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kpete

(71,901 posts)
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 02:00 PM Dec 2014

No fines for Rams players' salute

Source: ESPN

The five Rams players who entered the field before Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders in St. Louis with their hands in the air in "don't shoot" poses will not be fined for their actions, NFL and team sources tell ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

AP Photo/L.G. Patterson
The Rams players who raised their arms during pregame introductions as a salute to nearby Ferguson, Missouri, will not be fined by the league.


The players had used the team's pregame introductions to offer a show of support for nearby Ferguson. As the Rams' offense was introduced, tight end Jared Cook and receivers Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens and Tavon Austin stopped near the tunnel and raised their hands in a nod to the fatal shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9. Some witnesses said Brown had his hands up before being shot. Wilson, who is white, testified to the grand jury that Brown had hit him and reached for his gun.

The St. Louis Police Officers Association called for the players involved to be disciplined and for the Rams and the NFL to deliver a "very public apology," its statement read in part.

"I know that there are those that will say that these players are simply exercising their First Amendment rights," SLPOA business manager Jeff Roorda said in the statement. "Well, I've got news for people who think that way: Cops have First Amendment rights too, and we plan to exercise ours. I'd remind the NFL and their players that it is not the violent thugs burning down buildings that buy their advertiser's products. It's cops and the good people of St. Louis and other NFL towns that do. Somebody needs to throw a flag on this play. If it's not the NFL and the Rams, then it'll be cops and their supporters."

Read more: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11963218/the-five-st-louis-rams-players-saluted-slain-teenager-michael-brown-sunday-game-not-fined

28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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No fines for Rams players' salute (Original Post) kpete Dec 2014 OP
excellent samsingh Dec 2014 #1
I hope the whole league does this next week. immoderate Dec 2014 #2
SHOCKING what the Police Officers Association said! elleng Dec 2014 #3
Sickening!! jillan Dec 2014 #5
It seems to be a trend that St. Louis Law enforcement agencies/associations handle things poorly. Gore1FL Dec 2014 #21
I'd like to remind the St Louis Police Dept that it's not the NFL that is gunning down people jillan Dec 2014 #4
OOPS Omaha Steve Dec 2014 #6
Here's your "very public apology" jmowreader Dec 2014 #15
Great stuff Omaha Steve Dec 2014 #17
A football game I would watch irisblue Dec 2014 #28
Wise decision. (nt) proverbialwisdom Dec 2014 #7
Good! KamaAina Dec 2014 #8
Good, and Roorda is an ass. uppityperson Dec 2014 #9
those cops should exercise their right to quit Demeter Dec 2014 #10
They are also giving good police officers a bad name lovemydog Dec 2014 #13
K&R n/t Feral Child Dec 2014 #11
You know what: graegoyle Dec 2014 #12
the police assoc looks more and more like assholes. pansypoo53219 Dec 2014 #14
Sooo, killing black folks isn't enough? lark Dec 2014 #16
The police union is being stupid in their demands Gothmog Dec 2014 #18
NFL handles controversy right for once, tells police union to go fuck itself DRoseDARs Dec 2014 #19
I will thank these players every chance I get! mountain grammy Dec 2014 #20
my dog that guy is one monumental asswipe! marym625 Dec 2014 #22
The SLPOA also said something to the effect that how could you when Elmer S. E. Dump Dec 2014 #23
I'd like to say a big STFU to SLPOA. Elmer S. E. Dump Dec 2014 #24
Oh, like a threat is going to work? Somebody needs to throw a flag on this play. OregonBlue Dec 2014 #25
hmmm... dhill926 Dec 2014 #26
I condemn the Rams -- specifically, the players who did NOT join in their teammates' action. Jim Lane Dec 2014 #27
 

immoderate

(20,885 posts)
2. I hope the whole league does this next week.
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 02:05 PM
Dec 2014

Cops have First Amendment rights too. But not the License to Kill.

--imm

Gore1FL

(21,034 posts)
21. It seems to be a trend that St. Louis Law enforcement agencies/associations handle things poorly.
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 04:23 PM
Dec 2014

It's another ham-handed approach. Had they simply let it go, they'd be much better off.

jillan

(39,451 posts)
4. I'd like to remind the St Louis Police Dept that it's not the NFL that is gunning down people
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 02:16 PM
Dec 2014

in the streets.

