Florida Sheriff’s Office Will not Escort Miami Dolphins Until They Stand for National Anthem

u republican dot com ^ | 9-28-17

[doug from upland]

The Miami Dolphins are also part of the unpatriotic movement started by Colin Kaepernick that involves refusing to stand at attention for the national anthem. However, they are all starting to feel the consequences of their actions, with the Florida sheriffs office announcing that they will not be escorting the Dolphins to their games unless they stop with the disrespectful behavior. The local Miami police union supported the decision of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and will not be doing any escorting either, reports The Sports Hall.

President of the International Union of Police Associations, Jeffrey Bell said, “I respect their right to have freedom of speech. However, in certain organizations and certain jobs you give up that right of your freedom of speech temporary while you serve that job or while you play in an NFL game.”

After four of their players protested the national anthem, the Dolphins organization released a statement in which they mentioned that while they encourage all players to stand it is not mandatory and is personal choice:

“We encourage all members of our organization to stand at attention during the national anthem out of respect and appreciation for the freedoms we are afforded as Americans. We also recognize that it’s an individual’s right to reflect during the anthem in different ways. We respect these liberties and appreciate the sacrifices that everyone has made for our country, especially on this day of remembrance. We hope today’s events will continue a respectful and thoughtful dialogue in our community on unity, inclusiveness and togetherness.”

The police association is well within their rights, and yet the liberals criticize their decision while at the same time they are praising the athletes for exercising their freedom of speech. If they advocate for freedom of speech and freedom of expression, that freedom has to extend to everyone.

The reality is, other than these athletes getting their fifteen minutes of fame, nothing productive is coming of their protests.

[sargon]

I'll be making a YouTube video soon wherein I will be burning my Miami Dolphins gear and memorabilia.

Specifically, I have some Dolphins clothing, as well as some ticket stubs from the proud past of this once great team—a team which has now become a third-rate embarrassment.

For instance, I was there at the Orange Bowl for the "Epic in Miami" on January 2, 1982 to witness the "Game No One Should Have Lost"—"The Miracle That Died". I'll be burning that ticket stub, along with whatever else I can gather.

The fish rots from the head. Current Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Head Coach Adam Gase have exhibited a shameful lack of control over team discipline. It has spread like a cancer within the team, to the point where the Dolphins were one of the worst offenders last year with respect to kneeling for the National Anthem.

I can't imagine that original Dolphins owner Joe Robbie or legendary Head Coach Don Shula would ever have tolerated such horrible behavior from any Dolphins player. There would doubtless have been discipline, ultimately followed by dismissal if the player didn't straighten up.

These millionaire players and coaches exist within an elitist PC bubble; they have totally forgotten that they are there to present an entertainment product to the fans—who turn to the NFL to escape politics, not to have Left wing extremism shoved in their faces. The fans are the customers who consume the NFL's entertainment product, and ultimately it is they who pay the players' salaries.

Make no mistake. It is these disrespectful players who are the ones being divisive. They are spitting on the country, the flag, the fans, and—most shamefully—those who have paid the ultimate price so that these ingrates can get paid millions of dollars just to play a game.

Police officer and former ASU football player Brandon Tatum has made an excellent video which absolutely destroys the NFL's divisive and selfish millionaire players who are disrespecting this nation and its people, and who are destroying national unity. Every NFL player—every American—should watch this video in its entirety. It totally hits the nail on the head.

The Dolphins will be in London this weekend to represent their country, and I have grave concerns about the behavior that will be shown. As a lifelong Dolphins fan since before the era of the 17-0 perfect season, I might give the Dolphins one last chance to redeem their legacy by respecting this nation's anthem and flag on foreign soil.

Absent that, I am through with the Dolphins—and probably the NFL—forever. If there remain NFL teams who uniformly stand and place their right hands over their hearts for the anthem, I might switch my allegiance to one of those teams. But, alas, enormous damage has already been done, and though I have no doubt that the league is painfully aware of this, it appears that it is too weak and PC to do anything about it.

We will see what kind of leadership is shown in the NFL moving forward, because the financial viability of this game—an entertainment product—now hangs by a thread. I don't hold out much hope that the NFL will be able to change course, and if they don't, then they deserve the fate that awaits them.

YouTube video of the "Epic In Miami"

[GnuThere]

The only escorts these primadonnas get should come from their post-game entertainment budget.
Let the police do more important things.

[UnwashedPeasant]

They are all 1-percenters.

They can pay for their own security.

The Nation of Islam would provide security.

[PGR88]

Just stop escorting them. period.

