On Thursday night, a collection some of the NFL’s biggest stars released a video challenge to the league. A-listers including Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and Odell Beckham spoke powerfully about the omnipresence of systemic racism against black Americans.
Then the players turned to the deep rift that has existed between players and owners ever since Colin Kaepernick first knelt during the national anthem in 2016 to protest against racism. They asked the NFL to apologize and recognize the current moment by putting out a statement with these words: “We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people. We, the NFL admit were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all that speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter.”
Less than 24 hours later, Donald Trump predictably entered the fray with a series of tweets that asserted New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees should not have apologized for equating kneeling with disrespecting the military. Trump then tried to rally his base with the antiquated talking point he utters most in times of desperation.
“I am a big fan of Drew Brees. I think he’s truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high,” Trump tweeted. “We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag – NO KNEELING!”
All eyes turned to the NFL. The league had a significant decision to make. Would commissioner Roger Goodell, representative of the 32 owners, finally turn his back on the president (and the NFL’s numerous MAGA fans)? Would he side with his players? Or would he continue to condone Trump’s words through silence, or worse, release a weak, fluffy statement with corporate buzzwords like “equality”, “justice”, and “respect”, while taking no concrete action?
Within minutes, Goodell issued a stunning video. He uttered the words “we were wrong” as he read the statement requested by the players. He spoke with emotion and remorse as he said, “I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country.” It was a Goodell we have never seen before.
Then again, this is a moment we have never seen before. The brutal police killing of George Floyd – and so many before him – has sparked a passionate, widespread movement of awareness, education, and solidarity. We are now almost two weeks into protests seeking an America that ends police brutality and the systemic oppression of its black citizens. It’s a movement that should reach anyone with a heart and functioning brain cells.
Goodell hardly deserves a parade for his change of tone. After all, his NFL is the one that tossed aside its moral compass and turned its back on Kaepernick four years ago and every day since. Goodell’s statement would have been far more powerful had he mentioned Kaepernick by name. Either way, the NFL’s banishment of Kaepernick is a permanent stain on the NFL. Nothing can change that now.
Goodell’s statement was not proactive but reactive to a litany of players who drew a line in the sand. But it was quick and decisive and achieved the unthinkable: The NFL gave Donald Trump the middle finger. It finally detached itself from Trump and his crazy, dangerous strategy of exploiting the flag and national anthem to suppress and demonize peaceful protest.
Trump considers many NFL owners as friends, most notably Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots. Kraft was one of 10 NFL owners who contributed to Trump’s inauguration committee. All of these owners have stood on the sidelines like faithful puppies and allowed Trump to pounce on the league since he started his presidential campaign. Whether calling kneeling players “sons of bitches” or sending Vice-President Mike Pence to a 49ers-Colts just to storm out of the stadium after the anthem, or tweeting “STAND FOR THE FLAG” when he’s bored, Trump’s toxicity has been a constant in the NFL. And the league, happy to collect the revenue of his supporters, turned a blind eye.
But with the NFL’s sudden support of its protesting players, Trump has lost something important. Even Brees exited the Trump train on Friday, addressing the president directly and urging him to stop using the flag to distract America from discussing racial injustice. None of the NFL’s power brokers are publicly in Trump’s corner anymore – whatever they think in private. And Trump, for all of his megalomania, is going to have a hard time using the NFL to spew his usual cocktail of spite and hate.
Even the military, who Trump has long used as a crutch for his demagoguery, is turning its back on him. From condemnation by retired generals, including James Mattis, to the backtracking of the current secretary of defense, Mark Esper, after Trump ordered the military to tamp down protests, Trump’s playbook of politicizing the military is losing steam.
We will see what happens when the protests thin out and the threats of boycotting from MAGA fans inevitably arrives. We will see if any owners cozy up to Trump and try to clamp down on peaceful protesting. We will see if Kaepernick is allowed to play again in the league that has deprived him of a career for his political beliefs. Given the torment the league has caused Kaepernick, and so many of its players, there is reason to be skeptical. But this time feels different. White players and coaches are joining forces with their black teammates. They are marching. They are talking. They are anxious to help. The NFL finally seems ready to be on the right side of history – and turning its back on Trump is a healthy place to start.