The NFL will no longer force players to stand for the national anthem. After much thought, Commission Roger Goodell announced Wednesday (Oct. 18) that – although the owners think they should – the league would allow players to make their own decision about standing but hope that they will change their minds. “We have six or seven players that are involved with the protest at this point, and what we try to do is deal with the underlying issue and understand what it is they are protesting and what we can do to address that,” stated Goodell. The league met with the NFL Players Association union to come up with ways players can have a platform for social-justice advocacy during the NFL season. One of which involved kneeling for the anthem that many claims disrespects the American flag and our military forces. Trump was not too happy about the league’s decision. He wrote via Twitter: “@NFL: Too much talk, not enough action. Stand for the National Anthem.” Goodell says the league does not want to get wrapped up in politics. “We are trying to stay out of politics. We are not looking to get into politics. What we are looking to do is continue to keep people focused on football,” he said. Photo courtesy of Washington Examiner.
