Roger Goodell and the NFL have had a major about face on their stance regarding player protests.
In a new video released Friday afternoon, Goodell made a major admission, saying that the NFL was “wrong” in its handling of player protests. In the video, Goodell openly encourages players to peacefully protest, and says he will reach out to individual players who have spoken out to discuss how the NFL can do better going forward.
We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange pic.twitter.com/ENWQP8A0sv
— NFL (@NFL) June 5, 2020
Things have changed significantly in four years. When Colin Kaepernick initially started kneeling during the national anthem, the act was hugely controversial and the league essentially tried to create a series of rules to ensure that it couldn’t happen going forward. Now, Goodell is essentially admitting that the NFL bungled the whole thing, and should have spent more time listening to the message that Kaepernick and his fellow protesters were trying to send.
Only time will tell how the NFL moves forward from here, as actions speak louder than words. This is still a watershed statement from Goodell that signifies a major change in how the league intends to handle any further player protests. It’s a stance that some are certain to be unhappy with, but some players will likely appreciate as an important starting point.
