If there were any doubt how the Trump administration would react to the NFL’s new national anthem policy, Vice President Pence ended the suspense with a single word: “Winning.” The Eagles’ Chris Long, however, offered a different take, saying, “This is not patriotism.”
“This is fear of a diminished bottom line,” Long tweeted. “It’s also fear of a president turning his base against a corporation.”
Long was referring to President Trump’s frequent and withering criticisms of the pregame demonstrations, which have included players sitting or kneeling during the anthem to protest racial injustice. Jenkins was among a handful players who opted to stand but raise their fists during the anthem, and Long made a point of showing support for his teammate before games.
“What NFL owners did today was thwart the players’ constitutional rights to express themselves and use our platform to draw attention to social injustices like racial inequality in our country,” Jenkins wrote on Twitter of the new policy, in which players can either stand on the sidelines during the anthem or remain in the locker room, with individual teams subject to league fines for any player demonstrations visible to spectators. “Everyone loses when voices get stifled,” Jenkins added, ending his comments with the phrase, “The fight continues,” rendered as a hashtag.
#TheFightContinues pic.twitter.com/TX9IBDxRev
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) May 23, 2018
Earlier on Wednesday, Pence had also used a hashtag to celebrate the policy as an example of “Winning.” He added an image of an American flag and an image of a CNN story about the new policy, which described the NFL’s decision as “a stunning victory for President Trump.” His tweet was retweeted by the White House’s official @POTUS account.
#Winning 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/aEJOCmB5lW
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) May 23, 2018
“Today’s decision by the @NFL is a win for the fans, a win for @POTUS, and a win for America,” Pence said in a subsequent tweet. “Americans can once again come together around what unites us — our flag, our military, and our National Anthem. Thank you NFL.” He added in a hashtag, “#ProudToStand.”
The league’s decision simultaneously prompted unease, if not disgust, from a different segment of observers, with “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd writing that the policy “feels un-American” and calling it “a band aid that won’t stick.”
While new NFL anthem policy makes sense from business & Trump PR perspective and is certainly within league’s rights, there’s just something that feels unAmerican about forcing folks to abide what is, well, the league’s own politics. Feels like a band aid that won’t stick.
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) May 23, 2018
The policy, as The Post’s Mark Maske reported, “empowers each team to determine its own anthem policy and decide whether to discipline a player for a protest during the anthem. It also removes the previous requirement, included in the game operations manual sent by the league to teams, that players must be on the sideline for the anthem, instead giving a player the option to remain in the locker room during the anthem. But the new policy also says the league can fine a team for any protest during the anthem by one of its players. Owners said their expectation is that if a player opts to be on the sideline for the anthem, rather than remaining in the locker room, that player will stand.”
Whether this policy will ease the anthem issue by the start of the league’s 2018 regular season remains to be seen. But judging from the initial reactions, the NFL hasn’t yet found a policy to please everyone. Here are a sample of some of the early responses to the NFL’s decision.
Accusations of hypocrisy
Since the NFL owners are so concerned with “respect” for the anthem, they’ll be shutting down concession lines and closing bathrooms during it, right? Fining teams whose fans bastardize the anthem by shouting during it? I’ll hang up and wait.
— Nancy Armour (@nrarmour) May 23, 2018
In the NFL, we respect the flag. And the anthem. And whatever Bud Light's latest marketing campaign is.
— Jack Dickey (@jackdickey) May 23, 2018
Nothing says "land of the free" like compulsory patriotism https://t.co/ppCHMalaZQ
— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) May 23, 2018
Oh NFL! I love you! What better time to curtail free speech than during the National Anthem! USA! USA!! USA!!! Back in the USSA!!
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) May 23, 2018
I hope the NFL decides to completely stop all concession stand sales during the anthem as well. We wouldn’t want people buying a $10 beer and an $8 hot dog during our sacred anthem.
— Sage Rosenfels (@SageRosenfels18) May 23, 2018
All TV camera crews must stop filming and direct attention at the flag too.
Just seems fair.
Still waiting for NFL to fine teams whose players commit domestic abuse. https://t.co/JDucU2AhzQ
— Amy Walter (@amyewalter) May 23, 2018
Celebration
Glad the NFL listened to the millions of fans who are proud to stand for our national anthem https://t.co/1DZidtgcQK
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) May 23, 2018
STILL NOT SICK OF #WINNING!!!! https://t.co/oLYsGMWEJl
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 23, 2018
The NFL made kneeling for the national anthem a penalty proving 2 things:
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 23, 2018
1 - Last season's NFL fan strike worked.
2 - Trump influences American culture with his words.
You want to hate on America, do it in the locker room away from everyone. Thank God the NFL finally acted on the anthem policy. See ya, Kaepernick & Co.
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) May 23, 2018
Concerns over the unilateral nature of the decision
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) May 23, 2018
Maybe this new rule proposal that is being voted on is a "compromise" between the NFL office and club CEOs on various sides of the issue, but certainly not with player leadership; we weren't there or part of the discussions.
— George Atallah (@GeorgeAtallah) May 23, 2018
A compromise implies there were negotiations and the sides met in the middle. That might be the case among owners, but leaving players out of protest policy discussion is a major mistake.
— Lindsay Jones (@bylindsayhjones) May 23, 2018
49ers owner Jed York said that he abstained from the NFL owners vote on the new anthem policy, in part, because he wanted to hear more from players. He added that he may halt concession sales at Levi’s Stadium during the playing of the anthem.
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) May 23, 2018
hard to call a unilateral imposition a compromise, no? https://t.co/qlfmVL3tBU
— bomani (@bomani_jones) May 23, 2018
Comparisons to the NBA
Just a reminder that the NBA has a policy in place that REQUIRES players to stand for the anthem and they have taken zero criticism for it
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) May 23, 2018
If you’re mad at the NFL’s new anthem policy — stand or stay in the locker room — shouldn’t you be furious at the NBA for its anthem policy since the NBA mandates all players stand for the anthem? Yet note how few far left wingers will mention this in their NFL criticisms.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 23, 2018
Hey everyone so furious at the NFL. Have I missed your tweets directed at the NBA for having a policy where their players must stand for the anthem?
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) May 23, 2018
Because this has never been about the anthem. Since the NBA endorses its players speaking out about social issues, even letting them wear warmup shirts with causes on them, no one gets bent about having to stand for the anthem. https://t.co/GY17zCOGHv
— Questionable to return (@AndyGlockner) May 23, 2018
Questions about continued dissent
I’m very curious to see how many NFL players will be on the field for the anthem that first NFL weekend.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) May 23, 2018
The NFL is 80% black. Imagine if they all sat out a Sunday or two...
— Travon Free (@Travon) May 23, 2018
So #49ers abstained from today’s anthem vote, #Jets will pay the fines if players want to express themselves. This whole thing seems far less unanimous than the #NFL seemed to suggest today. https://t.co/oOd5gg6bPg
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) May 23, 2018
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