NFL owners just voted to fine people of color for protesting injustice against people of color.
The ruling was decided by a group of wealthy white owners and imposed on a league that is nearly 70% black. If the NFL wanted to stop the controversy surrounding on-field social justice protests, this decision will only bring more attention to the issue.
On May 23, the NFL announced the new ruling, which states:
“All team and league personnel on the field shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem. The Game Operations Manual will be revised to remove the requirement that all players be on the field for the Anthem. Personnel who choose not to stand for the Anthem may stay in the locker room or in a similar location off the field until after the Anthem has been performed.”
In addition, teams can be fined for any personnel who “do not show proper respect for the flag and Anthem.”
According to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the ruling was to reverse the incorrect perceptions that the league and its players are unpatriotic while keeping the focus on the game:
“The policy adopted today was approved in concert with the NFL’s ongoing commitment to local communities and our country — one that is extraordinary in its scope, resources, and alignment with our players. We are dedicated to continuing our collaboration with players to advance the goals of justice and fairness in all corners of our society. The efforts by many of our players sparked awareness and action around issues of social justice that must be addressed. The platform that we have created together is certainly unique in professional sports and quite likely in American business. We are honored to work with our players to drive progress. It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic. This is not and was never the case. This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem. Personnel who choose not to stand for the Anthem may stay in the locker room until after the Anthem has been performed. We believe today’s decision will keep our focus on the game and the extraordinary athletes who play it — and on our fans who enjoy it.”
However, the NFL Players Association believes player protests are a sign of patriotism and vows to fight the decision:
The NFL chose to not consult the union in the development of this new ‘policy.’ NFL players have shown their patriotism through their social activism, their community service, in support of our military and law enforcement and yes, through their protests to raise awareness about the issues they care about.
The vote by NFL club CEOs today contradicts the statements made to our player leadership by Commissioner Roger Goodell and the Chairman of the NFL’s Management Council John Mara about the principles, values and patriotism of our League.
Our union will review the new ‘policy’ and challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement.
If the league thought that player protests would magically go away by hiding them in locker rooms, it’s dead wrong. The media and the public will now shift their attention from who’s kneeling peacefully to who’s protesting in the locker room.
Plus, players who stand on the sidelines will still find ways to protest.
I wonder what happens if the NFL players figure out a way to protest while standing up. pic.twitter.com/tXLZisJ5qO
— Neuro Polarbear (@NeuroPolarbear) May 23, 2018
The ruling supports the right-wing, authoritarian narrative that suggests player protests are somehow unpatriotic or anti-military, even though numerous players who protested have publicly stated their support for the military and the belief that protesting injustice is actually a display of patriotism.
In banning protests during the anthem, the league also sided with President Trump over its own players. At a September 2017 rally in Alabama, the president referred to a protesting player as a “son of a bitch.”
President Trump has denied being "preoccupied with the NFL." But that's not what these star athletes think. pic.twitter.com/jSBTWdUwsf
— AJ+ (@ajplus) September 26, 2017
The immediate reaction to the NFL’s decision has been resoundingly negative on Twitter:
We live in day and age where two world class athletes have been effectively banned from the NFL over a peaceful demonstration.
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) May 23, 2018
It's hard to know the time in history that you are living in when you are in it, but we are living in a truly disturbing time. https://t.co/FIZadIOtci
The NFL players’ protests have never been about the military or the flag. They’re about police brutality and white supremacy. Failing to protest injustice in America is not patriotic, it’s dangerous. #TakeAKnee
— ACLU (@ACLU) May 23, 2018
The NFL is 80% black. Imagine if they all sat out a Sunday or two...
— Travon Free (@Travon) May 23, 2018
The NFL Owners: We want this protest conversation thing to die off and focus on football.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) May 23, 2018
The NFL Owners, as intellectuals: I wonder what happens if we pour kerosene on these smoldering embers...
