NFL CAVES – AT 12:52 P.M. ET:   Contrary to what was anticipated, the NFL will not mandate that players show respect during the playing of the national anthem.  The league has caved.  From Reuters:

Commissioner Roger Goodell, along with the head of the NFL Players Association, will meet with the owners from Oct. 17-18 in New York where the issue of player protests during the U.S. national anthem is expected to command much attention.

“(Goodell) has a plan that he is going to present to owners about how to use our platform to both raise awareness and make progress on issues of social justice and equality in this country,” NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said on a conference call.

“What we don’t have is a proposal that changes our policy, we don’t have something that mandates anything. That’s clear. If that was the case I doubt the head of the NFLPA would have put a joint statement out with us.”

The statement released on Wednesday said Goodell invited NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith to the meetings and that the agenda will be a continuation of how to make progress on the important social issues that players have vocalized.

COMMENT:  I'll bet that not one proposal that comes out of this shakedown affects the life of one black child.   I'll also bet that NFL ratings continue to decline.

October 13, 2017