The NFL has a new national anthem policy. It says that any player who is on the field during the anthem has to stand. Conversely, players can also remain in the locker room during the anthem. If a player is on the field and kneels, their team will be fined.
So we will have no free speech here in the NFL.
Ironically, this is about as much of a ham-fisted policy as you can get. The league put the rule in place last month without a vote by the owners. They did so in an effort to try to keep the big orange baby in the Oval Office from his assault on the league. There were reports that that shitdick wanted to raise taxes on pro sports leagues, which, go ahead… but the uber-rich can’t have that. They must appease big orange baby in some way.
So we will preemptively throw free speech out the window to do so.
And the irony gets deeper. Big orange baby’s assault on the league has not subsided, despite the stupid anthem policy specifically created by The Ginger Hammer to appease big orange baby. Earlier this week, big orange baby cancelled the White House visit of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. He didn’t have to cancel it because no one was going to show up anyway, but big orange baby then framed said cancellation as the Eagles abandoning their fans.
Were Eagles fans invited to the event along with the team?
No. No they weren’t.
So what did the Eagles abandon? Their fans?
No. They abandoned big orange baby and big orange baby’s feelings were hurt.
“Big orange baby sad! Big orange baby change narrative so big orange baby feel better about self! Big orange baby have no friends…”
Anyway, three Packers sat during the national anthem last year. Those players were cornerback Kevin King and tight ends Lance Kendricks and Martellus Bennett. After the display, Kendricks said he wanted to bring awareness to disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico, which is where his wife is from.
And let us also note that Puerto Rico, despite being a commonwealth of the United States, was getting no help after being devastated by Hurricane Maria. Big orange baby was too busy fixing his combover.
Now, in general, most players sit or peacefully protest to shine a light on police brutality and racial inequality.
And maybe you’re a racist and you don’t care about the rights of non-white people. Even if that’s the case, I would still suspect you believe in free speech and that inalienable right.
Several members of the Packers do. Second-year cornerback Kevin King probably said it best.
“People are stubborn,” King said. “Like, if you ask somebody why they’re doing something, and they give you the answer, and then you say, OK, and you change the answer, what’s the point in even asking them the question in the first place? How are you going to tell somebody else why they’re protesting? It’s been time and time again guys will say it has nothing to do with the flag, it’s police brutality and racial inequality and all this stuff, but then it’s a matter of disrespecting the flag.
“In their head, they’re mad because of what they think somebody else is doing. And I could see that if it was still up to speculation, if players haven’t talked about the reasons. But nobody has come out and said, ‘I’m sitting or I’m kneeling to disrespect the flag.’ So not one person has said that, but the issue is still about disrespecting the flag.”
Fuckin A.
Unfortunately, King is asking or assuming a portion of the populace can’t be ignorant. But some shitheels are just born that way and there’s really nothing that can be done.
Here’s Davante Adams, who pretty much echoes King’s take.
“The whole point of it in the beginning was the anthem was used as a vehicle to protest inequality, and it got somehow twisted into the fact that athletes don’t have appreciation for the armed forces or people that protect this country. It has nothing to do with that, and it was made clear. People still ignored.
“It’s a free country. I feel like you shouldn’t be punished over something like that. I don’t know if it’s a money issue with the league or whatever it is, but at the end of the day, it is what it is. People will make their decisions, and we’ll see how everything pans out.”
Honestly, we don’t expect anyone on the Packers to protest during the anthem in 2018. However, if someone wanted to, it’s their right to do so. Unlike the NFL, we will never take a giant dump on free speech.
But way to go Ginger Hammer. Your ham-fisted plan to appease big orange baby has not only failed, but pissed off your employees in the process.