Stephen Ross asks players to stand for National Anthem

The peaceful demonstration of racial injustice is being hit a blow by teams in the NFL including the Miami Dolphins. Stephen Ross has backtracked off comments last season and is now asking players to stand for the National Anthem.

Peaceful or not, understood or misunderstood, the NFL and it’s teams are feeling the backlash from its fans. Following an almost league wide demonstration over comments made by the President in week four, teams are now being told to stand.

A league rule mandates that the National Anthem be played before every game and that rule also requires but does not mandate the players stand. Players are to hold their helmets in their left hand and are asked not to talk. The rule also requires players to be on the sideline as well. The NFL goes so far as to say that a team or a player could be fined if it is not followed.

To be clear however, the rule has been in place for decades so it’s not something born of the recent demonstrations. On Sunday, the Dolphins stood on the sideline but it was reported, but unconfirmed by me, that two players, Kenny Stills and Michael Thomas remained in the locker room until after the anthem.

Thomas and Stills have taken their stand into the community where they consistently meet with families, police, and children in an effort to provide education and a better communication between the police and the community.

On Saturday night, a group of us were treated to a presentation by Stephen Ross’ RISE, Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality. RISE has been working not only with the Dolphins but other NFL teams and players as well as other major sports teams and leagues. As it was told to us, the board is comprised of the commissioners of several sports leagues.

In Dallas, Jerry Jones has taken the action of making players stand to another level saying that if the players don’t stand, the team won’t play. It’s a hard line approach to an issue that was not born out of intentional disrespect for the National Anthem or the flag but instead to simply identify a problem in society.

Despite the negative press coverage and fan outrage, it should be noted that some players do go out of their way to show their support for the U.S. military. On Sunday, Michael Thomas joined a bunch of uniformed military members on the sideline to speak with them, thank them for their service, and pose for pictures with them prior to the teams warm-up sessions.

Regardless of what the NFL owners are starting to mandate to the team it is unclear what the NFL position will be on the manner but should players begin facing fines for kneeling or staying the locker room, it could get much worse.

Ross said last season he would support the players if they chose to kneel but the NFL is trying to change the perception and image of the league after facing backlash across the entire landscape of the NFL. It will be easy for many to point to Ross and call him out but this entire issue was never really simple and a solution was never clearly painted. Ross has been a vocal supporter of the demonstrations and despite him now asking his players to stand, he does so with them in mind.

"“It’s a different dialogue today,” Ross said at a tailgate. “Whenever you’re dealing with the flag, you’re dealing with something different. (Trump) has changed that whole paradigm of what protest is. I think it’s incumbent upon the players today, because of how the public is looking at it, is to stand and salute the flag. Via SI.com."

At some point teams were going to have to get involved and given Ross’ drive for equality and his support of his players, it’s likely something that he toiled with before making a decision. For his part, it’s been reported that Adam Gase will follow that instruction.

According to the PalmBeachPost, Ross who has been outspoken in support of the players that have knelt believes that standing now sends a clear message of their patriotism.

Again, this is an issue that the players themselves are taking serious regardless of their opinions on the matter. In London, Jarvis Landry stood and later said that he understands why the players are taking a knee but that he simply can’t kneel for the National Anthem. He showed his support by standing by those who did. Now it appears that all of the players are being asked to stand.

UPDATE: Adam Gase addressed the media and said that he informed his players last week that the team will stand for the National Anthem or the player will reamain in the locker room. He said this was his decision. He refused to go into detail or discuss the subject.