Seeking to end a political controversy that has embarrassed professional football, the N.F.L.’s team owners on Wednesday held that players could no longer kneel during the national anthem without leaving themselves open to punishment or their teams facing possible financial penalties. But the league also said the new policy would not force athletes to stand on the sideline during the anthem; it would give them the option of staying in the locker room during the pregame ceremony. President Trump escalated the issue a year later as he attacked kneeling players as unpatriotic, a stand that is believed to have contributed to a decline in television ratings. Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the N.F.L., said the protests, which began in the summer of 2016, created a “false perception among many that thousands of N.F.L. players were unpatriotic.” He added, “The new policy will keep our focus on the game and the extraordinary athletes who play it — and on our fans who enjoy it.”

Source: New York Times May 23, 2018 16:19 UTC