Social media reacted swiftly to the unanimous decision by NFL owners that require players and personnel to stand during the national anthem if they are on the field, but gives them the option to remain in the locker room.
Related: Olympian John Carlos, who raised a fist in 1968" on taking a knee
Related: Roger Goodell's statement on national anthem policy
Teams could face a fine if the new rules aren’t followed.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said the decision is a matter of respect for the flag.
Several players, most notably Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid, took a knee during performance of the national anthem to protest the killing of African Americans and other minorities by police.
Kaepernick is now a free agent, but no teams have picked him up since he first took a knee in 2016.
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