FISHER JACKThe NFL may have thought they had solved the contentious anthem kneeling problem by giving players the option of staying in the locker room during the National Anthem or coming out to the sidelines … IF they stand. If they kneel, they’ll be fined.
Yep, they thought they had it all figured out. However, there’s a wrinkle in the plan, it appears. You see, according to The Intercept columnist Shaun King, some NFL players intend to sit out the 2018 season until “the de facto ban of Eric Reid and Colin Kaepernick is removed and both men are given spots back on rosters. They aim to get 25% of the players to sit out with them.”
Shaun King✔@ShaunKing
BREAKING: Several star @NFL players have told me they are considering sitting out the season until the de facto ban of Eric Reid and Colin Kaepernick is removed and both men are given spots back on rosters.
They aim to get 25% of the players to sit out with them.
As far as Kaepernick’s situation with the league, he hasn’t played since the 2016 season. He filed a grievance against the organization in October, saying that teams had conspired and colluded to keep him out of the NFL in response to his social activism and protest during the national anthem.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that documents used as part of the lawsuit showed that multiple teams viewed Kaepernick as a starting caliber quarterback before last season. In 2016, Kaepernick threw for 2,241 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 games.
Reid has been one of the best safeties in the NFL over the last five years, yet still hasn’t found interest on the free agent market this off-season and similarly filed a grievance with the NFL as a result.
As we reported earlier, the NFL came under fire after announcing its new league policy which we detailed at the top of this story. To say a lot of NFL players not taking kindly to the announcement, including Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and defensive end Chris Long, is an understatement.
It Aint Over!
What’s even more interesting is that former NFL long snapper and U.S. Army Green Beret Nate Boyer doesn’t approve of how the NFL has handled its new ban on kneeling for the national anthem. In case you forgot, Boyer, 37, is the military veteran who convinced former Kaepernick to take a knee instead of sitting during the anthem in the summer 2016.
On Friday, Boyer kicked off Memorial Day weekend by telling a San Diego sports talk radio station that the NFL once again has bungled the kneeling controversy.
“This was a big opportunity to bring the players to the discussion with the league and they didn’t do it,” Boyer told radio host Scott Kaplan and his 1090 radio station crew. “I don’t really understand that.”
Then on Monday, Boyer responded to a tweet from Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) who criticized the Jets owner Saturday for agreeing to pay his players’ protest fines, comparing taking a knee during the anthem to giving a Nazi salute.
Rep. Pete King✔@RepPeteKing
Disgraceful that @nyjets owner will pay fines for players who kneel for National Anthem. Encouraging a movement premised on lies vs. police. Would he support all player protests? Would he pay fines of players giving Nazi salutes or spew racism? It’s time to say goodbye to Jets!
