NFL levies more than $1 million in fines against 3 teams and their coaches who didn’t wear masks during games

The Political Agitator’s response: See that is that Trump S….!

Seattle’s Pete Carroll, Denver’s Vic Fangio and San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan were each fined $100,000, a league source told CNN.

(CNN)Three NFL teams are being fined $250,000 each because their coaches were not wearing face coverings during games on Sunday, a league source told CNN Monday.

The teams facing sanctions are the Seattle Seahawks, the Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers.

The three head coaches of those teams — Seattle’s Pete Carroll, Denver’s Vic Fangio and San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan — were each fined $100,000, the source said.

Chiefs fan who attended game tests positive for Covid-19 and now everyone who sat near them is in quarantine

CNN has reached out to all three teams seeking comment regarding the fines. (Read more)

Deshaun Watson is ready to speak out against racism in the NFL

Deshaun Watson has found his voice and is using it to speak out against racism in the NFL. The Houston Texans quarterback says he was conditioned to believe he wasn’t smart enough and lacked the education needed to speak out.

According to a recent interview with ESPN, the football player gets vulnerable and opens up about how he thinks the world perceives him as a Black quarterback.

“To keep it real with you, I feel like whenever a Black quarterback speaks up, the outside world sometimes doesn’t think they’re educated enough to know what’s going on. So in reality, they’re like, ‘Hey, y’all Black quarterbacks — shut up. Y’all don’t know what y’all talking about.’ “

The 24-year-old says he feels the pressure that comes with being the head of a team. Waston says especially as a Black quarterback he is aware that folks are judging his every move, from what he wears to how he speaks. He goes on to say his insecurities stem from the racism he experienced as a child growing up in Georgia and how these issues shaped his world view.

“But the way I grew up, and the way I saw it, it was kind of normal. So as a young boy, it was kind of like, ‘I guess this is the way it should be.’ And this is the way it has been for a long time.” (Read more)

Panthers owner David Tepper: ‘Dead wrong’ to call NFL players’ protests unpatriotic – MSN

 

 

© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. Jul 26, 2018; Spartanburg, SC, USA; Carolina Panthers new owner David Tepper walks to the field during training camp held at Wofford College.New Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper could not disagree more with the assertion that NFL players who protest during the pregame playing of the national anthem are unpatriotic.

More on NFL

• Prisco’s Week 2 picks: Steelers rout the Chiefs

Visiting Carnegie Mellon University on Thursday, Tepper told CNBC’s Scott Wapner on “Halftime Report” that it’s “dead wrong” to characterize players who have protested to promote racial equality, better policing and criminal justice reform as anti-military or anti-American. He added that those who’ve protested “are some of the most patriotic people and best people.”

“That was the biggest pile of bull-dingy ever,” he said. “These are some of the most patriotic people and best people. These are great young men. It just makes me so aggravated and angry. OK? It’s just wrong. It’s just dead wrong.”

Tepper backed his opinions by highlighting how much certain NFL players contribute to their communities, noting that many who’ve stood up — or knelt — for social justice have also done things to promote change.

His comments come a day after Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills, who continues to demonstrate during the anthem, received an award, not to mention praise from Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, for his “contributions to social justice.” (Read more)

The NFL released a statement backing players protesting social issues, including Colin Kaepernick – Business Insider

The NFL on Tuesday released a statement that backing players who have raised awareness about social issues — including Colin Kaepernick, though they didn’t mention his full name.

“The National Football League believes in dialogue, understanding and unity. We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities,” the statement read.

“The social justice issues that Colin and other professional athletes have raised deserve our attention and action.”

The statement also highlighted some of the charitable work NFL players have done to support different causes. (Read more)

NFL Protests: It’s time to have a REAL conversation about police brutality!

Click On Photo To Watch Video

NFL players hit back over anthem policy — get ready for another political football season

In May, NFL team owners agreed on a new policy to fine teams next season if their players do not stand during the national anthem. The move took many by surprise and was seen as a victory for President Trump, who had spent more than a year publicly criticizing NFL players for kneeling, and the league for allowing them to kneel.

Now the NFL Players Association has filed an official grievance against the policy.

On Tuesday, the NFLPA filed a non-injury grievance on behalf of all players, and said in a statement, “This new policy, imposed by the NFL’s governing body without consultation with the NFLPA, is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and infringes on player rights.” (Read more)

LeBron: Trump is using sports to divide us – CNN

Click On Photo To Watch Video

(CNN)LeBron James thinks the President is using athletics, and athletes, to split up the country. And he’s rejecting the premise like an opponent’s ill-advised layup.

