Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin contends that multiple owners have told players to stand for the national anthem, and that one owner has reminded players that it’s his “stage” on which they are standing.
The next question becomes which owners have issued these mandates?
It’s an important question because neither league rules nor the labor deal allow owners to compel players to stand for the anthem. More specifically, no owner can take action against a player who refuses to comply.
For now, no players have dared to defy their owners by naming those who have ordered them to stand, either on or off the record. Given Baldwin’s quotes, plenty of reporters surely have commenced the process of trying to find out which owners have issued this decree, starting presumably in Dallas.