The song remains the same in race relations
ATLANTA — In a span of about seven hours on Wednesday , two pivotal events took place that proves, yet again, how sports, race e and politics will be forever intertwined. In Atlanta around noon, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the league’s new national anthem policy.
Later in the day, the arrest video of Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown was released, showing him being slammed d to the ground and tasered by a group of cops.
One thing was crystal clear in both situations: The NFL and the police don’t give a damn about black people.
According to the league’s new policy, players now have the option of staying in the locker room for the anthem, or teams will be fined if their players choose to take a knee or raise a first in peaceful protest against police brutality.
“We want people to be respectful of the national anthem,” Goodell said on Wednessday. “We want people to stand ...and to make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion.
“If anyone is on the field and is disrespectctful to the anthem or the flag, there will be a fine from the league against that team.”
Pay attention to Goodell’s words, and read them again.
Because if standing for the anthem is the e only way to show respect for the flag and the anthem, it means that he and the rest of f the owners view taking a knee as a sign of blatant disrespect.
The fact that innocent and unarmed black people are getting murdered by police officers isn’t viewed as disrespectful l to them.
But taking a knee to promote awareness s about the things that are taking places in communities that Goodell and the rest of the owners aren’t from and refuse to underrstand, is.
Mind you, teams didn’t even take the field before games for the anthem until 2009, in an initiative that included at least 14 NFL teams getting paid to put on “elaboorate patriotic salutes.”
But yet somehow that’s not disrespectful ul to troops or the flag.
“My perspective is, as the commissioner r said, putting the focus back on the game. Making sure all personnel stand on the field ld and honor the flag, the anthem, and the moment,” said Michael Bidwill, President of the Arizona Cardinals.
When Bidwill stepped to the podium on Wednesday, he boasted about Jenkins is a sellout and a big how he was a member of the reason why Wednesday hapSocial Justice Committee Group pened. that works with the Players “While I disagree with this Coalition. decision, I will not let this silence
Meaning that he was part of me or stop me the negotiations that took place from fighting,” late last year when it was anJenkins wrote in
a statement he nounced that the league would
released on be donating almost $100 million
Wednesday to important causes in African
afternoon. “The American communities, in hopes
national conversation around that it would be the end of the
race in America that NFL players protests.
forced over the past 2 years will The man leading the Players
persist as we continue to use our Coalition, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, gladly jumped at the idea voices, our time and our money to take the hush money from the to create a more fair and just league, and even agreed to stop criminal justice system, end his protest of raising his fist in a police brutality and foster better “Black Power” salute during the educational and economic anthem. opportunities for communities of color and those struggling in this country.”
Jenkins silenced himself when he chose to lower his fist and take the NFL’s money.
NFL owners aren’t stupid. They don’t care about what’s happening in black communities or lose sleep over unarmed black men getting killed by police. They care about the money they lost and how far TV ratings dropped in the past two seasons.
To me, it sounds like they came up with a plan.
First, identify a player, like Jenkins, who would sell out his own to talk the Players Coalition into taking a bribe disguised as a “donation.”
Second, find an owner, like Robert Kraft, to take pictures with a rapper recently released from jail, like Meek Mill, to portray a false image — as if some of the owners are actually concerned and worried about our flawed criminal justice system.
Lastly, pull the carpet out from under all of them and unanimously pass a new policy that keeps them in the locker room, or forces them to choose between exercising their individual rights as an American or silencing one’s self for the better of the team for the sake of not receiving a 15-yard penalty. Looks like the plan worked. But on the other hand, it