Football season will be coming to a close Super Bowl weekend, and the matter of taking a knee is still a hot-button issue. While the organization has taken heat for its treatment of Colin Kaepernick and other players who’ve chosen to kneel during the national anthem, it appears to be showing a small sign of support by rejecting a new ad from the American Veterans (AMVETS) organization, according to USA Today.
The ad featured an American flag with an accompanying message of #PleaseStand, clearly taking a stand against players who have protested before NFL games throughout the season. AMVETS national commander Marion Polk believes the NFL is practicing “corporate censorship” and is denying veterans the right to freedom of speech.
.@AMVETSHQ will NOT tolerate the @NFL refusing #Veteran right to free speech. We fought for it! #PleaseStand #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/NARbC5zKuE
— Marion Polk (@AMVETSNatlCmdr) January 22, 2018
The organization also wrote a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, telling him that the NHL actually ran the ad.
“We decided that we were not going to change our ad. We placed it as “Please Stand” and under the 1st Amendment we have the right to do that.” – @AMVETSNatlCmdr pic.twitter.com/c7Nj5fZesh
— Fox & Friends First (@FoxFriendsFirst) January 24, 2018
Ads for the program are not sold through the NFL but with a third-party publisher. The NFL has final say on approving what goes into the program.
