National anthem protests once again made headlines in the NFL Sunday, with one report suggesting NFL owners and/or team executives have made it clear to players they must stand for the anthem.
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Shaun King of The Intercept reported via Twitter Sunday night that players from seven NFL teams, "have contacted me the past 24 hours to tell me they have been told they have to stand for the anthem."
Players from 7 @NFL teams have contacted me the past 24 hours to tell me they have been told they have to stand for the Anthem.
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 9, 2017
More than that, King reported that one player said players on his team were told how to stand for the anthem, such as the position of their hands and feet.
I kid you not. He said the team is saying how their hands and feet and eyes must look during the anthem. https://t.co/Oawho2n4nD
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 9, 2017
Earlier in the day, Vice President Mike Pence left Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis after seeing players kneel during the anthem. A report surfaced that the Dolphins were requiring players to stand. After the Cowboys' last-second loss to the Packers Sunday evening, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters, "If there is anything disrespecting the flag, then we will not play. Period."
Team owners may be looking at the bottom line. Polls have shown the public is generally against protests during the anthem. TV ratings through the first four weeks of the season are down 10 percent, according to Nielsen. While a 10 percent decline for the entire season might not sound like much, one analyst estimated that would cost the league's TV network partners $200 million.