*By Michael Teich*
The NFL is trying to make it clear to its players, fans, and marketing partners that it believes in the power of the America brand, and kneeling during the national anthem will not be tolerated, said Bram Weinstein, a former anchor at ESPN.
All 32 team owners endorsed a new league policy that subjects teams to a fine if a player or another member of a team's staff does not stand for the national anthem. However, players may choose to stay in the locker room during the anthem, the league said.
With the new policy, the NFL is telling its players that the football field is not a platform for their social activism, said Weinstein, even if the league's statement said it is interested in working with players "to advance the goals of justice and fairness in all corners of our society."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a news conference Wednesday that the on-field protests, "created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic." That perception, among other issues, may have contributed to the league's falling TV ratings, said Weinstein.
The NFL Players Association was quick to criticize the policy, saying in a statement that it would "challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement."
The player's are unlikely to strike, but "something is going to happen" because it is still important to the players to show support to their communities, said Weinstein.
Some NFL players have been taking a knee during the national anthem, led by then-San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his 49ers teammate Eric Reed, who began kneeling two years ago to bring attention to issues of police brutality and racial equality.
Kaepernick hasn't played in the league since 2016 and was an unsigned free agent. He filed a grievance against the NFL last year alleging that the owners colluded against him.
“They’ve already been threatened, and a couple of them have been blackballed," said Weinstein. "The league can pretend that's not happening, but Colin Kaepernick is an example of what can happen to your employment future in this league if you continue to do this."
"It's a real live threat,” he said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/nfl-will-fine-teams-if-players-kneel-during-anthem).
Since making his first custom car over 25 years ago, Doug DeBerti has made a name for himself in the auto world. Now his son is taking the wheel as he races towards a professional driving career. It's all chronicled in the new Discovery series "Twin Turbos."
Olympic Silver Medalist Elana Meyers Taylor says that tech is involved in everything from analyzing runs to the sleds. She also talks about other aspects of the Games that would benefit from technology.
Cheddar Politics goes in-depth on the gun debate with The Young Turks, Rare Media, and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL). Between Bells catches up with Glam Masters' Kandee Johnson, and UnREAL's Bart Edwards.
Not all NFL players head to Disney World once the Super Bowl ends. The NFL Players' Association is in the fourth year of its externship program which finds offseason opportunities for athletes looking to boost their resumes. Fanatics' Rebecca Kulick and NFL Linebacker Brandon Chubb join Cheddar to reveal what they've gotten out of the experience.
A report by Yahoo! revealed that an FBI probe into NCAA corruption identifies possible violations by basketball powerhouse schools including Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, Duke, Texas, and more than 15 others. Sports Attorney Jason Belzer, President at Game, broke down the implications of the allegations.
Samsung finally revealed its Samsung Galaxy S9 phone on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress. Warren Buffett spent more money on Apple stock last year than on any other company. Cheddar sits down with Francis Lawrence, director of the new film "Red Sparrow," starring Jennifer Lawrence. And we recap the biggest moments from the 2018 Winter Olympics with James Yoder, CEO and founder of Chat Sports.
James Yoder, founder and CEO of Chat Sports, shares his thoughts on the biggest moments from the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Yoder says he was underwhelmed by the closing ceremony and the performance of the U.S. team.
Americans are coming off big gold medal wins on Thursday from the women's hockey team to men's curling. For premiere athletes, olympic glory can also come with high-valued sponsorship deals. In this episode of Generation Trader in Partnership with E*TRADE Cheddar Anchors Hope King and Baker Machdo explore the performance of some of the top sponsors at this year's winter games.
A number of businesses are cutting ties with the National Rifle Association in the days following the Parkland school shooting. Cheddar speaks with David Hogg, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, about the tragic shooting in Parkland and the #NeverAgain movement. In other news, General Mills is buying natural pet food maker Blue Buffalo for $8 billion in cash. And Chris Tung, Chief Marketing Officer at Alibaba, discusses the company's first official partnership with the International Olympic Committee.
Jeff Lin is the co-founder of Fanchest, a Brooklyn-based startup that ships boxes of sports gear straight to your door. He tells Cheddar what keeps him going every day.
