Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) has announced that he intends to boycott the National Football League, over its new rule requiring players to stand during the national anthem.
Ellison called the new rule an “idiotic kneeling ban,” according to The Hill.
“Friends who know me, know that I love football. But I won’t be watching this NFL season because of the unfair cowardly and idiotic kneeling ban,” Minnesota’s first Muslim congressman tweeted:
Friends who know me, know that I love football. But I won’t be watching this NFL season because of the unfair cowardly and idiotic kneeling ban. #BoycottNFL
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) May 27, 2018
The comments came on the heels of the league’s decision this week to fine teams for allowing players to take a knee during the national anthem. The new rule announced on May 23 maintains that players can stay in the locker room if they are not interested in standing for the anthem but that if they do take to the sidelines, they must stand during the song.
Ellison joined several other congressmen who in November of 2016 met with a group of players on Capitol Hill. The group included Anquan Boldin, Malcolm Jenkins and others who were angling to get the league to spend money on their favored social justice causes.
The group later helped spearhead the league’s agreement to spend $89 million on such causes.