“If somebody takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organization, by me, not the players. I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players. Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest.” The Jets owner says he’ll pay the fines if players choose to take a knee during the anthem. (Fun fact: “Johnson is currently acting as owner of the team while his brother, Woody Johnson, serves as Trump’s ambassador to Britain.”)

+ Meanwhile, President Trump lauded this week’s move by NFL owners. To players who choose to kneel or remain in the locker room: “Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.” (Until recently, this was precisely the country where you should be if you wanted the right to protest.) I said it yesterday, and I’ll say it again: The reason I always stand for the national anthem is because I live in a country that allows citizens not to.