Rams Exec VP/Football Operations & COO Kevin Demoff last night "denied that he issued an apology to the St. Louis County Police Department" for the "Hands Up" gesture made by several players prior to Sunday's game against the Raiders, according to Jim Thomas of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. St. Louis Police Chief Jon Belmar last night originally sent an e-mail to his staff alerting them that Demoff "had called him to apologize for the actions" of the players. But Demoff said, "I had phone conversations with both Chief [Sam] Dotson and Chief Belmar regarding yesterday's events. I expressed to both of them that I felt badly that our players' support of the community was taken as disrespectful to law enforcement. Later in the afternoon I had a positive meeting with Chief Dotson, Jeff Roorda, and Gabe Crocker at St. Louis city police headquarters to discuss with them how the Rams' organization and law enforcement could build upon the positive relationship we already have. ... In none of these conversations did I apologize for our players' actions." He added, "Our organization wants to find ways to use football to bring our community together." Meanwhile, Rams coach Jeff Fisher yesterday "declined to take questions" on the players' gesture. Fisher said, "It's my personal opinion, and I firmly believe, that it's important that I keep sports and politics separate. I'm a head coach. I'm not a politician, an activist, or an expert on societal issues." Fisher said that he has "not spoken" with the players who made the gesture, but will. He said the players "made the choice to exercise their free speech" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/2). St. Louis PD Public Information Officer Brian Schellman in an e-mail last night wrote Belmar believed his conversation with Demoff "to be an apology." Schellman wrote, "(Demoff) further stated 'I regretted any offense the officer's may have taken.' Even though Mr. Demoff stated he never apologized, the Chief believed it to be an apology" (USATODAY.com, 12/2).
TIME FOR FRANCHISE TO TAKE A STAND? In St. Louis, Joe Strauss writes the Rams "seemingly have a choice here: Either retreat from Sunday’s statement or double down and follow through on their receivers’ plea to help enact positive change." Their instinct yesterday "was to flee." The Rams "advised their players to remain out of Ferguson while the ground shook." But now that "five of their own have dared step into the ensuing rupture, perhaps the time approaches when they can become part of that desired change" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/2). USA TODAY's Nancy Armour writes, "Pick a side, St. Louis Rams. Grow a backbone while you're at it, too." By late last night, the "only people who didn't look like buffoons or overly sensitive whiners were the players." This "shouldn't have been a hard call for the Rams to make." Not only were the players "exercising their right to free speech, they did it in the simplest and most eloquent of manners" (USATODAY.com, 12/2).
NFL MAKES SMART MOVE: In DC, Sally Jenkins writes the NFL has "smartly decided that to discipline the players is the wrong move." The NFL audience is "no doubt polarized on the issues in Ferguson, and to silence the players would seem to take a side." The NFL was "right to reject the call to punish them" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/2). In Philadelphia, John Smallwood wrote, "I applaud the NFL for supporting our Constitution by deciding to not fine or discipline the Rams players for exercising their First Amendment rights." There are cases when the actions or words of players "can damage the NFL brand and must be addressed by the league." Smallwood: "I don't see that in this case" (PHILLY.com, 12/1). A BOSTON GLOBE editorial states the NFL "wisely chose not to heed the officers’ demand" to punish the players, "respecting its players’ right to free expression and its audience’s ability to sort out the situation." Rams players have "every right to respond to a national event in their backyard, and to recognize their role as community figures" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/2). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said, "This is a case where the NFL needs to stay out of this. ... Stay out of it and know you don’t control the world” (“PTI,” ESPN, 12/1). espnW's Jane McManus said it was “interesting" the NFL was able to handle the Rams incident “so deftly in a way that both spoke to respecting the players who wanted to show some sign of solidarity with their community and also respecting the police officers who may feel like they’re being targeted or being disrespected in this." McManus: "It’s amazing that they aren’t able to find similarly magnanimous ways of dealing with some of the other situations that they have" ("Outside The Lines," ESPN2, 12/1).
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR PLATFORM: In K.C., Vahe Gregorian writes the five players "did something honorable and substantial," as they "used their grand platform to take a boldly constructive stance." At a time when the "broader reputation of NFL players has suffered by association with several of them implicated in domestic-violence cases, ... the act of the five is a significant reminder that the league is brimming with bright, thoughtful young men" (K.C. STAR, 12/2). FS1's Mike Hill said when there is a cultural event going on that athletes "want to speak up on, they should use their platform to that benefit." Hill: "I applaud the members of the St. Louis Rams who did that" ("America's Pregame," FS1, 12/1). USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell writes the players "should be applauded, not condemned, for breaking from the NFL's typical hands-off culture and demonstrating a measure of social consciousness." That the Rams players were "moved to the point of expressing themselves ... tells me that they are human enough to maintain a connection with the world outside of their NFL environment" (USA TODAY, 12/2). Columnist Kevin Blackistone said, “I applaud the football players for engaging themselves in their community. We talk about whether or not athletes are part of their community. These five guys certainly are” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 12/1). In St. Louis, Bernie Miklasz writes no one is "obligated to agree with the players' decision," but they "didn't suspend their free-speech rights as American citizens when they signed a professional contract." The players were "sincere in their belief that this was something that they wanted to do, and something that they should do." Their hearts were "in the right place" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/2). But in Orlando, David Whitley writes it is "time for jocks to do what they do best -- be jocks, not political commentators." Whitley: "I want sports to be an oasis from the 24-7 news monster." This "new age of activism is giving everybody an Ali complex" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 12/2).
COLBERT CHIMES IN: The players' gesture caught the attention of Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, who noted the Ferguson protests "have spread to what Americans hold most sacred: Football.” Colbert said of the "Hands Up" pose, “Well, that is just wrong. Why would anyone surrender to the Raiders?” He noted the police called the gesture “tasteless and offensive" at an NFL game. Colbert: "The cops are right. You have to stop that kind of offensive gesture before it spreads. I mean during the game, I saw referees do it a bunch of times. They built giant steel monuments to it at the each end of the field. … The point is, these players should be punished. I say we make them play football using only their feet with some kind of penalty for touching it with their hands” (“The Colbert Report,” Comedy Central, 12/1).
