The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: Patriotism or pandering?
NFL owners have adopted a new policy requiring players to stand on the field during the national anthem. The league will fine teams whose players take a knee on the field during the pre-game ritual.
Players who don’t want to stand can choose to stay in the locker room without penalty. The whole thing seems designed to move those Colin Kapernick-inspired protests out of the public eye, but in trying to minimize controversy, the league has invited even more of it thanks to free-speech defenders.
The NFL isn’t trampling on players’ constitutional rights, however. This isn’t a government action. It’s a private enterprise establishing standards and codes of conduct for employees. It’s really no different than an employer enforcing a dress code.