After five Rams players took the field in St. Louis with their hands raised in solidarity with protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association urged the NFL to discipline the players. The NFL will not be doing that.
A league spokesman told USA Today that the players won’t be disciplined.
“We respect and understand the concerns of all individuals who have expressed views on this tragic situation,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement.
The NFL tries to maintain strict control of everything players do when they’re on the field, but disciplining players for merely raising their hands to voice their concerns about the shooting death of Michael Brown would only serve to exacerbate an already controversial issue. Players on the Rams and police officers all have the right to speak their minds on the matter, and the NFL is wise to stay out of it.