After the NFL issued a kneeling policy, promising to invoke a heavy-handed penalty against players who kneel on the field during the national anthem, new reporting indicates they might not implement the new directive after all.
—NFL and Trump respond to Colin Kaepernick’s Nike ad—
A league source told ESPN that the new policy is a no-go at least for this season due to strong opposition. However, the source said the NFL and players league are continuing to talk and negotiations have not stalled.
As the league tried to figure out which way to go and how to address players rights to protest, on Sunday, Colin Kaepernick praised two Miami Dolphin players who dared to take a knee and protest police brutality as the national anthem played to
“My Brothers @kstills and @ithinkisee12 continue to show their unwavering strength by fighting for the oppressed!” he tweeted over the weekend.
“They have not backed down, even when attacked and intimidated. Their courage will move the world forward! Love is at the root of our resistance!”
—Really? Serena Williams fined $17,000 for U.S. Open violations—
Donald Trump, who has been a vocal critic of the protests, tweeted on Sunday too and blamed the NFL’s low ratings on the protests.
“Wow, NFL first game ratings are way down over an already really bad last year comparison. Viewership declined 13%, the lowest in over a decade,” he wrote.
“If the players stood proudly for our Flag and Anthem, and it is all shown on broadcast, maybe ratings could come back? Otherwise worse!,” he tweeted.
Kaepernick, who has been a drum major for justice against police brutality, recently became the face of Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ campaign. The use of his likeness has erupted in debate and controversy after Nike backed his cause to fight for racial injustice with the slogan: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
Online sales of Nike products reportedly increased by 31% since the launch of the powerful new campaign.