The Province

Taking a stand

NFL owners adopt new anthem policy, telling players who wish to kneel to remain in the dressing room. But not everyone is thrilled with it, including the NFLPA

- JOHN KRYK

ATLANTA — The NFL tried on Wednesday to end its star-spangled PR mess. We’ll find out come August and September if it works.

Owners voted unanimousl­y — well, not really unanimousl­y — in favour of a new anthem policy that requires all team personnel to stand respectful­ly as the Star Spangled Banner plays, but allows those who’d prefer to remain in the locker room to do so.

Shortly after the owners’ two-day spring meeting concluded early Wednesday afternoon at a posh uptown hotel, San Francisco 49ers chairman Jed York said he abstained from the anthem vote on his franchise’s behalf.

As the league’s news release on the new anthem policy states, commission­er Roger Goodell “will impose appropriat­e discipline on league personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and anthem.” And teams with offenders will be fined by the league.

Finally, each team may additional­ly “develop its own work rules,” consistent with the new policy’s principles, “regarding its personnel who do not stand and show respect” for flag and anthem. Does that mean individual owners can suspend, further fine or otherwise punish as they see fit their own offending players? That’s unclear, but it seems so.

The NFL players union, not consulted by owners, released a statement saying it is “less enthused” by the policy changes.

“The vote by NFL club CEOs today contradict­s the statements made to our player leadership by commission­er Roger Goodell and the chairman of the NFL’s management council John Mara about the principles, values and patriotism of our league,” the NFLPA’s statement said. “Our union will review the new ‘policy’ and challenge any aspect of it that is inconsiste­nt with the collective bargaining agreement.

U.S. vice-president Mike Pence praised the new policy, tweeting “#Winning.”

President Donald Trump retweeted that message. Trump last season ridiculed the league for allowing a small number of players to disrespect flag, country and the military by not standing at attention as the national anthem played.

Previously, the league’s policy stated only that team personnel “should” stand at attention, and that all players had to take the field by the time the anthem played.

York, Chris Johnson of the New York Jets and Jeff Lurie of the Philadelph­ia Eagles have been the most supportive NFL owners of the small percentage of NFL players who, since August 2016, have expressed their anger, hurt and frustratio­n with continuing racial and social-justice inequities in America by kneeling or sitting during the pre-game playing of the U.S. anthem.

Johnson vowed Wednesday to pay any fine should one of his Jets players protest on the field and be financiall­y penalized by the league, according to Newsday’s Bob Glauber.

York discussed at length with reporters some of his concerns, which do not include a team’s ability to form its own subset of anthem rules.

“I think it’s a good thing that teams can construct and enact their own policy, and that’s what we’re focused on,” York told Postmedia exclusivel­y, before addressing a scrum of reporters. “I think first and foremost, we want to make sure that we’re working with our players toward progress (on players’ social concerns)

“For us, we abstained from the vote today. So the teams that voted on it, voted on it affirmativ­ely.”

York declined to get into the reasons for declining to vote on the anthem proposal?

A failure by the league and owners to adequately consult players before passing Wednesday’s new policy clearly bothered York.

“I would say that’s probably the biggest reason for my abstention,” he said. “I can’t work with anybody else’s team. But I want to work with my team to make sure that everything that we do is about promoting the right types of social-justice reform, and getting to a better America.”

Furthermor­e, for his team’s part, York said:

“One of the things that we will most likely enact is to shut down concession sales during ... the anthem. I don’t think it’s appropriat­e for us to profit during that period of time.

“Like, if we want to be sacrosanct, if we want to honour the flag, we’ve got to make sure we go through a litany of things to make sure that we’re not going to force people to stand in their seats. But we are certainly going to make sure that we are not profiting during that 2-3 minutes (before) the game.”

You can bet your bottom dollar that the other 31 NFL owners do not all agree with York on that revenue-shrinking matter.

One of York’s new 49ers players is cornerback Richard Sherman, one of the most politicall­y and socially

It’s important we look at everything we’re doing around the anthem ... and make sure that we’re not taking bits and pieces of what’s respectful and what’s disrespect­ful.

Jed York, 49ers owner

engaged players in the league.

“I shot Richard a note earlier today, just saying, you know: ‘I think that this is the way everything is going to go down. I want to make sure I talk to you, but I want to make sure that we talk to all of our players.’

“That’s why it’s important we look at everything we’re doing around the anthem, and around the flag, and make sure that we’re not taking bits and pieces of what’s respectful, and what’s disrespect­ful.”

Asked by Postmedia if the NFL just made matters worse with its stricter anthem policy, York said: “It’s hard for me to answer that question.”

Last season, the league formed a social justice working group, composed of select owners, players and league executives. The league committed $89 million over seven years to criminal-justice reform initiative­s across the country.

“From our standpoint,” Goodell said at the outset of Wednesday’s meeting-closing news conference, “this is a great opportunit­y (to) keep our focus on the progress and the programs that we think are so important in our communitie­s. We’re proud of that support, and we think that’s how change is really going to be made.”

Then he added about the new policy, if inaccurate­ly: “Clearly our objective as a league, and all 32 clubs which was unanimous, is that we want people to be respectful to the national anthem.”

Owners on the opposite end of the issue from the Yorks, Luries and Johnsons include Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Bob McNair of the Houston Texans.

Jones spoke for more than 10 minutes Tuesday night about the need for the league to move on from 22 months of wrestling with the anthem issue — particular­ly last season, when President Trump repeatedly inflamed the issue and, on Twitter, beat up the league, its owners and especially its protesting “son of a bitch” players.

“Last fall was difficult, I think, for all of us within the league,” Green Bay Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said at Wednesday’s news conference. “But one of the real positives that came out of it was the improved relationsh­ip between management and the players. I think we’ve learned from each other.”

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, a respected voice of reason within NFL ownership, said: “I think we’ve come out at a place that we, as a group and a league, are comfortabl­e with. Obviously, we want to continue to work with our players and make sure that they feel their point of view has been respected.

“I think the fact those who are not comfortabl­e standing for the anthem have the right to stay off the field, so we’re not forcing anybody to stand who doesn’t feel that’s the way they feel about particular subjects. But those who are on the field will be asked to stand.”

Then Rooney added: “We respected everybody’s point of view on this the best we could.”

Whether that was enough, we’ll find out with the first preseason games come early August, and the first regular-season games come early September.

Sports gambling soon will be legalized in many U.S. states besides Nevada.

Personally, I wouldn’t bet one dollar that the league’s anthem headaches ended Wednesday with its new policy. Would you?

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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 ?? JOHN BAZEMORE/AP ?? Niners owner Jed York talks with reporters as he leaves the NFL owners’ spring meetings yesterday in Atlanta. York abstained from voting on the new anthem policy.
JOHN BAZEMORE/AP Niners owner Jed York talks with reporters as he leaves the NFL owners’ spring meetings yesterday in Atlanta. York abstained from voting on the new anthem policy.

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