Quote Originally Posted by sweetwater View Post
The players do not receive the manual; policies in the manual are enforced by the teams. And the language about the anthem has not changed since 1978.

The language in the manual is as follows: “The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem. During the playing of the National Anthem, players on the field should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. Players in the bench areas should do the same, and should line themselves up evenly along the sidelines. The home team should insure that the American Flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”
No argument that IMO they should stand and that the NFL has botched this but that has absolutely nothing to do with the conversation about how Trump has handled it. He has handled it poorly and has escalated the entire situation, but who knows maybe that's what he was after?

On a side note, I remember it wasn't all too many years ago that the NFL didn't even require players to be on the field during the anthem, maybe within the last ten years they added the rule. I remember going to games and they often would be out for warm ups, then go back inside and not return to the field until after the anthem was finished.