Analysis: Of all the ways to solve NFL anthem issue, this is the worst

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Analysis: Of all the ways to solve NFL anthem issue, this is the worst

Tim Benz | Wednesday, May 23, 2018 10:18 a.m.

Members of the San Francisco 49ers kneel during the playing of the national anthem before an NFL game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md., on Sunday (AP Photo | Alex Brandon)

Of all the bad ideas to solve the debate over how NFL teams should treat the pregame national anthem, let me present to you the worst .

Per sources, one anthem idea being discussed: Leaving it up to home team on whether teams come out for the anthem; if teams do come out for the anthem, potential that teams could be assessed 15-yard penalties for kneeling.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 22, 2018

"Leaving it up to home team on whether teams come out for the anthem."

Oh dear Lord. That can't be serious. Can it?

By no means am I doubting Albert Breer's reporting. Not at all. Nor am I doubting the information from his sources.

What I am doubting is the sanity of the people in the room that came up with this incredibly dubious plan.

This is one of those ideas that is so flawed, you automatically start by saying what's wrong with it, long before you advance what's right with it.

You know, like having Opening Day baseball games on April 1 in places such as Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit and New York.

Keep in mind, these are NFL owners. These are the same geniuses who took years to figure out that the catch rule had a few, uh, "hiccups" to it before they corrected it this offseason. So anything is possible. They may actually think this makes sense.

As mentioned above, I can't think of any logical way this is prudent. So let's just talk about why it's moronic.

How does the home team decide? Based on the political environment of the municipality? Maybe we'll all stand in Houston but we won't in San Francisco. Is that where we are going with this? Because clearly, that will make everything all better.

If a visiting team employs Eric Reid or Colin Kaepernick, does the home team employ the "universal standing rule" when that specific opponent comes into town, but otherwise wouldn't? That would basically be patriotism cloaked in football strategy. No doubt this is what our founding fathers had in mind. And Francis Scott Key would be so proud, by the way.

What if both teams have kneelers? Do we have offsetting penalties? And if so, what have we accomplished?

Does every player dressed on game day have to stand for the anthem? Or can they just stay in the locker room if they don't want to stand? Maybe that's just a 5-yard penalty instead of a 15-yarder?

During the anthem, what if Vontaze Burfict targets the head of the anthem singer? Is that an automatic 15-yard penalty? Or is it subject to replay?

These are answers we need to know!

Just play the anthem with the players in the locker room and put this issue to bed. Or don't play the anthem at all.

Heck, don't play the games at all. At this point, if you put a gun to my head, I'd give up watching the games if it meant never having to talk about anthem protest issue again.