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Originally posted by parabellum:

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Originally posted by bald1:
The NFL rule book ALREADY requires teams to stand for the Anthem!

Where did you get this information?

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I believe the NFL or even individual teams could immediately put into effect a mandatory "stand and honor" rule right now and most fans and viewers that are in disagreement with the nonsense (myself included) would probably not be swayed that they are trying to be genuine in recognizing their mistake and still tank the season, just to drive the point home.

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Originally posted by bald1:
It's in the NFL Game Operations Manual.

“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..."

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Originally posted by oddball:

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Originally posted by sdy:
Lockhart says moving forward he things league and players are "in unison" on issues of inequality and won't get distracted from that

The new demographic that the NFL is chasing after now:




Great business model for attracting sponsors.

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Originally posted by esdunbar:
I can only speak for my own feelings, but it's bigger than kneeling for me now.

It's about giving money and a platform to a group of people who views and beliefs I do not agree with.

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Originally posted by erj_pilot:

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Originally posted by bald1:
It's in the NFL Game Operations Manual.

“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..."

Unfortunately there's that vague distinction between "should" and "shall/must".

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Originally posted by Ryanp225:
Any action the NFL takes beyond today means nothing. They had their chance to do right when it was just simply the right thing to do and they didn't. Eventually they will make a rule that players must not kneel but only to plug the leaking holes in the piggy bank.
They are commies working to hurt the culture and country that I love and will never be part of my life again.

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Backlash escalates for the NFLOL

As "kneel-gate" continues, corporate America is starting to pay attention.

On Tuesday, long-time NFL sponsor Anheuser-Busch released the strongest-worded statement yet in response to the bad publicity the league has garnered between the Rice and Peterson incidents (as well as its own lackluster responses).
"We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season," the statement read. "We are not yet satisfied with the league's handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league."

And Anheuser-Busch followed Radisson, which is a sponsor of the Minnesota Vikings.

On the same day the Vikings announced that Adrian Peterson would return to practice and play this week after he was deactivated Sunday following his arrest for "reckless or negligent injury to a child," Radisson announced that it was suspending its sponsorship of the team.
"Radisson takes this matter very seriously particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children. We are closely following the situation and effective immediately, Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances."

It looks like the last thing the NFL wants is heightened scrutiny of its players.

And it gets worse. Over at Yahoo News, we learn that the NFL ratings dip forces TV networks to repay advertisers:

The NFL’s television ratings decline this season is beginning to make a dent in the bottom line for major networks. Broadcasters like CBS and NBC saw sharp increases in audience deficiency units (ADUs), or “makegoods,” which are payments they must make to advertisers when ads do not receive the promised volume of impressions.
In other words, fewer people watching football means fewer eyeballs to see ads, and the networks that broadcast NFL games are paying the price.

And I'm not done yet. The Daily Caller writes that "DirectTV Might Be Offering Angry Customers Refunds Over NFL Protests":

DirecTV is willing to give some of its customers a refund if they want to cancel their subscriptions to NFL games following anger over the protests, according to a Tuesday Wall Street Journal report.
A few customer service representatives told The WSJ that they have been honoring cancellation requests if a customer called them to cancel their Sunday Ticket package of NFL games, while other representatives offered a different perspective on how they were allowed to handle cancellation requests.

You surely have the right to free speech, but you do not have the right to live without the consequences of your actions.

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Originally posted by Georgeair:
Jackson NAACP asks high school players to get on board

This is getting just ridiculous.

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Originally posted by sdy:



Just play football.

What a concept !

Tell Goodell and Lockhart that.

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Originally posted by Georgeair:
Jackson NAACP asks high school players to get on board

This is getting just ridiculous.