Beat your wife, drive drunk, rape a woman, hit your kid with a stick and you get a multi-million dollar contract, take a knee and the NFL will take a stand! #TakeAKnee
— donaldtrumpnewstoday (@irishrygirl) May 23, 2018
BLACK players: you make up over 70% of the @NFL. Please band together, revolt, resist,
— Such (@such) May 23, 2018
and fight this racist assault on free speech and democracy.
BLACK people: this is what it looks like when white men think they own our lives for their entertainment. Boycott the NFL. https://t.co/iYEvrpbPsm
By the way, the NFL can shove it’s compulsory patriotism up its red, white and blue ass! Count me out as a fan!
— Senator Blutarsky (@senjbblutarsky) May 23, 2018
The NFL is Top 10 at making an issue 100 times worse than it would be if they just left it alone
— lindsey ok (@lindseyyok) May 23, 2018
As someone that served in the military, I am disgusted with the @NFL rule that just came out. I proudly served so that people have the right to protest, especially when it was a peaceful protest. #1stAmendment pic.twitter.com/ie2XZp2Yxf
— Benny (@BennyDNielsen) May 23, 2018
After the anthem they should play the video of Eric Garner being choked to death for selling a loose cigarette and all the NFL owners should have to stand for it.
— Guy Endore-Kaiser (@GuyEndoreKaiser) May 23, 2018
The NFL is giving a master class in institutionalized racism! Their collusion against Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) & Eric Reid (@E_Reid35); their new fines for kneeling... The @NFL does not care about BLACK People! #NFL #NFLCollusion #NFLBoycott #ColinKaepernick #EricReid
— Jawn Murray (@JawnMurray) May 23, 2018
At this point, and frankly many before this, you can’t call yourself a progressive and support the @NFL.
— Jarrett Hill (@JarrettHill) May 23, 2018
Not if you support women. Black people. The constitution. The poor. Our cities...
You just can’t.
The NFL wants to punish black people who protest the unfair punishment of black people. https://t.co/kXcYdk7tS9
— Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) May 23, 2018
The United States is a patriotic and religious country that (rightly!) loves its damn sports, especially football, baseball, and basketball. Enforcing that love through coerced rituals and Pentagon product placements is not a projection of strength; it's an expression of weakness
— Matt Welch (@MattWelch) May 23, 2018
Saying "How high?" when a president says "Jump!" is behavior suitable for a royal subject, not an American citizen. Rewarding politicians for playing fan bases off of one another—unless it's Sox–Yankees, in which case Iran-Iraq rules apply—isn't cheeky-clever, it's creepy-vulgar
— Matt Welch (@MattWelch) May 23, 2018
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Why do some folks use social media but don't engage?
Psychologist says people who never comment on social media share these 5 positive traits
For over 20 years, social media has developed into a staple in many people’s day-to-day lives. Whether it’s to keep in communication with friends and family, following the thoughts of celebrities, or watching cat videos while sipping your morning coffee, there seem to be two types of social media users: commenters and lurkers.
The term “lurker” sounds equally mysterious and insidious, with some social media users writing them off as non-participants at best or voyeurs at worst. However, mindfulness expert Lachlan Brown believes these non-commenters have some very psychologically positive and healthy traits. Let’s take a look at how each one of these traits could be beneficial and see how fruitful lurking might be even though it can drive content creators crazy.
1. Cautious about vulnerability
Consciously or not, making a post online or commenting on one puts you and your words out there. It’s a statement that everyone can see, even if it’s as simple as clicking “like.” Doing so opens yourself up to judgment, with all the good, bad, and potential misinterpretation that comes with it. Non-commenters would rather not open themselves up to that.
These silent users are connected to a concept of self-protection by simply not engaging. By just scrolling past posts or just reading/watching them without commentary, they’re preventing themselves from any downsides of sharing an opinion such as rejection, misunderstanding, or embarrassment. They also have more control on how much of themselves they’re willing to reveal to the general public, and tend to be more open face-to-face or during one-on-one/one-on-few private chats or DMs. This can be seen as a healthy boundary and prevents unnecessary exposure.
