The social justice warriors can still opt out and protest by staying in their safe space (aka the locker room) during the anthem. Update to this story.
Via NY Daily News:
The NFL fumbled the ball with its new kneeling policy, according to a pair of legal experts.
While the new decree is not quite a blitz on the First Amendment, the rules leave the popular notion of free speech bloodied and bruised, they said.
“The public/private line gets blurred when the President of the United States starts to demand or suggest that bosses take certain action against protests from their workers,” said Ron Kuby, a civil rights attorney.
“In the broader context of what we consider freedom of speech, this is an appalling capitulation of bullying by the worst type of people.”[…]
But California-based attorney Ron Sokol, who has written extensively about the First Amendment, was quick to throw a flag on the new policy.
“I’m not sure they have authority,” Sokol said. “If they do, I’m not sure that authority would be upheld.”
Sokol said a legal challenge might force the NFL to draw the line on the issue.
“What if a fan inadvertently forgets to remove his cap during the national anthem?” Sokol said. “Is he going to get thrown out of the game?”