With just 44 days until the season opener, the Detroit Lions still don’t know how they’ll observe the national anthem.
ALLEN PARK — With just 44 days until the season opener, the Detroit Lions still don’t have a policy in place governing how they’ll observe the national anthem.
There have been internal deliberations, but nothing has been decided and coach Matt Patricia declined to shine light on their thinking before the start of training camp on Friday.
« I’ve addressed the anthem issue before, » Patricia said. « The league is working on a policy there. They issued a policy. We’re talking about it internally here. That’s something that will be kept internal. »
The league is working on a policy all right, ham-fisted as it might be. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced in May that players and league personnel would be required to stand for the anthem. Teams would be subject to a fine for any violations.
Goodell said the policy was a compromise with the players, except players weren’t actually involved in the decision-making process. The NFLPA later filed a grievance, and the NFL eventually decided to rescind the policy. It remains unclear exactly what the protocol will be when the season kicks off in five weeks.
It’s not even clear what the policy will be when the preseason kicks off. Detroit opens the exhibition slate Aug. 10 in Oakland against the Raiders.
« That’s something we’re discussing internally and we’ve got a little time until the first game, » receiver Golden Tate said. « That’s something we’re going to handle. Discussions are being had inside our locker room and I’m sure you guys will be informed when we make a decision or come up with a solution. »
