Fourth, the league specifically articulates restrictions on how players must handle the national anthem. The game-operations manual — not the rules manual — dictates how NFL games should be run, including how players must handle the anthem. The NFL’s own website threatens “penalties for noncompliance” with the game operations manual.” The manual requires that “all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.”

I saw this yesterday and while the author cites the NFL Game Operations Manual specifically states, in quotations, “all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem,” he does not cite to where this allegedly appears, and I cannot find any such quote. I have found no source that provides a link to the manual where the content may be seen, nor any image of any manual page.

I have found endless sources quoting internet sources, but none enabling verification of the quote.

http://operations.nfl.com/

http://operations.nfl.com/football-ops/league-governance/

It’s a great day for football.

The field is in pristine condition. Screaming fans pack stadiums around the league and millions more tune in around the country. Like clockwork, the players appear, the national anthem is sung and the game begins — precisely on time.

Before a game even starts, Game Operations staff, league representatives and the highly skilled officiating crew begin enforcing rules designed to create an environment that is fair for both teams, exciting and entertaining for the fans, and protects the players. Each sideline and locker room is set up with the same technology, equipment and provisions to ensure that no team has an unfair competitive advantage.

At least that says "the players appear, the national anthem is sung," apparently saying the players appear before the anthem begins. Of course, it is not a Rule which is enforcable for disciplinary purposes.

Left side select "The Game" [the football icon]

Select Gameday

Scroll down to Countdown to Kickoff

Scroll down to "20 Minutes" and here is the countdown:

20 minutes: Earliest a visiting team can be required to end its warm-ups, absent a leaguewide obligation or event being conducted on the field during the warm-up period.

Within 20 minutes, the schedule varies slightly depending on the game time, the network broadcasting the game and home team production elements. The following is a suggested league schedule for a 1:02 p.m. kickoff on CBS.

14 minutes: Two game officials give the visiting team the 2-minute warning for departure from the locker room. The officiating crew’s side judge hands the team’s uniform designee a card advising him of the four randomly selected linemen (two offensive and two defensive) whom the official will check for unauthorized foreign substances on their uniforms as they leave the locker room.

12 minutes: The visiting team leaves the locker room. Two officials give the home team the 2-minute warning for departure from the locker room. The officiating crew’s umpire hands the team’s uniform designee a card advising him of the four randomly selected linemen (two offensive and two defensive) whom the official will check for unauthorized foreign substances on their uniforms as they leave the locker room.

10 minutes: The home team leaves the locker room. Visiting team player introductions begin.

8 minutes: Home team player introductions begin.

5 minutes: The national anthem begins. The league dictates that it can last no longer than 2 minutes.

3 minutes: The national anthem ends.

2 minutes: Coin toss. Each team can send as many as six player captains of its choosing, including one former player or coach serving as an honorary captain, but only one of them can call the coin toss or declare the team’s decision after the toss.

1 minute: Both teams take the field.

Kickoff

I first saw the assertion appear as claiming the content was in the NFL Official Playing Rules. When that proved specious, it revived with someone claiming it was in the NFL Operations Manual.

The online game operations content only says when the teams must leave the locker room. It says nothing of when they must clear the tunnel leading to the field, and appear on the field itself.

I can find published articles citing pages a62-a63, but never with a link to enable one to see the pages.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/09/24/were-not-going-to-play-politics-steelers-mike-tomlin-says-team-wont-take-the-field-for-anthem/

The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the league’s game operations manual, according to a league source.

It may be that the internet is buzzing with a story whose attribution is "according to a league source," meaning the writer never saw the page, and "a league source" is really, really vague.

http://time.com/4955704/nfl-league-rulebook-a62-63-national-anthem-rule/

Here's what the game operations manual says regarding the national anthem, according to an NFL spokesperson:

Another anonymous source, and the writer did not see the alleged pages.

http://www.snopes.com/must-nfl-players-stand/

We have not yet been able to independently confirm the existence and wording of this second document [nc - Game Operations Manual] (the NFL has not responded to our query), but the proffered wording — which league spokesman Brian McCarthy described as a “policy” rather than a “rule” — states that players must “be” on the sideline for the national anthem, not that they must “stand” on the sideline (the latter is listed only as something players “should” do). The wording also establishes that players “may” (not “shall”) be penalized for not observing the regulation, and indeed the NFL announced that they would not take any disciplinary measures over players’ remaining in the locker room before Week 3 games:

The NFL will not discipline those teams and players who refused to be on the field for the playing of the national anthem before games Sunday, league spokesman Joe Lockhart said.

