*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).
Special Olympics and WWE are announcing a three-year partnership extension of their global partnership to help create inclusion through sports. Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics and WWE superstar and Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Drew McIntyre join Cheddar News to talk about the announcement.
NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and his daughter/business partner Jaqui Rice Gold joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to talk about their energy drink G.O.A.T. Fuel. The pair talked about launching the brand during the height of the pandemic and what makes it different from competing brands. "The thing that separates us from the other energy drinks is we have cordyceps mushrooms in the drink," he said. "You're not going to have the jitters or anything like that." The duo also discussed the Los Angeles Lakers making it the official energy drink of its organization and what that means for the growth of the brand.
Jill and Carlo cover the developing story out of suburban Milwaukee, where a speeding SUV careened through a Christmas parade. Looters get more brazen in San Francisco, the missing Chinese tennis star resurfaces, and more.
Alternative asset, sports cards-focused platform Alt recently raised $75 million in a Series B round. Alt's platform lets users research, trade, and securely store sports cards and other high-value assets. Right now, the company has more than $70 million worth of cards in its vault. The company is also hoping to get into other assets, including NFTs. Alt CEO Leore Avidar joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Ameeth Sankaran, CEO of the emmy-winning media company Religion of Sports, joined Cheddar to talk about the "Man in the Arena: Tom Brady" docuseries that premiered on ESPN+ earlier this week. Sankaran noted Brady and former NFL star Michael Strahan as co-founders and discussed the origin of the company and its goal to tell stories about sports figures beyond their roles on the court or field.
A former live-in-chef for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown has claimed the NFL star lied about his COVID vaccination status and obtained a fake proof of vaccination card. Brown and the Bucs have since come out denying the claims.
Jill and Carlo are back to cover the latest in the Rittenhouse trial, new information on the origins of Covid, return-to-office and more.
JOIN US FOR THE YOUTUBE WATCH PARTY @ 9aET: http://www.youtube.com/cheddarnow
Ben Stinar, NBA reporter for Fastbreak on FanNation, joins Cheddar Bets to provide some one-month-in overreactions and underreactions to some of the NBA betting lines.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Jared Smith, sports betting analyst from Pickswise, joins Cheddar Bets to break down the biggest games of the college football weekend, including those that put Ohio State and Oregon's Playoff spots on the line.
Sponsored by BetMGM