Considering many comment sections, especially involving political topics, are meant to stir negative emotional responses to increase engagement, being extra mindful about where, when, and what you comment might not be a bad idea. They might not even take the engagement bait at all. Or if they see a friend of theirs post something vulnerable, they feel more motivated to engage with them personally one-on-one rather than use social media to publicly check in on them.
2. Analytical and reflective mindset
How many times have you gone onto Reddit, YouTube, or any other site and just skimmed past comments that are just different versions of “yes, and,” “no, but,” or “yes, but”? Or the ever insightful, formerly popular comment “First!” in a thread? These silent browsers lean against adding to such noise unless they have some valid and thoughtful contribution (if they bother to comment period).
These non-posters are likely wired on reflective thinking rather than their initial intuition. Not to say that all those who comment aren’t thoughtful, but many tend to react quickly and comment based on their initial feelings rather than absorbing the information, thinking it over, researching or testing their belief, and then posting it. For "lurkers," it could by their very nature to just do all of that and not post it at all, or share their thoughts and findings privately with a friend. All in all, it’s a preference of substance over speed.
3. High sense of self-awareness
Carried over from the first two listed traits, these silent social media users incorporate their concern over their vulnerability and their reflective mindset into digital self-awareness. They know what triggers responses out of them and what causes them to engage in impulsive behavior. It could be that they have engaged with a troll in the past and felt foolish. Or that they just felt sad after a post or got into an unnecessary argument that impacted them offline. By knowing themselves and seeing what’s being discussed, they choose to weigh their words carefully or just not participate at all. It’s a form of self-preservation through restraint.
4. Prefer to observe rather than perform
Some folks treat social media as information, entertainment, or a mix of both, and commenting can feel like they’re yelling at the TV, clapping alone in a movie theater when the credits roll, or yelling “That’s not true!” to a news anchor that will never hear them. But contrary to that, social media is a place where those yells, claps, and accusations can be seen and get a response. By its design, social media is considered by experts and the media as performative, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. Taking all of the previously mentioned traits into account, one can see why they would prefer to “observe the play” rather than get up on the stage of Facebook or X.
On top of that, these non-commenters could be using social media differently than those who choose to fully engage with it. Using this type of navigation, there may be nothing for them to comment about. Some commenters are even vying for this for their mental health. There are articles about how to better curate your social media feeds and manipulate algorithms to create a better social media experience to avoid unnecessary conflict or mentally tiring debate.
If you go on a blocking spree on all of your accounts and just follow the posters that boost you, it could turn your social media into a nice part of your routine as you mainly engage with others face-to-face or privately. In terms of commenting, if your curated Instagram is just following cute dogs and all you have to offer for a comment is “cute dog,” you might just enjoy the picture and then move on with your day rather than join in the noise. These non-commenters aren’t in the show and they’re fine with it.
5. Less motivated by social validation
The last trait that Brown showcases is that social media users who browse without posting tend to be independent from external validation, at least online. Social media is built to grow through feedback loops such as awarding likes, shares, and reposts of your content along with notifications letting you know that a new person follows you or wants to connect. This can lead many people to connect their activity on social media with their sense of self worth, especially with adolescents who are still figuring out their place in the world and have still-developing brains.
Engaging in social media via likes, shares, comments, and posts rewards our brains by having them release dopamine, which makes us feel good and can easily become addictive. For whatever reason, non-commenters don’t rely on social media as a means to gauge their social capital or self worth. This doesn’t make them better than those who do. While some non-commenters could have healthier ways to boost their self worth or release dopamine into their systems, many get that validation from equally unhealthy sources offline. That said, many non-commenters’ silence could be a display of independence and self confidence.
Whether you frequently comment online or don’t, it’s good to understand why you do or don’t. Analyzing your habits can help you determine whether your online engagement is healthy, or needs to be tweaked. With that information, you can then create a healthy social media experience that works for you.