For fans who follow the sport, most of this will be a simple reminder of things you already know. For the rest, it's a wake-up call:

In 2012 the NFL had an issue with Tim Tebow kneeling before each game to pray, they also had an issue with Tebow wearing John 3:16 as part of his eye-black to avoid glare, and made him take it off.

In 2013 the NFL fined Brandon Marshall for wearing green cleats to raise awareness for people with mental health disorders.

In 2014 Robert Griffin III (RG3) entered a post-game press conference wearing a shirt that said "Know Jesus Know Peace" but was forced to turn it inside out by an NFL uniform inspector before speaking at the podium.

In 2015 DeAngelo Williams was fined for wearing "Find the Cure "eye black for breast cancer awareness.

In 2015 William Gay was fined for wearing purple cleats to raise awareness for domestic violence. (Not that the NFL has a domestic violence problem..).

In 2016 the NFL prevented the Dallas Cowboys from wearing a decal on their helmet in honor of 5 Dallas Police officers killed in the line of duty.

2016 the NFL threatened to fine players who wanted to wear cleats to commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11.

2019-2020 The NFL Allows players to wear the names of Convicted Criminals who were killed by the police while committing crimes??????

So tell me again how the NFL supports free speech and expression. It seems quite clear based on these facts that the NFL has taken a position against any action by NFL players demonstrating RESPECT for any issue:
For God, social causes such as mental health, cancer, domestic violence, for cops killed arbitrarily, for being cops, or for the Memory of 9/11...

BUT they will allow demonstrations of DISRESPECT for our National Flag, our National Anthem, for America, and for the American People, if it will help mollify a particular Group and its supporters. That is who and what the NFL now has shown itself to be.

Well said Stub.

Whenever the organization as a whole not only allows, but encourages all members to support a criminal socialist organization that kills cops, attacks white people, & riots, the entire organization is guilty.

I wish you NFL supporters here would eat a big plate of horseshit. Your all cucks & too stupid to live in a free country. You are not my countrymen.

FINALLY someone posts something worth reading on how F'ed up the NFL is.

And yet you still watch.... I think that is called a hypocrite isn't it?

You obviously have difficulty reading my post as I clearly stated I was not a big NFL guy. Haven't watched a game in probably 3 or 4 years. I only ask because I have a friend that has been in the league for 7 or 8 years. And since you brought it up, he has done more for the communities and our hometown in that time than most members here will do in their lifetime. On top of that, he is a strong a Christian as anybody here as well. Carry on dip [censored].

My point is, irregardless of what stance the NFL takes, their are still people that take advantage of the opportunity to help their communities and other people. Im sure they are the minority, but they exist. That doesn't mean they should all be painted with a broad brush.

Beautiful work Stub. Brilliant post and analogy.