Fins owner answers anthem policy fluster
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said he hadn’t decided whether to actually discipline players who protest during the national anthem when he formally told the team that the demonstrations could be punishable.
“We were asked to submit a form to the NFL on our overall discipline policy prior to the start of the rookie report date,” Ross said in a statement yesterday, explaining why a one-sentence reference to “Proper Anthem Conduct” was included in the team’s official discipline policy. “The one-line sentence related to the national anthem was a placeholder as we haven’t made a decision on what we would do, if anything, at that point.”
President Donald Trump,a frequent critic of protesting players, said yesterday that players should be suspended for a game for kneeling once, then suspended for the season with no pay if they kneel a second time.
“Isn’t it in contract that players must stand at attention, hand on heart? The $40,000,000 Commissioner must now make a stand,” Trump tweeted, referring to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Miami’s policy was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press and listed anthem conduct under behavior that could be found “detrimental to the club.” It was the final bullet point on Miami’s list.
A person familiar with league protocol told The Associated Press yesterday that NFL teams were not required to create any anthem policies when they submitted their annual discipline notices to the league and players. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details of anthem discussions between the league and players union are private.
The NFL and NFL Players Association said in a joint statement Thursday night that they planned to pause enforcement on league anthem rules while working out a resolution acceptable to players, team owners and the league.
Officials for the league and union declined comment yesterday on how they would chart a path forward with the first preseason game less than two weeks away.
Discord over how players should protest social injustice has put the sport at a difficult crossroads, revealing deep divisions in football itself much like those throughout the United States.
Luck ‘good to go’
Andrew Luck should be back in his old spot when the Indianapolis Colts open training camp next week.
Yes, he’ll be behind center. Yes, he’ll take some extra days off. And, no, he may not play the usual preseason rotation.
But when he’s on the field, general manager Chris Ballard expects to see the same old Luck —throwing passes without limitations for the first time in more than 18 months.
“He’s good to go,” Ballard said during a media tour of the team’s new camp site in a northern Indianapolis suburb. “Like (coach) Frank (Reich) and Andrew talked about at minicamp, we’ll try to mimic it like a regular season week. He’s going to have days off. He’s not going to throw seven days a week.”
Luck is trying to return from a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, which required surgery in January 2017.
Players were not available for interviews yesterday . . . .
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler has been suspended without pay for the season opener against the New York Giants for attacking a man in a parking lot a year ago.
Fowler was arrested last July after confronting a man who made a comment about his driving in a parking lot. Authorities say Fowler exchanged words with the man before hitting him.