COLUMN: Is there a proper answer?

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on July 22, 2018 3:08 AM

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Stand, sit, take a knee, raise a fist or stay in the locker room.

Which one of these does not belong when the national anthem is played?

The latest flap in saluting "Old Glory" occurred in the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins football camps this past week.

Tennessee defensive lineman Jurrell Casey vehemently said he intends to protest during the national anthem this season, even if the NFL lightens his wallet with a fine.

"I'm going to protest during the flag," Casey said.

OK.

The Dolphins issued a nine-page discipline document, which has a "Proper Anthem Conduct" that is just one sentence in length. A violation by any team member could result in a four-game suspension similar to the punishment doled out for either drug or domestic violence charges. Even Jameis Winston didn't receive that kind of reprimand when he alledgedly groped an Uber driver. He was docked three games.

Miami's decision did little to defuse the controversy, and raised the ire of Color of Change, an online civil rights organization that actively supports boycotting the NFL.

Casey's platform centers on the way the justice system treats minorities -- particularly social injustice, police brutality and other issues that negatively affect many minorities in America. He insists team owners are "missing the point" and says it's not about the protest, but about the cause.

Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color of Change, makes the same argument. He's reached out to Ross' Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), which attempts to harness the unifying power of sports to improve race relations and drive social progress. Their endeavors undoubtedly have merit.

Not long after Miami made its bold statement, the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) issued a joint statement saying they were putting any anthem conduct policy on hold to see if they could come up with a compromise.

Are there any good options?

Let's see...

• Any punishment would divide the locker room and fandom. And if a significant contributor was benched, the team would only hurt itself.

• Players on the field during the anthem can call attention to the causes they believe in, namely racial inequality and police brutality.

• Keep the players in the locker room during the anthem. They could surely find another forum for their protests.

• Other professional sports worked with their players so that they didn't have to protest to be heard. Owners could possibly make a donation to the players' outside projects, or perhaps, give them an outlet to voice their concerns.

The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, those infamous first 52 words, defines what follows in the Constitution's seven articles and 27 amendments. It's a single authoritative text written to serve as fundamental law of the land.

The Constitution is designed to protect everyone.

But does it, really?

Casey, the Dolphins and Robinson have viable arguments.

Racism doesn't belong in any part of our society today.

And yes, it needs to be addressed.

But there is a time and a place.

A long time ago, I had the pleasure of listening to a professional athlete talk about his career and how it helped him grow as an individual -- on the field and in life. He learned to hold himself accountable for every action, good or bad. If he protested, he made sure he didn't do it on the company's time, unlike the pro athletes of today who prefer to either sit, take a knee or raise a fist in the air during the anthem.

His message?

If you want to voice your displeasure and you're concerned about injustice, staging a protest is not the solution. Become an integral part of your community, work with city officials to improve relationships and help find a way to change the culture in a positive manner.

Maybe then, those who don't listen will.