Newswise — EVANSTON, Ill. --- The NFL today passed a revised policy mandating players and team personnel present on the sideline “shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.” Northwestern University professors from political science and the Kellogg School of Management are available to comment.

Alvin Tillery is an associate professor of political science and director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy at Northwestern University. His research and teaching interests are in the fields of American politics and political theory. His research in American politics focuses on American political development, racial and ethnic politics and media and politics. He can be reached at (mobile) 574-514-5758 or [email protected].

James Druckman is the Payson S. Wild Professor in the political science department at Northwestern and associate director of the University’s Institute for Policy Research. Druckman’s research focuses on political preference formation and communication. His recent work examines how citizens make political, economic and social decisions in various contexts (e.g., settings with multiple competing messages, online information, deliberation). He can be reached at [email protected] or 847-491-2646.

Quote from Professor Druckman
“This is a surprising policy move. That it came as a directive from the NFL without consultation with the player’s association does not bode with the relationship between player and owners. My guess is that it will not quiet the debate but rather further stimulate controversy.”

Nicholas Pearce is a clinical associate professor of management and organizations at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. He is a leading scholar, lecturer and strategic adviser on values-driven leadership, collaboration and change in organizations. He has served leaders of corporations, social impact organizations, governments and communities of faith on six continents. Please contact Pearce by reaching out to Molly Lynch at 773-505-9719 or [email protected].

Excerpt from Professor Pearce’s October 2017 op-ed from CNBC.com
“Taking a knee during the national anthem is just as much of a political statement as playing the anthem in the first place – an anthem which mentions slavery and was written by an anti-abolitionist. While many in the NFL (and in corporate America) believe that politicized self-expression should not interfere with making money, it must be noted that the very NFL enterprise is politicized, as recent research revealed a connection between NFL owners' donations to Trump and the lack of black executives on the team staff.

“A rule that would force players to stand for the anthem only serves to turn up the volume on the centuries-old din of structural racism and inequality in America. Instead of seizing the opportunity – if not a responsibility – to clarify and demonstrate the seriousness of its stand against racial injustice, the league is showing that its number one priority is money.”

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