In the end, I’m with Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Chris Long on the NFL’s new anthem policy: It’s a joke.
A deceitful, ill-conceived joke.
The policy, in case you missed it, was announced Wednesday and begins like this: “All team and league personnel on the field shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem.”
That almost makes you believe the NFL is acting out of patriotic duty. But you know better. This is the same league whose teams for years quietly lined their pockets with Pentagon cash in exchange for opening stadiums to lavish displays of pregame “patriotism.