More and more NFL players are imitating the two-fist dance of the 45th and 47th US presidents. And the League has no problem with that.
That shouldn’t be the case either.
“There’s no problem with a festive dance, like what took place [Sunday] or the week before with the 49ers on Nov. 10,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Michael McCarthy of FrontOfficeSports.com, referring to several players who have done the dance after big plays. Brian McCarthy added that as for airing the celebrations, “it is up to the networks to cover them as they see fit.”
It is a story given the political undertones of the dance. But the dance itself doesn’t violate any competition rules. Even if the players doing the dance do so to make a political statement, the rules allow it.
The rules allow it in the same way that the rules allow a player to sit or kneel (or not place his hand over his heart) during the national anthem.
The trend became a bigger story for the NFL in part because of the Raiders reportedly closed tight end Brock Bowers’ post-game press conference after being asked and answered a question about the dance. This has led to criticism of the (alleged) double standard when it comes to (alleged) political gestures.
Why are players who don’t stand for the national anthem expected to explain their position, while players who do the Trump dance (or wear a hat with a political statement on the field, which is against the rules) get a pass to get?
Again, players can do the Trump dance as much as they want. It’s completely within the rules. But it’s weird and lame for players and/or teams to slam the door on any discussion about the political beliefs that may be present in anyone doing that dance in public.