“There will be no discipline handed down this week,” Lockhart, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications and public affairs, said in a conference call with reporters.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans were not on the field for the anthem.

There is a named league source, but he does not confirm the alleged content of the alleged pages a62-a63.

Bannon isn't backing down one iota. He's turning up the heat.

It was the first presidential debate on NBC with Lester Holt on 9/26/16. So the Week 3 numbers don't tell us much.

The Associated Press

There is no such credit on this piece at Breitbart. I can't imagine AP syndicating it and don't see any search engine results for AP.

Ah, my bad then. I didn't notice it there.

Sorry. I own this one. Long day and didn't catch it at the time.

I just posted an update to the Steelers thread. Check it out.

The Steelers have really got the message from their fans. LOL

It was the first presidential debate on NBC with Lester Holt on 9/26/16. So the Week 3 numbers don't tell us much.

I saw that and also that the NFL tried the same crap. Of course their numbers were up from one year ago on Monday. It is just a reflection of how bad their numbers were against the debate a year ago.

The Hill:

The Steelers have really got the message from their fans. LOL

Blue collar Miller High Life swilling Trump supporters. I knew the sparks would fly. These are the same folks who put Trump over the top in PA.

That Cowboys game on Monday must have had huge ratings. Because Sunday night was a disaster for ratings.

Yuh think? But it dived in Dallas/Ft. Worth. I have my very sincere doubts that Jerry is going to join a midfield circle jerk, kneeling in Dallas. He might do that in Arizona, but I will bet a cookie there is no repeat in Dallas.

The spin sounds good, but if Kneeling Jerry was a success, I want to know what a disaster looks like. How many Dallas viewers saw Jerry take a knee and changed the channel?

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2017/09/26/cowboys-mnf-rating-plummets-dallas-fort-worth

Cowboys Monday Night Football rating plummets in Dallas-Fort Worth but... This Story is About...

The Dallas-Fort Worth rating for the Cowboys 28-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football was down 17 percent from their lone MNF appearance last season, a 42-21 victory over the Detroit Lions on the day after Christmas.

Both games were simulcast on ESPN and WFAA (Channel 8). The rating is a total for both ESPN and Channel 8.

But before you read too much into the drop, realize the rating for the victory over the Cardinals was up three percent from the Cowboys only Monday Night Football appearance in 2015, a 19-16 victory over NFC East rival Washington on Dec. 7. The Cowboys will not appear on ESPN again this season.

Why the disparity from 2015 to 2016? Well, the Cowboys struggled to a 4-12 record in 2015. They finished 13-3 in 2016.

The numbers: Monday's victory scored a 29.0 rating. In 2016, the rating was 34.9. In 2015, it was 28.1.

While the number of homes each ratings point represents fluctuates from year to year, it would be approximately 26,500 homes over the three-year span.

Nationally, the 8.2 final national rating for Cowboys-Cardinals was up 71 percent over last season's Atlanta-New Orleans game, which earned a 4.9 and was crushed by the inaugural Donald Trump-Hilary Clinton debate.

Editor's note: This post has been updated with national ratings.

Blue collar Miller High Life swilling Trump supporters. I knew the sparks would fly.

I thought the Steelers might be the breaking point. Those videos and Limbaugh turning on them was just too much pressure. They were going to be the biggest losers with their fans, maybe a lot more than other NFL teams would lose.

Sunday night football NBC and Monday night football ESPN have all white announcers.

And no gays or transgenders? Any of them women? I don't recall any.

The spin sounds good, but if Kneeling Jerry was a success, I want to know what a disaster looks like. How many Dallas viewers saw Jerry take a knee and changed the channel?

Interesting to consider the direct feedback these cable companies and Directv get from their satellite boxes.

If you're hooked to a Comcast system and have a cable modem, they do get info about what you're watching in real time. If you've hooked your Directv box to the internet for their Whole-Home or streaming services, they also get that info. And they've been collecting this info for some time. So they know the viewing habits of a lot of people, measured directly.

You have to wonder just what the cable companies and Directv learned about who was switching the channel, how many switched as soon as they saw it, how many watched through to the end of the game or quit early, etc.

Directv didn't give those season ticket refunds for no reason, I think. They saw something in the metered viewing data of who was still watching and who switched off.

Slimes: Navy Returns to Compasses and Pencils to Help Avoid Collisions at Sea

Any of them women? I don't recall any.

As Rush says "only the sideline babe reporters."