictions not shared by an individual (for example, the conviction that one must not protest by taking a knee) are being forced on individuals, if they wish to be present for the anthem. That is, in and of itself, an amoral thing to force a person to accept, unless of course the nation you are in is the land of the caged, and the home of the weak.

They are forcing an appearance of faux patriotism, or absence from the field during the anthem, on very often the only ACTUAL patriots on the teams concerned. Actual patriotism requires acting according to ones beliefs about how the nation they live in and call their own, ought to handle issues, like race, like religion, like policing and such, rather than shying away from these issues and putting a gloss on them, to keep the public dull and ill informed, or make it easier for them to ignore the massive, gargantuan log in the eye of their nation.

The people who would kneel, are doing a damned sight more of their patriotic duty, than those who would stand simply because it is expected of them. Your founding fathers, your precious rebellion, would never have succeeded, if they were the sort of fellows who would have stood for something they did not believe in, rather than kneel for something they did believe in. Thats the bottom line, and forcing people to either stand or be absent, IS forcing a false morality onto them, and forcing them to engage in faux patriotism. That is the ONLY thing it is.

Again, their protests have not disrupted games, the players still take to the field and play the game, and they do not stop playing and kneel mid way through a play. They do their jobs. Their jobs, however, do not and must never include, being forced to either conform or remain in the locker room until the opening ceremony is completed, nor does employment with a football team mean that their right to protest peacefully, is in anyway curtailed, either by way of a segment of their contract, a guideline or policy of the league in which they play, OR an edict of a court, because all such things would be utterly unconstitutional.

I should not be surprised that you only care about the constitution when it suits you though, as this is amazingly common amongst right wingers.

originally posted by: TrueBrit
Again, their protests have not disrupted games...

Love the post. Great stuff but this one thing I have to disagree with. The media focus on the protests disrupts the games for TV viewers. It goes on and on and on. If they didn't show the protests, or the anthem at all we'd be better off. But being the whores they are we get this.

a reply to: intrepid

Then the coverage has disrupted games.

I think the point here is that the games go ahead regardless, the match is still played, the teams still compete, the points are still gained in the leagues, or not, according to the normal flow of play. The coverage is an issue, but the games go ahead regardless.

a reply to: TrueBrit

I wonder if the people bent on this have ever seen an international football game. The anthem is sung several times DURING the game. Gotta admit hearing God Save the Queen while the game is ongoing is different. Also surprised I knew most of the words.

a reply to: intrepid

Indeed... REAL Football (not that I have a single bit of interest in it) has some very active crowd participation elements. The players often cite the support level they receive from fans, as part of the driving force which pushes them to succeed.

For the period of time while the ball is in play, the fans are part of the team, part of the machinery which gets the game played. The more energetic they are in their support, the more fired up the team are to play, and play well. This often results in England games featuring the anthem being sung, on repeat, from throats made ragged by cheering and singing for over an hour straight, at maximum volume.

As shown in the recent England V Croatia game, where England were knocked out of the world cup, the England fans even showed their admiration for the squad and their manager, SEVENTY MINUTES AFTER the game had already ended, still singing chants and anthems, including a special one for Gareth Southgate, the manager of the team.

Well things are on hold for now:

The NFL and NFL Players Association announced in a joint statement Thursday that league and team policies regarding conduct during the playing of the national anthem will not be issued or enforced for several weeks as part of a standstill agreement between the two sides.

A source informed of the situation told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero that everything connected to league and club policies on the anthem will remain on hold as discussions between the NFL and the union play out.

The development comes after a Miami Dolphins source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that the NFL was requiring every team to submit conduct rules for the national anthem before players reported to training camp. The Dolphins had already submitted their plan to the league since their rookies reported to the training camp Wednesday, Rapoport reported.

www.nfl.com...

And more importantly:

The preseason opens Aug. 2 with the Hall of Fame game between the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears.

a reply to: TinySickTears


People want forced respect because they are most impressed by pretense than by substance. Maybe a form of cognitive dissonance?

"I don't want to think about bad things, so let's all stand and wrap ourselves in the flag and pretend."