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As a groundbreaking demonstration of their unwavering commitment to a “woke” culture, the NFL began the new season by disqualifying seven players for the heinous crime of kneeling during the national anthem. It is true what you say. Even though millions of people were watching the National Football League’s season-opening ceremony, the league reacted quickly and brutally when a few of players dared to kneel. The NFL made a shocking announcement that rocked the sports world: it will not permit protests of any kind during the national anthem. For whatever reason, the league seems to be sick of kneeling and all things “wokeness.”
At a hurriedly convened news conference, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, “This is a new season, free from kneeling wokeness,” hardly masking his delight at finally ending the four-year controversy that has divided fans, players, and analysts.
At least during the national anthem, players will stand tall and proud without expressing any political sentiments, according to Goodell, who resumed his speech while standing in front of a huge banner that read Keep Football Great—a slogan that, to be honest, seems a little too direct.
In what seemed more like a scenario from a high-stakes robbery film than the opening ceremony of America’s beloved sport, security personnel promptly removed the players who had taken the now-famous knee. Notable athletes that were disqualified included quarterback Ricky “Brick House” Davis, wide receiver Devin Thompson, defensive end Marcus “The Wall” Johnson, and many more. Supposedly, they were each instructed to return their helmets, gather their lockers, and, as a last slap in the face, erase any traces of their social media profiles.
Apparently, kneeling is now considered a disqualifying violation, on par with using performance-enhancing drugs or being found guilty of deflating footballs, rather than just a political protest.
“We did our best to warn them,” Goodell said, his voice betraying the despair of a father whose child had just hurled a fastball through the living room window. We have given them sufficient opportunities. These players, however, paid little attention. They made the right decision by being awake, and now they can sit back and think about it from the convenience of their own homes.
In response to this unexpected disqualification, the players have chosen to keep quiet. Their voices might have been heard in the digital realm had they not been compelled to erase all of their social media accounts.
The National Football League is making a daring new approach in an effort to regain control of its domain from what many owners and fans have called “unnecessary distractions.” The league has finally had enough of the anthem protest disputes after years of back and forth. So, what’s the point? Goodell stressed, “Let’s not get carried away with the symbolism.” He also proposed a unified football season in which players may only kneel in the huddle for a short period of time.
Goodell said, “This is football,” as if he were a revival meeting preacher, wildly lifting his arms. “Politics has no bearing on this. Fairness in society is irrelevant. For the enjoyment of spectators, it involves 22 men squaring up on a field and destroying each other. And we want to return to that unadulterated, pristine form of the game. There will be no more “woke” rhetoric or knee-bending. Simply football.
The NFL has introduced new stadium regulations for the upcoming season, emphasizing the importance of flag-waving during the national anthem. Fans will be given small American flags at the gate, and those found sitting or kneeling will be asked to “reconsider their commitment to the game” under the “stand or leave” policy. The league’s apparent determination to eradicate any hint of politics from its domain serves as more evidence, as if anybody needed it.
In a strange turn of events, some clubs are reportedly thinking of playing the national anthem many times throughout the game to make sure that players don’t get the bright idea of protesting during halftime. To make sure that everyone is standing for the national anthem, some have even suggested putting “patriot cams” in stadiums. “If you’re not standing, are you even an American?” said one club owner.
The whole football-loving globe has, of course, taken issue with this overbearing strategy. Countless die-hard football fans, who have been begging the NFL to “get back to basics,” are hailing the move as a triumph for logic and nationalism.
“At last! “Enough with this kneeling nonsense,” said one fervent fan outside Soldier Field. I didn’t come to see adult men kneel during the national anthem; I came to see them fight. The NFL has to take action soon.
Disqualifications, however, have been characterized by detractors as “tone-deaf” and “an overreaction to a peaceful protest.” For hours, hashtags like #LetThemKneel and #NFLKneelers trended on social media, igniting a natural firestorm of discussion.
Everyone from players to pundits is now curious about the implications of this for how players will express themselves in the future. Will the NFL punish players only for considering a kneeling protest? Will coaches be required to swear they will not tolerate their team leaders taking a knee when they are really emotional? Is the elimination of halftime shows on the horizon for the NFL as a means to prevent politically tinged performances?
It will be different this season, that much is certain. The NFL has set a boundary, not because of rule changes or new quarterbacks. A line that is paradoxically delineated by the non-touch of knees to the earth.
Following the disqualifications, the league has taken a harder line, justifying the move by saying it was needed to “preserve the integrity of the game.” However, there are those who wonder whether the NFL has really grown more political than before in its pursuit of political neutrality.
A league that was previously hesitant to tolerate players’ quiet protests has now become completely dictatorial, making life difficult for such players. The NFL’s statement that “this season, there will be no wokeness” has effectively crushed any possibility of a middle ground in the argument.
What does the future hold for the players that were disqualified? Is their expulsion from the league permanent, or can they make a promise of patriotic commitment and be permitted to return? Would the NFL’s new anti-kneeling policy turn off the players who really define the league?
Keep your feet firmly planted during the national anthem if you want to play football in the NFL this season; otherwise, you can be banned before you can say “first down.”
