* In 2012, the NFL had an issue with Tim Tebow kneeling for each game to pray, They also had an issue with Tebow wearing John 3:16 as part of his eye-black to avoid glare, and made him remove it.

* In 2013, the NFL fined Brandon Marshall for wearing green cleats to raise awareness for people with mental health disorders.

* In 2014, Robert Griffin III (RG3) entered a post-game press conference wearing a shirt that said "Know Jesus/Know Peace", but was forced to turn it inside out by an NFL uniform inspector before speaking at the podium.

* In 2015, DeAngelo Williams was fined for wearing "Find the Cure" eye black for breast cancer awareness.

* In 2015, William Gay was fined for wearing purple cleats to raise awareness for domestic violence. (Not that the NFL has a domestic violence problem ).

*In 2016, the NFL prevented the Dallas Cowboys from wearing a decal on their helmet in honor of 5 Dallas Police officers killed in the line of duty.

* In 2016, the NFL threatened to fine players who wanted to wear cleats to commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11.

So please tell me again how the NFL supports free speech and expression. All of a sudden it seems quite clear, based on the above facts, that the NFL has taken a position against any action by NFL players demonstrating RESPECT for any issue: For God, social causes such as mental health, cancer, domestic violence, for cops killed arbitrarily for being cops, for the Memory of 9/11...

BUT, they will allow demonstrations of DISRESPECT for our National Flag, our National Anthem, for America , and for the American People ... if it will help mollify a particular group and its supporters. That is who and what the NFL now has shown itself to be.