All it took was a single afternoon for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL’s new National Anthem Policy to blow up in their faces. As the poet Robert Burns once wrote in his original Scottish language, “the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglay.” And certainly no man is more of a mouse than Roger Goodell.
He and the NFL have aglayed all over themselves with this one.
First off, this rule that was supposedly voted on my all 32 owners wasn’t voted on at all. According to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, the NFL polled owners on how they’d vote and just decided to roll with it.
As I just said on @OTLonESPN sources in the room told me there was no official vote for the anthem resolution. League execs polled owners and knew how they’d vote but didn’t hold an official vote, atypical for such a major resolution.
— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) May 24, 2018
Evidently not every owner was asked the same question because New York Jets co-owner Christopher Johnson said his players can still protest if they want and he’ll pay their fine. Every owner is going to have the chance now to back off the “rule” and deflect the giant public turd of it right into Goodell’s cowardly lap.
They’re also eating a lot of shit from other leagues. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was asked about the NFL’s new policy and didn’t hold back.
“(It’s) trying to use the anthem as fake patriotism, nationalism, scaring people,” Kerr said. “It’s idiotic.”
Steve Kerr slammed the NFL’s new national anthem policy. pic.twitter.com/1gOzAUG1pI
— SB Nation (@SBNation) May 24, 2018
Here’s why Goodell is a moron. Even if players follow the rule to the exact letter, the story doesn’t end there. Do you think for a second every sideline reporter isn’t going to be scouring the area to see which players didn’t come out of the locker room? Does anybody think those same reporters won’t ask those absent players ABOUT their absence after the games?
Not only that, but where before you just had a handful of players protesting police and state-sanctioned violence against innocent and unarmed civilians during the anthem, now the NFL has pissed off everybody. In fact, not only will the guys who previously protested still find a way to make their protests public, now a whole new crew of NFL players are about to join them.
While admittedly a small sample size, some players are telling me they’re *considering* staying in locker room or making a different on-field gesture simply b/c they feel this new policy is a direct challenge to them. Before today, they hadn’t thought about demonstrating in ‘18.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) May 23, 2018
You think a bunch of famous, rich athletes will pull something just to piss off Goodell? You bet your ass they will.
What I'm hearing from players: Those who weren't planning demonstrations for next season are now back in the conversation, discussing ways to skirt to new rules "just to spite the NFL."
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) May 23, 2018
And it may be more than staying in the locker room. There’s always wiggle room around a rule on the field. It could be that players will come up with a whole new way to protest the murder of unarmed civilians. I expect we’ll be writing plenty of words about this whole thing come opening day.
“I talked to a former NFL player yesterday who has said that players are already talking about other ways in which they can protest.” @craigmelvin talks response to new NFL policy pic.twitter.com/opgMKznkUC
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 24, 2018
Oh, and did you think Donald Trump would keep his gaping maw shut through all of this? Are you new here? He suggested that players who don’t stand for the anthem should just leave the United States.
Trump: If NFL players don't stand for anthem, "maybe they shouldn't be in the country" https://t.co/B5GEYaqy22 pic.twitter.com/aghGLs04Qd
— The Hill (@thehill) May 24, 2018
Yep, once again the President is going to war with the players of the most popular sport in the country. How are they reacting?
Doug Baldwin’s reaction to Donald trump’s comments on national anthem policy: “he’s an idiot.” pic.twitter.com/gc4V05Cejg
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) May 24, 2018
And how do the NFL owners feel about Trump weighing in?
From conversations some of us had with owners and league execs at the NFL meetings this week, one reason they wanted to establish a policy was to keep the league’s name out of his mouth….🤔 https://t.co/a4x8HqWAtm
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) May 24, 2018
In an effort to shut this whole issue up, Goodell and the NFL have handed it a vuvuzela hooked to an air horn. And there’s not a Papa John’s coupon out there that’s going to fix it.
Any NFL player who doesn't come out for the Anthem could just explain that he had temporary bone spurs, a common affliction of young millionaires.
— L O L G O P (@LOLGOP) May 24, 2018