“What I’ve noticed over the past few months,” James shared with CNN’s Don Lemon during a sit-down interview on Monday. “(Is) he’s kinda used sports to kinda divide us, and that’s something that I can’t relate to.”

Referencing Colin Kaepernick, whose kneeling protests during the pre-game national anthem launched an NFL movement, and more recently, Stephen Curry, who honored his promise of skipping a visit to Donald Trump’s White House, James bemoaned a myriad of instances in which the President has twisted peaceful displays of dissent into an indictment of a decaying American value system. (Read more)

Obviously It Is An Issue NFL Anthem Protest

The NFL rule says a player can stay in the locker room while the national anthem is played. However some coaches have taken it upon themselves to tell their players they must come out and stand.

So it is obvious those who have a problem with the players staying in the locker room and kneeling during the anthem is ignant to the facts, in denial or don’t give a damn about others freedom of speech. Oh but the same folk will say it is about freedom.

I am so damn glad I can see, read and comprehend for myself.

Hypocrisy In Sports

Click On Photo To Watch Video

NFL star Malcolm Jenkins reflects on the power of protest as new season looms – News

Click On Photo To Watch Video

The Bell Tolls: Cowboys players apparently unable and unwilling to challenge Jerry Jones’ anthem policy – USA Today

The Gate Keeper: response: But when do the white players stand with the black players and say we are unified and that they support the movement? Damn shame when you have folk like myself out here speaking truth to power broke but these guys got money and scared to take a stand! Damn they may as well be on the damn plantation.

Click On Photo To Read The Article

NY Giants co-owner on anthem protests: Trump ‘has no understanding of why they take a knee’–AOL

New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch will not punish his players for any anthem displays of protest and hopes that President Donald Trump will focus on other issues, he told The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday.

“Hopefully he’ll have much more going on that he’s going have to deal with and should deal with and must deal with than worrying about what NFL players do,” Tisch told The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday night at the premiere of The Equalizer 2. “He has no understanding of why they take a knee or why they’re protesting. When the new season starts, I hope his priorities are not criticizing the NFL and telling owners what to do and what not to do.”

His comments come during a week when issues surrounding the anthem have resurfaced in part due to a joint statement released by the NFL and NFPA Thursday. That statement included that there will be no new rules issued relating to the national anthem, and that none will be enforced over the “next several weeks” while they continue to have “confidential discussions.” (Read more)

NFL, NFLPA announce ‘standstill’ on anthem rules after Dolphins report – ESPN

With the Miami Dolphins facing backlash after submitting required paperwork to the NFL that included potential disciplinary measures for player protests during the national anthem, the league has decided to hit pause on its new policy, sources told ESPN.

The league and the NFL Players Association issued a joint statement Thursday that said “no new rules relating to the anthem will be issued or enforced for the next several weeks” while both sides continue to hold discussions to figure out how to move forward.

“The NFL and NFLPA, through recent discussions, have been working on a resolution to the anthem issue,” the joint statement said. “In order to allow this constructive dialogue to continue, we have come to a standstill agreement on the NFLPA’s grievance and on the NFL’s anthem policy.

“The NFL and NFLPA reflect the great values of America, which are repeatedly demonstrated by the many players doing extraordinary work in communities across our country to promote equality, fairness and justice. Our shared focus will remain on finding a solution to the anthem issue through mutual, good faith commitments, outside of litigation.” (Read more)

Trump demands Roger Goodell ‘make a stand’ on players kneeling for anthem – The Hill

President Trump took aim at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday in a tweet, calling upon the football executive to further punish players who protest by kneeling during the national anthem.

The president wrote Friday that Goodell, noting his $40 million a year salary, must “make a stand” against mostly African-American NFL players who have protested police brutality and racism by taking a knee during the National Anthem before games.

“The NFL National Anthem Debate is alive and well again – can’t believe it! Isn’t it in contract that players must stand at attention, hand on heart? The $40,000,000 Commissioner must now make a stand. First time kneeling, out for game. Second time kneeling, out for season/no pay!” Trump wrote. (Read more)

Majority of Americans say NFL players who kneel during the anthem are ‘not unpatriotic’ – CNN

Washington (CNN)A majority of Americans, by a 58% to 35% margin, believe NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem in protest are “not unpatriotic,” according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.

By a 53-to-43% margin, Americans say professional athletes have the right to protest on the playing field, though 51% of voters said they support the NFL’s new policy requiring players to stand.

The poll also found that there was a partisan split, with 70% of Republican voters saying taking a knee was unpatriotic, while only 11% of Democratic voters agreed.

Thursday’s poll was conducted from May 31 to June 5, partially after President Donald Trump announced that . . . (Read more)