*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).
The 2022 Masters Tournament is slated to begin on Thursday, and one of golf's most iconic players is set to return to Augusta National, just 14 months after a devastating car accident. In a press conference, Tiger Woods told reporters that not only is he planning to play in the tournament, but that he also thinks he can win. Cam Rogers, national sports betting and golf analyst, and host of 'Lock It In'
for the Bleav Podcast Network, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Carsten Koerl, CEO of Sportradar, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains how his company is bolstering the platforms of sports betting and streaming networks, and discusses basketball legend and Sportradar investor Michael Jordan's role in helping the company grow.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 4, 2022, with reports of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, a weekend shooting in Sacramento killing six and injuring 12, Mexico ending its gas subsidization for U.S. drivers, and the University of South Carolina winning the women's NCAA basketball championship, and more.
Between Bells EP Conor White recaps some of the biggest stories of the week, while Baker Machado and Hena Doba test their knowledge, and maybe learn a thing or two. It's This Week in Trivia!
David Salituro, MLB and PGA sportswriter for Fansided.com, joins Cheddar Bets to break down his favorite futures bets in the MLB and at The Masters.
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For the first time in the history of the storied men's college basketball rivalry between Duke University and the University of North Carolina, the two teams will be meeting directly in the NCAA tournament — and in the Final Four! Sean Green, the co-founder of the Sports Gambling Podcast Network, joined Cheddar to give his take on the possible final game of legendary Duke coach, Mike Krzyzewski. "Now, if you recall, UNC actually beat Duke in Coach K's final home regular-season game, so revenge is going to be on the mind of Duke in this Final Four game, and I think they have the best of UNC. I like them laying four points," Green said. He also picked Villanova with an upset win over Kansas.
This June marks the 25th anniversary of the infamous 1997 "Bite Fight”, the iconic boxing rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield when Tyson shockingly bit a piece of his opponent’s ear off. As a macabre tribute to the incident, the boxing legend’s line of cannabis products, Tyson 2.0, has released “Mike Bites", edibles in the shape of an ear complete with a bite mark. Tyson, the chief brand officer and co-founder, along with CEO Adam Wilks joined Cheddar News to talk about the unique gummies. "I just think this is just me owning what I did. I'm owning my responsibility. I've done that. That was pretty bad at the time, but I turned it over to make it pretty good," the former heavyweight champion said.
U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Famer and former Olympian Nancy Kerrigan spoke to Cheddar News about joining Ice Dreams, a national skating tour that connects legends of the sport with its next generation. Kerrigan spoke of the lessons she learned from the sport and how grateful she is for the opportunity to give something back. “I mean skating has taught me some of the greatest things in in my life," she said. "You know, you fall down, things get hard, but you get back up and you keep on trying. And if you're performing and doing something you love, I think you would actually do even better.”
