A group of protesting NFL players has "requested formal mediation" with Commissioner Roger Goodell, league officials and team owners to "try to 'address' the underlying causes of their demonstrations and the NFL's response to it," according to a source cited by Jason La Canfora of CBSSPORTS.com. The request "specifies mediation, which the players would like to begin the week of Nov. 13 if the NFL agrees to this process." This mediation would "replace the series of regular meetings Goodell and some owners have been having with socially-active players." The request was sent to NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Troy Vincent, who has been a "point person with several individual players who have been protesting and engaging with owners." Among the group of players to make the request are Seahawks DE Michael Bennett and 49ers S Eric Reid. The players have "formally stipulated" that Colin Kaepernick be a "party to the mediation." A source said that Kaepernick would "attend the mediation if scheduled" (CBSSPORTS.com, 11/5). Eagles WR Torrey Smith said of the proposed mediation, "We'll see what happens. But there's still conversations going on through our leadership. But they're positive. It's all positive" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/6). ESPN.com's Adam Schefter noted a formal mediation meeting is "not binding, but could be overseen by a retired judge, a respected lawyer or someone with extensive legal credentials" (ESPN.com, 11/5).
DOLPHINS ALTER POLICY: In Miami, Armando Salguero reports Dolphins WR Kenny Stills, S Michael Thomas and TE Julius Thomas "kneeled on the team sideline" during the national anthem last night before their game against the Raiders. Dolphins coach Adam Gase earlier this year instituted a rule that players not wanting to stand for the anthem "respectfully wait in the locker room until the anthem concluded." A source said that all the players had gone to Gase and told him the rule "interfered with their preparation for the game." Gase indicated that he "prefer they abide by the rule and stand for the anthem but out of respect for their right to express themselves relaxed the rule" (MIAMI HERALD, 11/6). Julius Thomas said of Gase, "He just gave us the go, that was it. He was just like, 'Man do what y'all got to do to be not thinking about it. So you don't have to think about what you're going to do as far as coming to the locker room before the anthem. None of that. Just go out there and play. If y'all want to take a knee, take a knee.' He's not worried about that. He's just trying to win games" (PALM BEACH POST, 11/6). In Ft. Lauderdale, Dave Hyde asks, "Why make it a team rule in the first place if it’s going to be rescinded when players disagree with it? There’s so many issues swirling around in the fog of this kneeling issue it’s getting difficult to remember the initial purpose of it" (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 11/6). NBC’s Cris Collinsworth said, “All that is such a complex issue. The one thing that you hear thrown around sometimes is free speech. But free speech applies to the government (who) can't keep you from saying anything. Your employer certainly can." He added the NFL is "trying to find some middle ground to make this thing work for everybody." Collinsworth: "At some point, we hope it gets resolved.” NBC’s Al Michaels: “The league just hates this. It's the ultimate distraction. They hate it” (“SNF,” NBC, 11/5).
STICKING TO BELIEFS: In K.C., Terez Paylor notes Chiefs Chair & CEO Clark Hunt yesterday reiterated his desire that players should stand for the anthem and indicated that he had "spoken to team leadership, including front-office personnel, coaches and a handful of players about the matter." Hunt said, "When it rolled around last year, it really wasn't a big deal for us, and we've tried to stay with that this year. Obviously we've had some guys who have sat or knelt during some of the games this year, but we've continued to work with them and communicate with them that we prefer for them to stand. But at the end of the day, it's their decision." Hunt noted that the organization has also "tried to give the players a platform in the community to go deal with some of the issues they care about by working with the Chiefs' community relations team." Chiefs CB Marcus Peters has been the player on the team to protest before every game this season, and Hunt said he recently had a "great conversation" with Peters about it. Hunt: "Marcus does some great things in the community of Oakland and now also in Kansas City. He's really doing that on his own and I applaud him for that" (K.C. STAR, 11/6).
PATRIOTIC FOOTBALL: In Chicago, Rick Morrissey wrote the NFL likely "regrets the way its pregame productions have evolved into gooey patriotic pageants, complete with military flyovers, massive U.S. flags that cover an entire football field and red-white-and-blue pyrotechnics." The league "thought it was safe in championing patriotism." However, that now is "biting the NFL in the backside." Morrissey: "The league likes patriotism as an ideal, not as a discussion" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/5).
