Source: Michael Zagaris / Getty
On Wednesday (May 23) to much dismay, the NFL issued a new policy regarding athletes kneeling during the National Anthem. Teams with players who don’t stand during the anthem will be fined.
Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote, “We want people to be respectful of the national anthem. We want people to stand — that’s all personnel — and make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That’s something we think we owe. [But] we were also very sensitive to give players choices.”
Sigh.
Clearly, folks took to Twitter to blast the NFL for violating these players’ right to protest.
#ImWithKap: Black Twitter Blasts NFL For New National Anthem Policy was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
1. Standing Up Against The NFL
On Wednesday (May 23) to much dismay, the NFL issued a new policy regarding athletes kneeling during the National Anthem. Teams with players who don’t stand during the anthem will be fined. Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote, “We want people to be respectful of the national anthem. We want people to stand — that’s all personnel — and make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That’s something we think we owe. [But] we were also very sensitive to give players choices.” Sigh. Clearly, folks took to Twitter to blast the NFL for violating these players’ right to protest.
2.
Me, trying to find any NFL owners with common sense pic.twitter.com/tD1mp9Bql6
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) May 23, 2018
3.
The irony of the NFL owners’ action is that *they have now hyper-politicized the anthem, for not just every black player and ally, but every potential anthem singer or Super Bowl halftime performer. That few minutes before a game will now look like a forced nationalistic display.
— Joy-Ann Pro-Democracy & Masks Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) May 23, 2018
4.
The NFL is 80% black. Imagine if they all sat out a Sunday or two...
— Ethereal bisexual who wears mostly black (@Travon) May 23, 2018
5.
I think the fact that the NFL has now decided to penalize or silence players who kneel is a perfect example of why they were kneeling to begin with.
— Denizcan James (@MrFilmkritik) May 23, 2018
6.
7.
8.
#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid#ImWithKap #ImWitheReid
— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) May 23, 2018
FUCK THE @NFL
9.
10.
💡Remember, this entire series of events w/ the NFL has unfolded as result of one Black athlete making a personal decision not to stand for the anthem b/c he feels the nation is not living up to its claims of freedom & democracy. 2/
— Unite in justice for the poor & oppressed (@BreeNewsome) May 23, 2018
11.
Caps on: TO ALL NFL PLAYERS SLAVERY WAS ABOLISHED WITH THE 13TH AMENDMENT. THE FANS COME AND SEE YOU PLAY PAY TO SEE YOU PLAY YOU ALL NEED TO STRIKE. WHAT IS FOOTBALL WITH OUT ITS TEAM SHOWING UP ON THE FIELD TRUMP IS TRYING TO CONTROL THE NFL LIKE A SLAVE MASTER AND THATS WRONG
— Mrs.Scales #Resist (@MrsScales1) May 23, 2018
12.
Today’s decision by the NFL is a win for racist bigots like you and Donald Trump. To suppress the players right to peacefully protest is unAmerican and it’s shameful that you are logging such a reprehensible, racist decision. You disgust me!
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) May 23, 2018
13.
Welp might be time for me to join the NFL protest
— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) May 23, 2018
14.
15.
16.
Chris Long says the NFL’s real reason for the national anthem policy is fear of a diminished bottom line and a fear of Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/UlwlncvyNe
— SB Nation NFL (@SBNationNFL) May 23, 2018
17.
NBA gets its right every time, I don't understand how the NFL is still so behind
— Pisces SZN ♓ (@_LexJanayy) May 23, 2018
18.
by this i mean the people who run the nfl, the people who are dedicated to policing players’ bodies & voices, the people who are complicit in police violence while the majority of the players in their industry are black
— olivia gatwood (@oliviagatwood) May 23, 2018
19.
The new anthem policy states that players "shall stand and show respect for the flag and anthem." Issue with this: it implies that those that kneeled weren't respecting the flag. Furthering the false idea that the protests were about the flag. The protests are about injustice.
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) May 23, 2018
20.
The NFL Players Association has issued a statement in response to the NFL's new national anthem policy. (via @NFLPA) pic.twitter.com/fhbk9mchjL
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 23, 2018
21.
White supremacy is a helluvah drug. Straight brainwashing. Look how easily they convinced a large portion of the white population that:
— Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) May 23, 2018
1) the anthem should play every game
2) the anthem is about “troops”
3) kneeling is disrespecting “troops”
4) NFL policy should punish kneeling
22.
The NFL plantation owners passed a policy to make patriotism mandatory for their property. Either pay deference to symbol of white nationalism - which is what the anthem is, or pay a price. This is the answer to the "win" in Georgia and the message couldn't be clearer.
— Ajamu Baraka (@ajamubaraka) May 23, 2018
23.
I fixed The NFL's/Roger Goodell's statement on their new National Anthem policy. pic.twitter.com/dNjDsSijjc
— Luigi 🤌🏼 (@LuigiM227) May 23, 2018
24.
1. Coercing patriotism is unamerican.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) May 23, 2018
2. One wonders what the NFL's policy will be when its players, while standing, nevertheless protest during the anthem.
3. One might argue that the best way to show respect for a nation's symbols is by exercising rights the nation bestows. https://t.co/uGDHbmwb9E
25.
Every white #NFL player should refuse to play as long as the new anthem policy is in place. None of them will.
— John Elrod II (@LOTNorm) May 23, 2018
26.
27.
My thoughts on the @NFL's national anthem policy discussion. @getupespn pic.twitter.com/817VNtzqad
— Jalen Rose (@JalenRose) May 23, 2018
28.
Endorsing the position of a snake-oil President* who continually attacks law enforcement for investigating him over players advocating against police brutality. #IllegalProcedure https://t.co/x9IAZqsSD8
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) May 23, 2018
29.
30.
This new NFL policy on the National Anthem is ridiculous.
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) May 23, 2018