Righteous assholes!

Omaha Steve

(99,073 posts)
6. OOPS
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 02:18 PM
Dec 2014

The St. Louis Police Officers Association called for the players involved to be disciplined and for the Rams and the NFL to deliver a "very public apology," its statement read in part.

It seems none of the Police never delivered a "very public apology" over things THEY did.

OS

jmowreader

(50,453 posts)
15. Here's your "very public apology"
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 03:47 PM
Dec 2014

"We, the National Football League and its member teams, apologize for the conduct of some of the members of the St. Louis Rams. As a show of good faith, we hereby challenge the Ferguson Police Department to a friendly game of flag football at the Edward Jones Dome the Sunday after the Super Bowl. Certain of our members, including Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, Earl Thomas, Tyron Smith, Joe Thomas, Gerald McCoy, Ndamukong Suh, Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly and Dominique Easley, are more than willing to give our loyal fans an experience they will never forget. We'll even allow the police to receive first. This offer will be withdrawn if the Ferguson Police Department gets its shit together before the end of the season."

(And yes, I know the NFL's team is eleven of the nastiest defensemen in the league...but on the off chance the Ferguson police manage to survive their first possession, Kam Chancellor DID play quarterback in high school, so we're covered.)

 

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
8. Good!
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 02:25 PM
Dec 2014

Maybe if all the players had done it, they wouldn't have had to take out their frustration on the Raiders.

Great. Now the freakin' Lambs have done two cool things in one season (drafting Michael Sam).

 

Demeter

(85,373 posts)
10. those cops should exercise their right to quit
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 02:45 PM
Dec 2014

because they are getting rather too exercised over the wrong things....

lovemydog

(11,833 posts)
13. They are also giving good police officers a bad name
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 03:27 PM
Dec 2014

by trying to to tie their hucksterism in with police nationwide.

Many decent police men and women are aghast not only by the Brown case and Ferguson, but by this shameless effort to assert that all police share the view of the St. Louis Police Department Shills.

lark

(23,003 posts)
16. Sooo, killing black folks isn't enough?
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 03:51 PM
Dec 2014

Now they want to somehow hurt the people that think that killing black folks is not OK? I really hope those 5 players are very careful and get extra security for their home and themselves. Some lunatic KKK person who has a relative who's a cop, or who is themselves a cop could easily come after those players and their families. These people are so full of hate, I wouldn't put anything past them. They will protect their right to kill anyone at any time without any provocation at all costs. Scary but a very brave gesture by those players in that toxic Mo. environment.

 

DRoseDARs

(6,810 posts)
19. NFL handles controversy right for once, tells police union to go fuck itself
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 04:16 PM
Dec 2014

Fixed your headline for you.

marym625

(17,997 posts)
22. my dog that guy is one monumental asswipe!
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 04:30 PM
Dec 2014

This guy is going to be shitcanned soon. The St Louis Police Officers Association is getting an even worse rap, if that's possible, because of him.

Thanks for the post!

 

Elmer S. E. Dump

(5,751 posts)
23. The SLPOA also said something to the effect that how could you when
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 04:38 PM
Dec 2014

"there were mountains of evidence from the Grand Jury" - Oh like the evidence that Wilson was LYING to the Grand Jury, or the fact that the whole thing was rigged by the prosecutor to get Wilson off the hook.

OregonBlue

(7,744 posts)
25. Oh, like a threat is going to work? Somebody needs to throw a flag on this play.
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 04:59 PM
Dec 2014

If it's not the NFL and the Rams, then it'll be cops and their supporters." You know they should just shut up. Every time they open their mouths we get to see just what thugs they truly are.

dhill926

(16,234 posts)
26. hmmm...
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 10:00 PM
Dec 2014

rather obvious use of the dog whistle here.....fuck these shitheads...

"I'd remind the NFL and their players that it is not the violent thugs burning down buildings that buy their advertiser's products"

 

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)
27. I condemn the Rams -- specifically, the players who did NOT join in their teammates' action.
Tue Dec 2, 2014, 01:06 AM
Dec 2014

Nevertheless, I respect the room for diversity of opinion. I also recognize that some players probably agreed with the "Hands up" point of view but didn't want to bring politics into their workplace. Accordingly, I will not support any boycott or any other retaliatory action against the players who sat this one out, nor do I think they should be fined.

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