*By Conor White*
The former NFL star Victor Cruz said the league's new rule requiring players on the field to stand during the national anthem exacerbates an us-against-them dynamic between owners and players.
"It just doesn't make sense to me," Cruz said in an interview Thursday with Cheddar. "I just don't understand why you're retracting a player's right to even protest or do anything that you wanted to do. It just feels like you're continuing the narrative that you're the player, and we're the hierarchy, and you have to listen to us, and pay attention, and do as we say."
The former New York Giants wide receiver vocalized what some current players have said they are feeling.
Last week, the NFL announced it would fine a team an undisclosed amount if any of its players were to kneel during the playing of the national anthem. Players can stay in the locker room during the anthem if they do not want to stand.
In an [interview with ESPN](http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/211882/victor-cruz-youve-got-to-respect-the-flag) in 2016, Cruz had said the American flag needed to be respected, and that he thought players should stand with their teammates during the anthem "regardless of how you feel about things that are going on in America."
Now, the 31 year old said NFL players should be able to express themselves.
"I still stand by those players who are protesting, fighting for a change, or fighting for the right things to be done, not only in the NFL, but across the world," Cruz said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/victor-cruz-makes-an-impact-off-the-football-field).
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These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry has added a fourth title to his resume: NBA player, investor, entrepreneur ー and now executive producer. Curry's first feature film, "Breakthrough," is slated for release on April 12, 2019. "I know people will love it," the three-time NBA champion told Cheddar in an exclusive interview on Friday.
Brad Twohig, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, said that Fortnite has built itself into a kind of social network and that the community its developed will likely help the game maintain its popularity for some time to come.
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At TwitchCon 2018, Twitch CEO Emmett Shear sat down with Cheddar CEO Jon Steinberg to discuss the streaming platform's explosive growth, the rise of Fortnite, and Twitch's relationship with parent company Amazon.
The formula of success for Twitch is its ability to ride the wave of hit games like "Fortnite" and "Overwatch." Twitch CEO Emmett Shear told Cheddar what the streaming platform's top priorities are going into 2019.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
The Baltimore Ravens are rolling the dice on a new partnership with Horseshoe Casino. The agreement will allow Horseshoe to use team trademarks and logos; the casino plans to eventually build a new Ravens-themed bar on site. The real opportunity, however, will present itself if the state of Maryland decides to legalize sports betting, the NFL team's Senior VP of corporate sales, Kevin Rochlitz, said Wednesday in an interview with Cheddar.
