Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt takes neutral stance on NFL’s anthem policy
Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt tried to navigate a tightrope in regard to the NFL and player protests during the national anthem while addressing reporters at training camp on Saturday morning.
Hunt seemed content to kick the proverbial can down the road and wait for the NFL and its players association to decide how to handle protests during the anthem, while at the same time he wanted to present the organization as supportive of social justice issues, particularly, those of importance to Chiefs players.
“As you guys have probably read or seen elsewhere, the league and the players union are discussing that policy right now,” Hunt said. “There’s really nothing to report on that. We’re not doing anything on it. Until the league tells what the policy is, there’s really nothing to talk about.”
When asked about whether he’d discussed the league or team’s stances on protests, Hunt said he had not talked to players specifically about that matter. However, he added that he’d spoken with players about the league’s and the Chiefs’ social justice initiative and “making a difference in causes they care about.”
Hunt underscored what he contends is the franchise’s long-standing support of social justice issues by citing the team having had five players win the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for their community service.
Hunt, who declined to identify which players he spoke with about the issue, said he challenged the players to “get out there and make a difference” and pledged to support the players with both “human resources as well as financially.”
During this past season, Hunt had been outspoken about the team’s preference that players stand for the anthem, and he’d expressed that to members of the front office, coaching staff and several players.
Despite that stated desire on Hunt’s behalf, members of the Chiefs did not stand at times last season, including former Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters. The Chiefs traded Peters to the Los Angeles Rams during the offseason.
“The league and the players association are all meeting on it, which I think is good,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the day rookies and quarterbacks reported to camp. “I always mention that during negotiations — anytime people are communicating, I’m good with it. That’s what they’re doing now. Really, it’s out of our hands. They’re working through it, which is a positive.”
The hot-button issue of protests gained fuel this offseason when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement in March, accompanied by a new national anthem policy approved by team owners.
“It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic,” the statement read. “This is not and was never the case. This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem. Personnel who choose not to stand for the Anthem may stay in the locker room until after the Anthem has been performed.”
The policy served as a sign that the league’s owners apparently buckled to public pressure, including that from President Donald Trump. Trump has been critical of players who protest during the anthem as well as criticizing owners and the league for allowing the protests to continue.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners say, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,’” Trump said during a September speech in Alabama.
The NFL’s new policy stated that teams will be fined by the league if any of its personnel on the field do not “stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.” It also allowed the individual teams to create their own rules about personnel who decide not to stand for the anthem.
The NFL Players Association, the union representing the players, responded by filing a grievance and saying in a statement that the league’s policy was “inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and infringes on player rights.”
The players association and the league released a joint statement on July 19 stating that they were working together on a resolution in an effort to avoid litigation and that both the league policy and the union’s grievance had been put at a standstill.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, during a preseason game in 2016, started the trend of players either kneeling or sitting during the national anthem. He began by sitting on the bench area while his teammates stood. When asked by a reporter, Kaepernick said he was conducting a silent protest because of police brutality and systematic oppression of African-Americans in the United States.
After speaking with former Green Beret and former NFL player Nate Boyer, Kaepernick made the change from sitting by the bench area to kneeling beside teammates and facing the flag. Kaepernick continued his protest throughout the 2016 season, and several players joined him.
Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since the end of the 2016 season, and he has filed a lawsuit against the league alleging collusion by NFL teams to keep him out of the league.
Earlier this week, video game giant EA Sports issued a statement of apology in response to public outcry as a result of Kaepernick’s name being wiped out in a song on the soundtrack for Madden 19 performed by recording artist Big Sean.
Big Sean called out the video game company for the move via Twitter and said neither he nor his management team approved the alteration to his song by calling the change “disappointing and appalling” in a tweet. In its statement, EA referred to the incident as a mistake and claimed it was a result of a misunderstanding by a team member.
This story was originally published August 4, 2018 at 4:16 PM.