Kaepernick Effect: NFL Bans Players From Kneeling During Anthem

The owners of NFL teams agreed on a new policy banning players from kneeling down when the national anthem is played, directly aiming at protests against police brutality and racism that were the center of national debate in 2016 after former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kicked off the peaceful protest.

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“This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem,” said NFL's chief commissioner Roger S. Goodell. “Personnel who choose not to stand for the anthem may stay in the locker room until after the anthem has been performed.” Owners decided to fine teams whose players violated the new policy, forcing protesting players to stay in the locker rooms if they don't want to face reprisals.

The measure was proposed, voted and adopted without consulting the NFL's Players Association (NFLPA), which issued a statement in response, saying that players have showed their patriotism through social activism, community service and protest to raise awareness about the issues they care about.

“The vote by the NFL club CEOs today contradicts the statements made to our player leadership by Commissioner Roger Goodell and the Chairman of the NFL's Management Council John Mara about the principles, values and patriotism of our League,” says the NFLPA's press release.

“NFL players have shown their patriotism through their social activism, their community service, in support of our military and law enforcement and yes, through their protests to raise awareness about the issues they care about.”

The NFLPA's spokesman George Atallah had previously said they weren't consulted on any change to the anthem policy. “If there are changes to the policy that put players in a position where they could be disciplined or fined, we are going to do what we always do - fight anything that encroaches on players' rights to the end."

The new anthem policy requires all teams and league personnel on the field to “stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.” Before, every player had to be on the field during the anthem, but now they're allowed to stay in the locker room or a similar location.

If a player fails to “stand and show respect” for the anthem, the team will be fined, while each team is allowed to “develop its own work rules, consistent with the above principles, regarding its personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.”

The latest action by the NFL owners comes few years after Kaepernick, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, protested racial inequality, injustice and police brutality across the United States by kneeling during the pre-game segments – when the national anthem is played – of the 2016 season in the league. He hasn't been able to sign a contract with any team since then.

The act of kneeling angered many NFL fans as well as U.S. President Donald Trump, who urged team owners to fire all players who participate in the peaceful protests.

Some claimed Kaepernick's actions were disrespectful to the U.S. flag and to members of the armed forces. Such claims with rejected by kaepernick and other players who joined his protest who said their actions were about the social problems in the country and had nothing to do with the military or the flag itself.

But Trum, nevertheless, kept on his attacks, referring to the players as 'sons of bitches' in a social media post where he also called for their immediate dismissal.

The demonstrations prompted the NFL to commit US$90m to social justice causes, in a bid to stop the players from kneeling after the protests began to take precedence over the actual games.