NFL Protests Reach A Boiling Point, As Players, Owners Cancel Social Concerns Meeting
by Bruce Haring
Deadline
October 29, 2017 5:00pm
SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Things are going from bad to worse regarding relations between NFL players, owners and fans.
On a day when the largest national anthem protest yet was staged, it now appears that players and owners will not be meeting as planned to discuss a solution to the ongoing social justice concerns that prompted the protests.
Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, one of the key spokesmen for the players, says a meeting between the owners and players to discuss social justice initiatives has been canceled. Jenkins claimed the league did not accept an invitation for the meeting, which was to be held Monday in Philadelphia, saying scheduling issues would not permit them to attend.
“They want to get back to football; we want to move past anthem demonstrations,” Jenkins said. “But to do that, we need to be able to replace the platform that we have.”
There may be more to the cancelled meeting than scheduling problems. Reports have also surfaced that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is under fire, with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spearheading the opposition. Jones reportedly led a 17-owner conference call on Thursday to discuss whether a pending contract extension for Goodell could be halted.
Reports indicate that owners are unhappy over Goodell’s handling of the national anthem protests, but also do not like the way the relocation of two teams to Los Angeles was managed and the poor public relations caused by the NFL’s botched investigation of Ray Rice’s domestic violence issue.
UPDATE: In the largest national anthem protest by NFL players to date, the majority of Houston Texans players took a knee during the anthem before their game with the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle.
The team was angry at owner Bob McNair’s remarks referring to players as “inmates” and had contemplated several actions, including staying in the tunnel or an outright game boycott, apparently settling on kneeling. Reports indicate only about 10 Houston players stood during the anthem. It was the first time this year the Texans had protested during the anthem.
The Seahawks, who have been among the league’s more active protestors, also saw linemen Michael Bennett, Sheldon Richardson, Cliff Avril, Jarran Reed, Frank Clark, Quinton Jefferson, Marcus Smith, Branden Jackson and Nazair Jones kneel, with lineman Dion Jordan standing next to them. Also kneeling: offensive linemen Justin Britt and Oday Aboushi, and linebacker Michael Wilhoite.
CBS did not televise the protest, opting to continue coverage of a golf tournament before the game.
