Roger Goodell is a loathsome hypocritical dirtbag.
It turns out that there are specific rules for decorum prior to NFL games. From WaPo:
The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the league’s game operations manual, according to a league source. It states:
“The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.
“During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”
And from Time:
Here’s what the game operations manual says regarding the national anthem, according to an NFL spokesperson:
The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.
During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.
Note that this is NOT from the NFL rule book, but from the NFL operations manual, which is not available to the public.
But worry not, millionaire snowflake football players, the NFL is not going to enforce the rules:
The NFL will not discipline those teams and players who refused to be on the field for the playing of the national anthem before games Sunday, league spokesman Joe Lockhart said Monday.
“There will be no discipline handed down this week,” Lockhart, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications and public affairs, said in a conference call with reporters.
and you’re going to love the reason:
“We also believe our players have a right to express themselves,” Lockhart said.
(That’s Joe Lockhart, the former Clinton press secretary)
“We also believe our players have the right to express themselves”
Uh, they have the right to express themselves sometimes, if the cause is politically correct. To wit:
Tim Tebow was widely ridiculed for taking a knee in prayer.
The Dallas Cowboys wanted to place a small sticker on the helmets of their players in support of the 5 policemen slain in Dallas.
Uh uh, says Goodell.
The Cowboys heard back from the NFL on Wednesday and were told by league officials they can’t wear the decal during any preseason or regular-season games, executive vice president Stephen Jones said. Jones added that the Cowboys can wear the decal during training camp practices.
“Everyone has to be uniform with the league and the other 31 teams,” Jones said after practice Wednesday. “We respect their decision.”
A number of football players wanted footwear in remembrance of 9-11.
Nope, said Goodell.
The NFL squashed Titans starting linebacker Avery Williamson’s plan to use fancy footwear to honor those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
Williamson was going to wear custom patriotic cleats during the Titans’ home opener against the Vikings on Sunday, the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but those plans changed when a league representative called to inform him about a looming fine for violating uniform code.
Defensive back William Gay wore purple cleats to raise awareness about domestic violence.
That was 15 yards and loss of down.
And now cornerback William Gay, whose mother was killed in an act of domestic violence, has been fined for wearing purple cleats to support domestic violence awareness.
Gay supported domestic violence awareness with his cleats in order to honor his mother and others like her, and he got fined, too. You may have heard about the NFL having a hard time dealing with domestic violence issues of late. It’s been in the news a bit. Meanwhile, Greg Hardy is out there on the field for the Cowboys every Sunday after a mere four-game suspension for his “alleged” domestic violence incident, shoving coaches and ranting at teammates at his leisure.
And to top it off, all those patriotic ceremonies with the flag that take place prior to the game? The NFL was charging the DoD for them.
The NFL is pretty selective about what and when things can be worn. Then again, the commissioner is a complete jerk and presides over a league of millionaire snowflakes.
This is one former fan who won’t be watching any football this year. Good riddance.
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I would love to see some players wearing MAGA caps during warm ups and on the sidelines. I can’t think of anything that would drive crybabies more crazy. Then, DARE the league to selectively enforce their left-biased rules.
So the bottom line as i told my friend.
failure to uphold their own rules when DummyK kneels, put them in a big bind later in terms of the ability to choose or enforce after the fact.
you know, kind of like immigration..
you know, kind of like not paying attention to precident… (while it hardens)
Not my circus, not my monkeys
Green Bay’s game is Thursday night.
So, I was curious how they might attack this issue.
Their GM made a public statement.
They will all come out for the anthem but, instead of a hand on heart and the other holding their helmet, as the rules demand, they will link arms!
They would like it if the folks in the stadium do the same.
Already, on line, a whole lot of negative feed back.
People prefer to stand for the anthem with hand on heart.
Hats/helmets OFF.
I wonder if they will lose viewers for Thurs Night Football over this?
No word on their opponent’s plan.
So here is what Rodgers said:
Would someone define ‘equality’ in the context of the NFL? Does anyone have a clue? Does it mean 50% men- 50% women? 50% white- 50% black or equality with % of population which would be 13% black 74% white. Does anyone know? Are they requiring each team have the ball for 50% of the time? Or are they requiring that each team score exactly 50% of the points? Just what the hell is this ‘equality’ they are talking about? Maybe they are going to demand that the white guys all make exactly the same amount as all the black guys. That must be it. Surely I’ve stumbled on this equality thing they’re talking about. Or, could it be that they want all the white guys to be charged with the same number of crimes that all the black guys have been charged with. Or, maybe they want to require all the white guys to beat up as many women as the black guys have. Surely they can define what this ‘equality’ thing is. Maybe they want the black guys to say as many prayers on the field as Tebow did. Maybe they want some white guys to ‘urinate’ on the field like Beckham did. Come on somebody tell us about this equality. Do they want as many white guys to be shot in Chicago as black guys are? Is that an NFL thing? Or maybe they want as many white guys to shoot black guys as black guys shoot. Am I onto anything yet. Snoop dog said: but there are some sorry a** mothaf**kin’ quarterbacks in the NFL. My n***a need a job,” Snoop Dogg Does anyone know what he means by ‘sorry a** mothaf**kin’ quarterback is? Does anyone know what ‘My n***a need a job’ mean? Does anyone know what language he’s speakiing?
If all these NFL players all want this ‘equality’ maybe one of them can tell us what it means. Ya Think?
In none of our High School football games dose anyone takes to the Knee and no one wears pink pointed hats for snowflakes and wussies
half of these idiots are clueless on why the other half kneels. ” roger goodell is a loathsome hypocritical dirt bag” (agree). useless, but the pussy hat should become the new helmet of the nfl. when the financial implications become evident, change will occur. Trump is playing the chess board better than other president. china will have to deal with NK. have to agree, these players are demorat snowflakes.
@Nanny G: I see where one of the major owners got pretty upset, to quote him, Just when this horseshit starts to die down a little somebody (talking about Aaron Rodgers) had to open his damn mouth and stir all of it back up again. America is winning. The Flag is winning, the publicity whores are losing.
I bet teams named for predatorial animals(Eagles,Falcons,Ravens,Cardinals,Lions,Bengals,Bears,Dolphins)bother the little snowflakes Stanford used to be The Indians and even though their called Cardinals their mascot is the dumb looking tree Santa Cruz has a stupid yellow slug and evergreen has a dumb thing called a Geoduck which is a dumb clam thing