US football backs down over ‘taking the knee’

THE man responsible for running American football — the National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell — has said the league made mistakes in not listening to players.

Speaking in a video denouncing racism in the US amid widespread protests over police brutality against black people, Goodell said: “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We believe black lives matter.”

The NFL has been locked in an ongoing debate with players over kneeling protests during the customary pre-game playing of the national anthem. The practice was popularised by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is black, in 2016 to protest against racial injustice and police brutality.

Kaepernick, who in 2013 led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl, filed a grievance against the league in 2017, claiming collusion as no teams signed him after he parted ways with the Niners. The NFL and Kaepernick settled in 2019 in a deal shrouded by confidentiality deals — but Kaepernick hasn’t played in an NFL game since that campaign.

“Protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff,” added Goodell. “I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve.”

Goodell did not mention Kaepernick in last Friday’s video but acknowledged that the NFL didn’t take concerns of the players in a serious manner.

The NFL sent the video out just hours after Donald Trump renewed his call for an end to kneeling protests during the national anthem.

“We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart,” Trump wrote on Twitter.