AROUND THE NFL
Anthem continues to polarize players, owners and, most of all, fans ... New York denied again as next year’s draft scheduled to take place in Big D ... Zeke expected to start
It’s still “should,” not “must.”
NFL owners on Wednesday did not amend the league’s pregame anthem rule to mandate that all players must stand at attention as The Star Spangled Banner plays. The rule still says only that all team members merely “should” stand. NFL commissioner Roger
Goodell said owners spent “a great deal of time” talking about the anthem issue Wednesday morning, before their two-day fall meeting at a lower Manhattan hotel concluded.
“We believe everyone should stand for the national anthem,” Goodell told a postmeeting news conference. “That’s an important part of our policy. It’s also an important part of our game that we all take great pride in. And it’s also important for us to honour our flag and our country, and we think our fans expect us to do that.” Dallas Cowboys owner
Jerry Jones a week ago publicly threatened to discipline any of his players who does not stand for the anthem. But, for once at an owners meeting, Jones’ view did not carry the day. New York Giants co-owner
John Mara afterward articulated the prevailing view, one that makes more sense, too.
“Attempting to force the players to do something that they don’t want to do is not going to be effective in the long run,” Mara told reporters. “I think the better policy going forward is to try to have dialogue with them and try to show them that we’re willing to work with them on some of these issues that all of us are concerned about. That’s been my philosophy with my team, and I think almost every other owner feels the same way.”
Right. “Almost” every other. Hello, Jerry.
The bigger takeaway that Goodell, select owners and select players who attended a special summit Tuesday want people to take from this week is how the two sides have come together — some say as never before — to jointly discuss how owners can better understand the issue that led some players to the protest in the first place, and how best to help them bring about swift change.
The issue? How true freedom and equality remain unavailable to all Americans — specifically, Americans of colour — because of ongoing racial stereotyping and targeting.
But how can a handful of billionaire footballteam owners and dozens or even hundreds of NFL players possibly bring about real societal change? Sweep aside the high-minded platitudes. What in particular can these folks actually do to help eradicate such ingrained societal biases?
Goodell was asked whether he and the owners truly understand what kinds of changes protesting players seek. Yes, Goodell said, then listed several.
“Players are talking about criminal justice reform, whether it’s bail reform, whether it’s talking about mandatory sentencing,” Goodell said. “They’re talking about changes that I think will make our communities better, that there’s bipartisan support for across our nation, and that need focus. They’re talking about what we can do to support them to effectuate that legislative change, and that’s, again, very, very positive.
“They’re talking about equality issues — making sure that we’re doing everything we possibly can to get people an opportunity, whether it’s educational or economic, and what we can do to try to effectuate that. And we believe with the players that we can help them. We can support them. And those are our issues, national issues, American issues, that are all important to deal with.”
And if an owner — oh, say, Jerry Jones of the Cowboys — should happen to punish any players who don’t stand during the anthem? What will the league do then?
“I can’t deal with hypotheticals,” Goodell said. “We’ll deal with those issues if they come up.”
No one disputes that anthem protests are polarizing Americans, as so many big issues do these days. A reporter asked Goodell to comment on a recent poll that found NFL popularity has dipped only 3% among Democrats but 50% among Republicans.
“We believe doing the right thing is what you ultimately have to do,” Goodell said. “What we’re trying to do is stay out of politics. What we’re looking to do is keep people focused on football.”
Goodell said the current number of protesting players is down to about a half-dozen.
“We’re going to continue to work to try to put that at zero. That’s what we’d like to do,” he said. “But we want to make sure that we are understanding what the players are talking about, and that’s complex.”
A report said select owners and players, along with league and union leaders, are scheduled to meet next on Oct. 31 to resume next-step discussions.
Late Wednesday afternoon, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted probably his least-inflammatory message of the past few weeks: “Too much talk, not enough action. Stand for the National Anthem.”
DRAFT IN DALLAS
For the fourth straight year the NFL will not hold the entry draft in New York City. Owners on Wednesday awarded the 2018 draft next April 26-28 to Dallas. The Cowboys’ gargantuan home dome will play host.
BACK TO DESHONE
The Kevin Hogan experiment is over. The Cleveland Browns have elevated rookie
DeShone Kizer back to starting quarterback, one week after benching him. The popgun-armed Hogan in his one sad start arguably was even less effective than the rifle-armed Kizer. As part of Wednesday’s change, Hogan was dropped to third-string and Cody Kessler promoted from third- to second-string.
So will Kizer remain No. 1 for the rest of the season?
“I am not going to say the rest of the season, but I know he is the guy right now,” Browns head coach
Hue Jackson said. The Browns QB depth chart is hour-to-hour.
ELLIOTT ‘HAPPY’
Ezekiel Elliott practised with his Dallas Cowboys teammates on Wednesday, and is expected to start Sunday at San Francisco. This, after a U.S. district court judge in New York City Tuesday night sided with an NFL players union request for a temporary restraining order, which blocks the NFL’s six-game suspension of Elliott over appeal procedural grounds.
“Honestly, (I’m) just happy to be able to play this week,” Elliott told reporters on Wednesday.
“It’s great to have him back,” quarterback
Dak Prescott said.
EXTRA POINTS
This isn’t good. Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck’s sore shoulder is sorer this week. He won’t throw at all, after practising on a limited, every-other-day basis the past two weeks — his first teamwork since undergoing shoulder surgery in January … Minnesota QB
Teddy Bridgewater practised Wednesday with teammates, during team drills, for the first time since August 2016. He reportedly has a long way to go yet before he can play again, as he recovers from a nearly destroyed knee … Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston (sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder) practised Wednesday but reporters did not see him throw any passes in the time they were allowed to observe … Washington DE Jonathan
Allen will be placed on injured reserve after undergoing foot surgery, NFL Network said. It could take him 3-6 months to recover.