Hang your heads America, football’s anthem policy is a new low

Many black players in the National Football League, you see, were worried about how often unarmed black and brown people were being shot by law enforcement. So they would kneel, or link arms, during the national anthem before each game, as a peaceful protest. Gentle, free speech.

But to the real estate billionaires, chain store moguls, oil speculators and opulent heirs who have bought or inherited the NFL teams, this weren’t a good look.

Scared of the criticism from President Trump – who said players who kneel are “sons of bitches” – and his followers, the team owners have minted a new set of rules governing what “personnel” are allowed to do during the anthem.

They must be “respectful” during the anthem, with one owner saying linking arms would probably violate this “respect”.

Pendejos. Forced respect is no respect at all. Isn’t the anthem a statement of values, not just uniform adherence to power?

One of American freedom’s defining images is that of Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in a “human rights salute” during the anthem as they stood on the podium wearing gold and bronze for the 200m race. Today’s action is surely less confrontational.

Americans usually take their freedom of speech more seriously. In 2014 a Texas law banning “upskirt” photography was struck down by an appeals court because banning photography for “arousal” would violate the photographer’s “protected thought”. 

But if black players say “please stop killing us”, that’s too much. You can only behave one way during my anthem, they are told.

These owners earn billions from their team and its athletes, most of whom are black. They voted unanimously for the new rules under which these players can’t link arms if it symbolises their solidarity. They have made their own employees, fellow citizens, into dissidents.

I listened to a few versions of the Star Spangled Banner today, most notably sung by Whitney Houston. Tingles. Only La Marseillaise is better. I wonder, have the NFL heirs and bosses actually heard it?