Rams coach Jeff Fisher said the team would not discipline five players who made a “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” gesture during pregame introductions Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
“As far as the choice that the players made, they were exercising their right to free speech,” Fisher said at his regular Monday evening media session.
Fisher said he has yet to speak with the five players but will later this week. Other than that, Fisher declined to comment further on the topic.
“It’s my personal opinion, and I firmly believe, that it’s important that I keep sports and politics separate,” Fisher said. “I’m a head coach. I’m not a politician, an activist, or an expert on societal issues. I’m going to answer questions about the game.”
Fisher referred any questions on the matter to Rams executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff. When reached by the Post-Dispatch later Monday evening, Demoff declined to answer questions.
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The “Hands Up” gesture has been used by protesters upset over the fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson.
Rams tight end Jared Cook and wide receivers Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt and Chris Givens used the gesture as they came out of the tunnel before Sunday’s game against Oakland.
Fisher said on Sunday that he was unaware that the players had planned the gesture, and Britt said after the Rams’ 52-0 victory that the players involved didn’t want to bother the coach about their plans before the game.
On Monday, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league would not discipline the players. He also said that neither Britt nor running back Tre Mason would be disciplined for striking the “Hands Up” pose after Mason’s 35-yard touchdown on a screen pass in the first quarter.
Under league rules, choreographed end zone celebrations involving more than one person can be subject to fines.
“We respect and understand the concerns of all individuals who have expressed views on this tragic situation,” McCarthy told USA Today.
On Sunday evening, the St. Louis Police Officers Association issued a statement saying it was “profoundly disappointed” in the players’ gestures and called on the NFL to apologize and discipline the players.
Business manager Jeff Roorda of the St. Louis Police Officer Association met with Rams officials Monday afternoon, along with St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson. In addition, Demoff spoke earlier in the day with St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar.
“We feel strongly that (the Rams) better understand our perspective and the perspective of the law-abiding citizens that support law enforcement,” Roorda said after the meeting. “We’re going to continue these conversations later this week and ... we’re going to hold off on any further public comments in the hopes that fruitful talks continue.”
Gabe Crocker, president of the St. Louis County Police Association, called the gesture by the five Rams players “classless.”
“What the Rams players did was unprofessional,” said Crocker, who represents about 500 officers. “Here was a great opportunity to stand up and show St. Louis some pride and unity in our community, but instead they chose controversy and division.”
Crocker said police officers he has talked with since Roorda’s statement Sunday “overwhelmingly support” Roorda. “Everyone I’ve talked to today said, ‘It’s about time someone stood up and said something,’” Crocker said.
And St. Louis police Sgt. Kevin Ahlbrand, who is president of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police, said the organization is writing letters to the NFL seeking a formal consequence. Ahlbrand also serves on Gov. Jay Nixon’s Ferguson Commission.
“It doesn’t help the healing process at all,” Ahlbrand said of the Rams players. “We don’t think it’s appropriate.”
Ahlbrand made his comments during a break in the Ferguson Commission’s first meeting Monday. The commission is tasked with studying the “social and economic conditions” highlighted by months of protests surrounding the killing of Brown, and making recommendations to Nixon.
On Monday evening, Belmar sent out a memo to county police department members that said Demoff had apologized on behalf of the Rams.
“Mr. Demoff clearly regretted that any members of the Rams’ organization would act in a way that minimized the outstanding work that police officers and departments carry out each and every day. My impression of the call was that it was heartfelt, and I assured him that I would share it with my staff.”
But Demoff, reached late Monday evening by the Post-Dispatch, denied that he issued an apology.
“This morning, I had phone conversations with both Chief Dotson and Chief Belmar regarding yesterday’s events,” Demoff said. “I expressed to both of them that I felt badly that our players’ support of the community was taken as disrespectful to law enforcement.
“Later in the afternoon I had a positive meeting with Chief Dotson, Jeff Roorda, and Gabe Crocker at St. Louis city police headquarters to discuss with them how the Rams’ organization and law enforcement could build upon the positive relationship we already have. We began a good dialogue but recognize there is work to be done to strengthen our relationship.
“In none of these conversations did I apologize for our players’ actions. I did say in each conversation that I regretted any offense their officers may have taken. We do believe it is possible to both support our players’ First Amendment rights and support the efforts of local law enforcement as our community begins the process of healing.”
“Chief Belmar’s assertion that our conversation was heartfelt is accurate, and I would characterize our conversation as productive. Our organization wants to find ways to use football to bring our community together.”
Demoff declined to answer any further questions on the issue.
Several of the Rams players who struck the “Hands Up” pose said it shouldn’t be interpreted as them taking sides in the issue.
But there were many who took to social media to criticize the players, saying their actions amounted to unfair criticism of police.
The Facebook page of the Time Out Bar and Grill on Gravois near Chippewa in south St. Louis, read: “We are jumping ship! Bye Bye Rams. Hello Kansas City Chiefs.”
The co-owner of the establishment, who would give only his first name (Attila) said his bar is not boycotting the Rams, but will not actively support the team. Happy hours will now be built around Chiefs games instead of Rams games.
Attila said he was in favor of freedom of speech, but indicated that there was a time and place for everything.
“My problem is going out in a team jersey on a nationally televised event and using it as a blanket advertisement,” he said. “That’s not the place. My customers, actually not one of them approved of (the gestures). Everybody was upset.”
Attila said the decision to not actively support the Rams isn’t necessarily forever.
Bailey, the Rams wide receiver, said Sunday: “I feel like everybody has their own opinion. I’m not sure we can do anything to change anybody’s opinion.”
Cook was the most expansive of the five Rams players on the subject.
“It could have happened to any of us,” Cook said Sunday, referring to the shooting of Brown and other such shootings. “And it happened in our community. We are part of this community. Everything about it touched me. I wouldn’t want to be in any of those guys’ situations that it happened to.”
He continued: “I just think it’s heartbreaking we’re still going through this as a people and as a nation. There have been so many people, no matter the color, around the world that have fought for justice and fought for human rights for this still to be happening. . . .It’s just something that keeps happening and needs to change.”
David Hunn and Christine Byers of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
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