NFL owners on the spot

The National Football League is headed toward the precipice of a civil war, of sorts, as it methodically reopens for business in the wake of a global pandemic.

In the midst of that exercise, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stunningly reversed course with regard to his league’s stance on race relations in this country in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis policemen.

In what amounts to a watershed statement and moment, Goodell without warning told the nation, “We, the National Football League condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people.

“We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter.

“We are listening, I am listening and I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve and go forward for a better and more united NFL family.”

Turning a blind eye after all these years stopped just . . . like . . . that.

The jackpot question is whether Goodell’s message also reflects the feelings of the owners, those 32 billionaires who are his bosses. Right now, we don’t know what they think or where they stand. At least not publicly. And that’s where the civil war aspect lies.

Will there be a division among the owners? A division between owners and players?

Strongly attached to Goodell’s frank admission is a move initially exercised by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2017 when he kneeled during the national anthem before a regular-season game.

Interpreted as a slight against the American flag and the military, Kaepernick insisted it was not a slight, but a silent protest to the socially perceived mistreatment by law enforcement against African Americans.

That was the only way he believed he could bring attention to the matter. It became a cause célèbre when the president of the United States weighed in and took it as an insult.

It resulted in the president all but demanding the kneeling must stop and caused NFL owners to scramble in search of an equitable solution. During that season, the subject became a daily staple on not only sports talk radio, but cable television political programs.

The president admitted being emboldened by his stance on the subject to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who detailed a conversation he had with the him regarding the matter in a 2018 deposition.

Said the president, “This is a very winning, strong issue with me. Tell everybody you can’t win this one. This one lifts me.”

Television ratings for games suffered as a result as fans zealously argued. The brouhaha eventually simmered down the next couple of seasons with just a handful of players continuing to kneel as owners basically set the tone on an individual team basis

That brings us back to the now part of this drama. Will the owners deal with the situation differently than they did a few years ago? Bear in mind a significant number of influential owners contributed greatly to the president’s successful election in 2016.

How will they handle the situation now? How much of 2017 will be dragged back into the spotlight? Questions seeking answers with the 2020 season rapidly bearing down.

The owners must see the landscape changing rapidly with highly visible and extremely influential athletes in the three major professional sports joining in on the cause. The groundswell has ballooned to well over 1,000 voices.

Those voices are being heard. Among them is Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. His response to a recent Instagram plea by a fan to “please tell Browns fans you’re not going to be kneeling this season” was terse: “Pull you head out. I absolutely am (going to kneel). I’ve always spoken my mind. And that’s from the heart.”

Wonder what Jimmy Haslam III is thinking about the face of his franchise saying that. Wonder what stance the Browns owner and his wife take when the media finally asks him that very question.

And just how will Browns Nation react? The answer to that probably won’t be gleaned until after the Haslams share their thoughts publicly.  

Another important voice sides with Mayfield, as well as the myriad others who have remained silent for now. “If you still think it’s about disrespecting the flag or our military,” said Houston Texans star defensive end J. J. Watt, “you really haven’t been listening.”

Goodell works for the owners. Not the players; not the paying public. The owners. That’s why his historic pronouncement was so incredulously stunning.

One would think all his moves are made with full knowledge of the owners. Logical thinking then suggests they are in accord with this. But logic sometimes tends to swerve in unexpected directions.

It is entirely possible the president might not be a factor this time. He is currently in the middle of a reelection campaign. The NFL situation has obliquely caught his attention, but he has other more important concerns about which to be worried.

After learning the U. S. Soccer Board of Directors will now allow its players to kneel during the national anthem if they desire, he tweeted: “And it looks like the NFL is heading in that direction also, but not with me watching!”

The owners are on their own this time. Their commissioner has spoken. It’s time they did, too.