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Rapper T.I. Calls For Boycotting Of NFL Over National Anthem Rules

Rapper T.I. Calls For Boycotting Of NFL Over National Anthem Rules

Written by Ann Brown

Jun 28, 2018

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Plans to boycott the NFL are being bantered about again. This time it’s coming from rapper/actor T.I., who says he’s fed up with the NFL and its new policy demanding all players on the field stand for the national anthem.

This debate started when then-San Francisco-49ers player Colin Kaepernick quietly kneeled during the National Anthem to protest police brutality in the U.S. As a free agent, Kaepernick hasn’t been rehired for any team, but others followed suit, kneeling during the anthem — from football players to celebrities and even some politicians.

This year, the NFL has issued a new policy against kneeling, which some say takes away player’s rights to freedom of expression. T.I. thinks it’s time to hit the NFL in its pocketbook by encouraging fans to boycott, Yahoo reported.

According to T.I., the NFL has overstepped its bounds with the policy.

“I think there’s a violation of constitutional rights being implemented to minority players who choose to have a peaceful silent protest,” T.I. said in an interview with ESPN. “It’s really like you want us to shut up and take what we got coming to us in our communities, and that’s just not acceptable. And if that’s what you think about us, why should we really spend our money and show our extreme support of your corporation?”

T.I., 37, stressed that fans can cause the NFL to rethink this policy if they stop supporting the organization financially, and the way to do this is through boycotting.

“We gotta go to the corporations, stop spending our dollars with them until they press the politicians who press the police to do what we need to do until they respect our lives and consider us as equals or else they don’t deserve our dollars,” T.I. said.

The league announced in May that all players on the sidelines must stand during the national anthem. If they did not, their team could be fined and, consequently, the players could, too.

“The announcement came after nearly a year of badgering from President Donald Trump, who wants players to stand and called those who don’t ‘sons of (expletive)’ and advocated for their release. Now, players who want to protest must do it out of sight,” Yahoo reported.

But getting fans to boycott may be hard. “The rule, in general, seems to be popular with fans,” Yahoo reported.

 

NFL
FILE – In this Sept. 17, 2016 file photo, T.I. performs during the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. Rapper T.I. has no plans to ever run for public office, but he said he wants to make a difference in underserved communities through activism and music. He has been active in the community, focusing on youth programs for boys and girls, and feels his role continues to grow when it comes to providing help to those that need it most. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

 

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