Jason Whitlock Thinks Rams "Hands Up" Players Might Not Be on Rosters Next Year

Jason Whitlock joined Keith Olbermann’s show yesterday to discuss the Rams players — Tavon Austin, Jared Cook, Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens, and Kenny Britt — who motioned “Hands up don’t shoot” in support of Ferguson protesters as they ran out of the tunnel on Sunday. Though the league and franchise have both said that there won’t be discipline, Whitlock wasn’t so sure that tacit punishment isn’t awaiting them down the line:

While Whitlock is correct on the larger point about the NFL view toward players that bring attention to something, the NFL and Rams’ organization have seemingly had the players’ backs thus far on this one. The league released a statement expressing respect for their individual concerns, and team executive Kevin Demoff immediately pushed back on the assertion that he had “apologized” to police for the players’ actions. The police were dismayed enough with this development so as to publicly respond with the dictionary definition of the word (which, in addition to their initial tone-deaf release, seemed like an odd way to curry favor). Nevertheless, it’ll be worth monitoring if there are repercussions for these players going forward.

While Whitlock applauded LeBron and the Heat’s Trayvon Martin hoodie gesture, he thought what the Rams players did was more significant. “We expect individuality from NBA players,” he said. “They have more leverage. This is the NFL. Most of the 53-man roster is nameless, faceless and easily replaced. These guys took a dramatic stand against the power structure, and the people that own the teams probably have more in common with the guy that released the statement for the police union than they do with their own players.”

Before all of this, those in the know already believed that Rams owner Stan Kroenke was swiftly disenfranchising himself and his team from the St. Louis community. If the organization is indeed pushing for a move to Los Angeles, there’s much less downside in pushing back against the local institutional authority. It’s impossible to say whether or not that has factored into the franchise’s response this week.

Whitlock finished by saying that the players’ gesture was more about the bigger picture:

When you look at the big picture of what’s gone on in America, the backlash from the Civil Rights movements of the 60’s, and the law and order that’s been institutionalized … Our whole mindset in America is we believe in policing, punishment — let’s lock people up, and let’s keep feeding poor people hopelessness, and that’s gonna make things better. When I see these Rams players reacting, I don’t think they know the details of Darren Wilson and Michael Brown, but they do know certain communities are overpoliced. Certain policemen have been given way too much — it’s like we can’t question them. This was the beauty of what they did, and the beauty of non-violent protest.

Some pundits, like Mike Ditka (“I’m embarrassed for the players more than anything”), seem unable to separate violent looters from peaceful protesters with legitimate concerns about over-policing and racial profiling. You would have to suspend disbelief to think that the Rams players were supporting those who are smashing up businesses rather than expressing concern for broader issues.