Tag Archives: nfl

Entertainment, US

Trump, on NFL Ruling, Suggests Kneeling Players “Shouldn’t Be In The Country”

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NFL owners issued a new policy earlier this week, requiring players and team personnel to stand during the National Anthem. This ruling is in response to controversy last season in which some players chose to kneel instead of stand to protest cases of systemic oppression.

According to ESPN, the new policy mandates players ad personnel to stand during the anthem “if they are on the field during the performance,” but allows them “the option to remain in the locker room if they prefer.”

The policy subjects teams to a fine if a player or any other team personnel do not show respect for the anthem. That includes any attempt to sit or kneel, as dozens of players have done during the past two seasons to protest racial inequality and police brutality. Those teams also will have the option to fine any team personnel, including players, for the infraction.

President Trump responded with support for the NFL’s decision to ban kneeling, saying on Fox & Friends that “I don’t think people should be staying in the locker rooms, but still I think it’s good. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.”

Trump also said he doesn’t feel responsible for the new NFL policy, noting that he thought it was the American people who pressed the league to make the new rule.

This isn’t the first time Trump has criticized NFL players kneeling during the anthem. In September 2017, Trump asked at a rally in Alabama, “wouldn’t you love to see one of the NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say ‘Get that son of a b—– off the field right now’?”

According to a statement released by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the league acknowledged that kneeling players have been effective in alerting the public to social issues, noting that “the efforts by many of our players sparked awareness and action around issues of social justice that must be addressed.”

Goodell also stated that “we want people to be respectful of the national anthem…we want people to stand— that’s all personnel— and make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That’s something we think we owe. But we were also very sensitive to give players choices.”

The vote was unanimous among owners.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long rebuked the new rule, claiming that it was based in fear:

https://twitter.com/JOEL9ONE/status/999408653445795840

New York Jets chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson has reportedly balked at the new policy; according to a report from Newsday, Johnson told the publication that “his players are free to take a knee or perform some other protest without fear of repercussion from the team.”

“If somebody [on the Jets] takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organization, by me, not the players,” Johnson said. “I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players. Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest. There are some big, complicated issues that we’re all struggling with, and our players are on the front lines. I don’t want to come down on them like a ton of bricks, and I won’t. There will be no club fines or suspensions or any sort of repercussions. If the team gets fined, that’s just something I’ll have to bear.”

Entertainment

VIDEO: Ray Rice Beating Wife – Fired From NFL Indefinitely

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ATLANTIC CITY,  September 9, 2014 – The Baltimore Ravens announced the termination of running back Ray Rice’s contract Monday afternoon following the release of new video footage showcasing a domestic violence incident between Rice and his now-wife at a Atlantic City hotel.

An NFL spokesperson, Greg Aiello, followed up the Raven’s statement on twitter with the announcement of Rice’s suspension from the NFL, stating “Roger Goodell has announced that based on new video evidence that became available today he has indefinitely suspended Ray Rice”.

 

News of a domestic violence incident between Rice and his then-fiancee back in February broke earlier this year, initially resulting in a paltry two game suspension for Rice. Many felt that the NFL’s punishment of Rice did not go far enough and took to social media outlets to express their outrage. Several journalists for well known news outlets including the Huffington Post, and CNN also criticized the NFL for what they viewed as a slap on the wrist for Rice. The public outcry eventually lead NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, to announce a strict new conduct policy for domestic violence offenders on August 28th. In the letter sent to NFL owners detailing the new policy, Goodell admitted that he “didn’t get it right” concerning Rice’s suspension, though no further action was taken by the NFL against Rice until today.

TMZ released the shocking elevator surveillance of Rice’s domestic dispute on Monday morning, leading to Rice’s termination and indefinite suspension a mere few hours later. The video shows Rice punching Janay Palmer in the face, causing her to fall backwards and hit her head on a railing. The football player is then shown dragging Palmer’s limp body off of the elevator and disposing of her in a hotel floor. You can watch the full video here:

 

Follow Michael Lotfi on Facebook & Twitter.

Politics, US

BREAKING: NFL Team Paid $130,000 To Popularize Obamacare

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New documents obtained by Judicial Watch reveal that the state of Maryland paid the Baltimore Ravens $130,000 to promote Obamacare.

More specifically, the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange agreed to pay the NFL team $130,000 on September 9. The purpose of the Ravens’ promotion was to bolster Obama’s program on TV, radio, and online — this includes the official Ravens website.

The agreement between the two parties states, “In consideration for the Products and Services provided hereunder, Sponsor shall pay to the Ravens a total of One Hundred Thirty Thousand dollars ($130,000)(the “Fee”) in cash” for television, radio, website, and signage exposure.

Here are the specifics, as outlined in the official contract:

Screen shot 2013-10-22 at 7.04.50 PM Screen shot 2013-10-22 at 7.05.05 PM

The deal comes as a surprise since the NFL said in June that it would not be promoting Obamacare.

Greg Aiello, a spokesman for the NFL, said, “We have responded to the letters we received from members of Congress to inform them we currently have no plans to engage in this area and have had no substantive contact with the administration about [the health-care law’s] implementation.”

In a letter to the NFL (also in June), Republican Senators Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn wrote, “Given the divisiveness and persistent unpopularity of the health care [law], it is difficult to understand why an organization like yours would risk damaging its inclusive and apolitical brand by lending its name to its promotion.”

The paid sponsorship is revealed as Obamacare is simultaneously under heavy scrutiny for being fraught with troubles as the system rolls out. In fact, the health exchange glitches are so bad that the White House called them “unacceptable.”

On Monday, a White House official said that Obama “will directly address the technical problems with HealthCare.gov — troubles that he and his team find unacceptable — and discuss the actions he has pushed for to make it easier for consumers to comparison shop and enroll for insurance while work continues around the clock to improve the website.”