Its the NFL’s sucking off public funds, and its management revolving-door with Washington politics, wall street, and mainstream media have turned it into just another insider, crony-capitalist industry run by progressives. Kaepernick was just an inevitable symptom

[PGR88]

Indeed, I advised months ago - the way to have stopped all this in its tracks would have been for a few players to take a knee to protest abortion.

No doubt the leftists would have felt upstaged, there would have been outrage from the elitist ruling class and media, and NFL would then have simply banned all protests.

But the NFL has revealed its true nature.

[vpintheak]

Thin blue line indeed!

[Panhandle.deporable]

I live in florida and it is my understanding that many officers work details at games to make extra money. Hope they refuse those as well. Empty the damn stadiums.

[Eleutheria5]

Sorry, but this really is a mistake. The sheriff’s office, as an organ of the Florida state government, has to respect the 14th Amendment due process and equal protection clauses, and with it the First Amendment. So if the Miami Dolphins decide to take a knee and violate their terms of employment while in a stadium owned and managed by their employee, unless the owner decides to fire the lot of them and have them removed from the premises right before a game for said violation, the sheriff’s office cannot do squat. Now it really is a free speech issue, thanks to some overzealous cops.

[ozaukeemom]

Maybe the fans should kneel and pray The Lord’s Prayer aloud before the anthem.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Game over for NFL. Aaron Rogers begged the Packer fans to stand and lock arms as the low life Packer team did last night, but very few fans in the stands heeded his advice. They simply continued doing what all loyal, dedicated, patriotic fans do,(right hand over heart, standing) unlike what the traitor, treason, turncoats Packers and Bears did.

By the way I do not watch the game at all, only the opening minutes with the flag/anthem being flown and played. CBS, of course, did all it could to make things look great for the scum & vermin players.....but Aaron Rogers did not look happy at all during the flag/anthem play, when the fans completely ignored his traitor request. Bye, bye, NFL, NBA!!! Yippee, Trump wins again!!! By this coming Sunday the NFL “Obama, Girlie, Pajama Boys, along with the Commissioner and owners will be openly begging the fans & American people for, forgiveness. Too late Obamabots...you screwed yourselves, idiots, morons and the buffoons you all are!!! Let’s see if Obama & Clinton star paying your salaries. I doubt it!!!

[SoFloFreeper]

The local Miami police union supported the decision of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and will not be doing any escorting either, reports The Sports Hall.

Haven't heard this in the local Miami media (not surprising, since the "journalists" in Miami are MOSTLY anti-conservative).

But if true, would be amazing, since the Broward chief law enforcement officer is a flaming liberal Demon Rat, good friends with Debbie Blabbermouth.

If the Dolphins have lost him, they've lost everyone except the BLM cult.

[Spktyr]

Actually, it’s the ongoing special protection detail that’s against 14th Amendment rules. The police are not supposed to provide more protection to one group of people than others.

Also, with many such jobs, the officers are working security off-duty as a side job with the permission of their departments. They are basically unionized private security guards at that point and they are perfectly free to walk en masse.

[jiggyboy]

You are correct. This statement from the Dolphins is a lie.

[Samurai_Jack]

“And relief from child support payments”

LOL’s

[jiggyboy]

Here’s from the Operations Manual, “according to an NFL spokesman”:

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 National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. ... 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.

http://time.com/4955704/nfl-league-rulebook-a62-63-national-anthem-rule/

I see now that it’s fairly squishy. They “must” be on the field, and “should” stand, but failure “may”, not “shall”, result in fines &c, and only for not being on the field.

[Mark17]

What would the reaction be if Christians started kneeling in prayer as a protest against a country that was founded on Christian principles yet are taking away the rights of Christians.l?

They would be fired. It’s PC 101.

[Eleutheria5]

As for your first contention, there is a compelling state interest in having sporting events with huge audiences be conducted peaceably, so it’s a legitimate case for extra police protection, commensurate with the potential hazard of disorder.

If it’s off-duty moonlighting, that may be an out. It’s the owner who specifically wants police personnel as a deterrent, rather than mall cops and Pinkertons. But arguments can be made that the sheriffs, while off-duty, are using the prestige of their office to get this particular job. I don’t know if that’s relevant or not, though.

[Reno89519]

No military or police honor guards or participation with unpatriotic NFL. Boycott.

[Spktyr]

There is actually case law on the departments’ side in both cases. It’s especially in a case where the police are providing special escorts to the players. There is a case to be made that the police need to secure the stadium and the masses inside - there is precedent that the police can stop the special escorts and still be legally providing equal protection.

[Gene Eric]

Ultimately, this NFL protest is against the LEOs.