Nevius: NFL anthem decision brings common sense to its knees

There must have been ?high-fives in Roger Goodell’s NFL offices Wednesday. You know that national anthem protest problem?

Solved. Nailed it.

And this is why you don’t often see the words “smart and savvy” in the same sentence as “NFL ownership.” Once again they’ve managed to take a small problem and make it worse. And, as a bonus, they have almost certainly intensified the rift between players and management.

The NFL solution is that players will not be allowed to sit or kneel on the sideline during the national anthem, but they have the option of staying out of sight in the locker room. Oh, and if a player should feel so strongly about the issue that he decides to kneel in public, his team (and possibly he) will be subject to a fine.

Now, there are a few problems.

Where to begin?

First, this is still a solution in search of a problem. As you noticed last season, it wasn’t just former 49ers Colin Kaepernick or Eric Reid who took a knee before games. A Chicago Tribune story from last September estimated that 200 players across the country protested on one weekend.

Despite that, the world did not explode. Society was not ruptured. The values of the country were not compromised. It did make President Donald Trump angry, but it seems like almost everything does that.

In fact, the protests came and went with barely a ripple. As the year went on, TV broadcasts made brief mention, with perhaps a quick shot of the protesters, and then we all went back to wondering if the 49ers should throw on third-and-three.

There is even a case to be made that it was inspirational to see black and white teammates getting together in a silent, respectful gesture of support.

Wait, the NFL overlords say, you can still do that. But just do it behind closed doors, away from any cameras. You fellas just go right ahead and have your protest. Just make sure no one can see you.

Which, it seems, raises a question about something we like to call the First Amendment. Although employers can do what they want and the First Amendment pertains only to the government’s ability to restrict people’s rights to free speech and peaceful assembly, its spirit is the root of the players’ actions.

That’s the point of a public protest. It is public. This restricts that. Lawyers, discuss among yourselves.

Also, where are we drawing the line here? Players are ordered to stand on the sideline, but do they have to put their hand on their heart? Are they going to be required to sing along?

And, even if we agree that team owners have the power to tell players when they are allowed to sit or kneel, what if those crafty protesters come up with something else? What if they stand on the sideline, but hold out their hands in a thumbs-down position? Or balance on one foot? Or do the hokey-pokey?

Anthem police may be required.

I’m sure the owners thought the idea to give fines to the teams whose players don’t toe the line was genius. They can say: “Sorry, guys, it’s not the league office that is restricting you. It is your team.”

It will probably never happen, but if a team wanted to make a statement, and engender the whole-hearted support of its progressive players, there is a radical possibility. You could say to players, go ahead and protest. We’ll pay the fine.

You’d be supporting your players, civil rights and making a huge commitment to the cause.

OK, granted, that probably won’t happen. It would not be popular with a segment of the fan base. Those are the people who are furious with the players because they think they are disrespecting the flag and our troops.

Which leads directly into another point. If you don’t agree with the sideline protests, that’s fine. You can boo at the game and write angry letters to the newspaper. That is your right.

What you don’t get to do is tell the protesters what their protest is about. You don’t get to say: I know you NFL players say this is about unarmed black people getting shot by the police, but you’re wrong. This is about the flag, our brave troops and our country.

It would be as if a group of people gathered to protest gun violence and weak gun laws and a powerful group of wealthy individuals told them they were mistaken. You aren’t protesting school shootings, they’d say, you are disrespecting our Constitution and right to bear arms.

Wait, the NRA already does that.

OK, so let’s keep it simple. You’re entitled to your own opinion. Not your own reality.

We have been through this before. Throughout history there have been public protests that were unpopular at the time. You can go all the way back to segregated schools or the war in Vietnam.

It takes more than a notion to mobilize a large, commited number of people to take up a social cause. And there are always those who are uncomfortable and offended. “My country, right or wrong,” they say.

But today, you know what we say to those people who refused to acknowledge the virtues of those important and culture-changing protests?

You were on the wrong side of history.

NFL owners, take note.

You can reach staff columnist C.W. Nevius at cw.nevius@pressdemocrat.com. Twitter: ?@cwnevius.