Fox Sports sideline reporter Pam Oliver predicted on MSNBC that NFL players will continue to Take the Knee throughout the regular season. Oliver opined the protest is about President Trump, while others have pushed a Black Lives Matter motivation or even an anti-American animus.
Former President Clinton spokesman Joel Lockhart, reportedly advised the NFL to shift the symbolic protest to locking arms to show unity during the National Anthem. Unfortunately, not all players adhered to this crisis management suggestion. In addition, the lock step pose still did not allay the ire of many patriotic NFL fans.
It is unclear what sort of behavior that League officials will tolerate. In the past, the NFL has threatened New York team players from donning decals to show solidarity with 9/11 victims. More recently, the NFL denied the Dallas Cowboys permission to wear a "5" on their helmets to remember the fallen law enforcement officers from a shooting. Yet antics like Odell Beckham Jr. seems to be tolerated.
A better question is what NFL fans will tolerate. Television ratings are markedly down. Long time fans are publicly burning licensed merchandise and even tickets.
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