Steelers, top brass unite on thorny anthem issue

The Steelers came out of the Soldier Field mess determined, for better or worse, to stay on the same page regarding the NFL’s national anthem policy.

Thursday was another example: On the first day of practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, via their website, the team published a story under the headline “Steelers excited all sides working toward a resolution.”

The story quoted owner Art Rooney II, coach Mike Tomlin and NFLPA rep Ramon Foster, all of whom spoke positively about the July 19 joint release from owners and players stating, in part, that “no new rules relating to the anthem will be issued or enforced for the next several weeks while these confidential discussions are ongoing.”

That statement came nine days after the NFLPA filed a grievance over the league’s May attempt, without the union’s input, to institute penalties for any team whose players did not “stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem” on the field.

“[The proposed policy change] was an effort to put the league in a position where there was a way to enforce a policy with regard to players’ conduct during the anthem, while at the same time allowing the players who weren’t comfortable participating to stay off the field,” Rooney said. “It’s fair to say it was an attempt at a compromise.”

“I think [the joint statement is] a positive development. Even though there has been good dialogue among the owners and the players and the commissioner for the past year, in order for the league to have a uniform policy, I believe the Players Association needs to be at the tablein order to get that done.”

Foster and Tomlin essentially said the same. It’s directly in line with the team’s approach since Alejandro Villanueva wound up alone outside that tunnel in Chicago last fall; even before the union grievance, speaking at the team’s practice facility, Foster was on message.

“Our thing is to just minimize the issue,” he said. “We’re there to play a game.”