Goodell Addresses Anthem; Talks On Social Causes To Continue

Following two days of NFL meetings in N.Y., Commissioner Roger Goodell today reiterated that the league "believes its players should stand for the anthem, but the owners did not implement a rule change mandating that they do so." He "refused to address what the league would do if a team disciplines a player for refusing to stand for the anthem, calling that a hypothetical situation at this point." Giants President & CEO John Mara said that the owners "expect more criticism" from President Trump. Mara: "We know that’s going to continue" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 10/18).

Sources said that NFL players and owners "have scheduled a follow-up meeting" for Oct. 31 to "continue their discussions from yesterday on how the league and players can work together to support causes and issues of importance to the players." The meeting "likely will take place once again" at league HQ in N.Y. The "expectation is that such meetings will continue on a regular basis for the foreseeable future" (ESPN.com, 10/18).