Will the NFL Still Play the National Anthem?

The NFL has come under fire recently for their handling of the national anthem. Will they continue to play it during games?

NFL’s Current Stance

The NFL has been receiving a lot of backlash in recent years surrounding their players kneeling during the national anthem. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging on, the league is faced with a new dilemma- whether or not to play the anthem at all. Let’s take a look at the NFL’s current stance on the issue.

The NFL’s current policy

The National Football League released a statement Monday saying that, while players are not required to stand during the national anthem, they “are expected to stand” if they are on the field during its performance.
The league’s statement comes days after President Donald Trump said at a rally in Alabama that NFL players who kneel during the anthem should be fired.

“The current policy is that if you are on the field and not standing for the anthem, you are subject to a fine from your team,” NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart told reporters on a conference call Monday. He added that the league has had no conversations with teams about changing that policy.

National Anthem Protests

Since Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protest in 2016, the National Anthem has been a hot topic in the NFL. Players have been kneeling, locking arms, and even staying in the locker room during the National Anthem. The protests have caused a lot of controversy and the NFL has been trying to figure out what to do about it. As the 2020 season approaches, it is still unclear if the NFL will require players to stand for the National Anthem.

Reasons for the protests

The highly controversial protests were started by then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016. He kneeled during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality. Other players followed suit, and the protests spread to other sports and quickly became a polarizing topic.

The NFL released a statement in September saying that “the 32 club presidents will review the resolution and consider any changes to the anthem policy.” However, no changes have been made as of yet.

Many fans are outraged by the protests and believe that they are disrespectful to the flag and to the military. There have even been calls to boycott the NFL until the protesting players are punished or forced to stop.

On the other hand, many people support the protesters and their right to free speech. They see the protests as a way to bring attention to important issues like racial injustice and police brutality.

How the protests have been received

The anthem protests, which were started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 to raise awareness about police brutality and racial inequality, have been met with a mixed response. Some people argue that the protests are disrespectful to the flag and to the military, while others argue that the protesters have a right to free speech.

In September of 2017, President Donald Trump weighed in on the issue, saying that NFL players who kneel during the anthem should be fired. Since then, several NFL players have been kneeling or raising their fists during the anthem, and the issue has become a major talking point both inside and outside of the NFL community.

It is unclear how the NFL will handle the anthem protests going forward. Some have suggested that the league might start playing the anthem before games again, while others have suggested that players who kneel could be fined or suspended.

NFL’s Options

It’s a question that’s been on a lot of people’s minds lately: will the NFL still play the national anthem? The short answer is: we don’t know yet. The NFL is currently in talks about what to do about the national anthem, and they have a few options. they could choose to continue playing the anthem, they could choose to only play the anthem at certain games or events, or they could choose to not play the anthem at all. We will have to wait and see what the NFL decides to do.

What the NFL could do

After much deliberation and discussion, the NFL has come to a decision on what they could do in regards to the National Anthem.
The first option is that they could do nothing. This would be staying with the status quo, and not changing their current policy.
The second option is that they could ask players to stand for the National Anthem, but give them the option to stay in the locker room if they don’t want to stand.
The third option is that they could make it mandatory for all players to stand for the National Anthem.
The fourth and final option is that they could get rid of playing the National Anthem altogether before games.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that they are still considering all options and no decisions have been made yet.

What the NFL should do

The NFL has a big decision to make.

After years of players protesting police brutality and racial inequality by kneeling during the national anthem, the league is now facing renewed pressure to do something about it. Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement on Tuesday that the NFL is “listening to a wide range of perspectives” on the issue, and he pledged to “encourage responsible expression” from players.

At its meeting next week, the NFL’s owners are expected to discuss the anthem issue. They could decide to keep things as they are, allow players to protest without penalty or fine them for doing so.

Here’s a look at what each option would mean for the NFL:

Status quo: The league has been allowing players to protest during the national anthem for years, and it has not been penalizing them for doing so. This laissez-faire approach has irked some fans and owners, but it has also allowed players to exercise their First Amendment rights without fear of retribution from the league.

allow players to protest without penalty: This would be a major change for the NFL, which has been fined players in the past for protesting during the anthem. It would also be a victory for those who believe that players have a right to protest without being punished by their employer. However, it’s worth noting that many fans and owners would likely see this as a tacit endorsement of kneeling, and it could further alienate those who are already against protests during the anthem.

fine players for protesting: This would be a major shift in policy for the NFL, which has thus far declined to punish players for kneeling. Fining players would likely be seen as an attempt to silence dissent, and it could lead to more protests, both inside and outside of football stadiums. It’s also worth noting that this option could be difficult to implement fairly, as some owners may be more lenient with fines than others.

Conclusion

After much discussion and debate, it has been decided that the NFL will still play the national anthem before games. This was a difficult decision to make, but ultimately it was what was best for the league. There are a lot of pros and cons to playing the national anthem, but ultimately it is a tradition that should be respected.

Will the NFL still play the National Anthem?

The National Football League is facing pressure to ditch the playing of the US national anthem before games, as other American sports leagues have already done.

The NFL has seen a decline in ratings over the past few years, and some believe that this is due to players kneeling during the anthem in protest against racial injustice. President Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of the protests, and this has divided fans.

So far, the NFL has not made any changes to its policy on the national anthem, but it is under pressure to do so. It remains to be seen whether or not the league will cave to this pressure and ditch the anthem altogether.