Giants HC Ben McAdoo Sees No Room for Nuance in Protesting National Anthem, Plenty in Spousal Abuse

New York Giants coach Ben McAdoo has a lot on his mind at the moment. He is a first-time NFL head coach replacing a man who won two Super Bowls for Big Blue. His first-team offense has been a mess during the preseason, and the offensive line is seriously lacking in talent.

But McAdoo hasn't spent all of his time focusing on roster cuts and zone-blocking schemes; he's also paid close attention to the ongoing Colin Kaepernick national anthem controversy. The day after news of Kaepernick's protest hit, McAdoo's entire team made quite a spectacle out of standing in unison for the anthem during their preseason game against the Jets:

Pretty deliberate sideline for the Giants during the anthem tonight. All players and staff standing. pic.twitter.com/5iqUJp4eqQ
— tara sullivan (@Record_Tara) August 27, 2016

McAdoo had offensive coordinator (and West Point grad) Mike Sullivan and retired Col. Greg Gadson address the team before the Jets game. Then, on Monday, he made it clear to the media that such displays of protest would be frowned upon, using the classic, "I believe in free speech, but…" defense:

"The way we operate for the national anthem, we consider it a small gesture to those who served and sacrificed their lives for our country and for us to play and coach in this great game. Part of that is the freedom of speech, and we certainly respect that. We talk to our guys about keeping empathy in mind when they do lead and use this league as a platform. But I'd be disappointed if one of our guys chose not to stand. It's their choice, it's not mandatory, but we feel it's important."

Like Kaepernick, McAdoo's Giants have chosen to take a public stand. They've positioned themselves at the forefront of the league's reactionary movement: support the flag, support the troops, no exceptions!

McAdoo has taken a notably different stance on judging the actions of one of his own players, however. Giants kicker Josh Brown was handed a one-game suspension by the NFL earlier this month after his arrest on domestic violence charges last May; Brown's wife had called 911 after he grabbed her wrist during an argument, and also told police that Brown "had been physically violent to her on more than 20 different instances over the past several years." (The charges were later dropped, and the Browns have since divorced.) In this case on controversial player behavior, McAdoo—who had previously stated that domestic violence was the one thing he wouldn't tolerate—allows for some serious nuance:

"I'm a father, I'm a husband, and my stance on personal conduct stays the way it is. Stays consistent, and it stays strong. But I think it's important for an organization and the locker room to take it on a case by case basis."

For years now, Giants fans have prided themselves on being New York's professional football team: a consistent, family-run organization that would never tolerate the circus atmosphere that usually pervades the Jets. They are in many ways the NFL's gold standard.

In other words, they're fucking hypocrites.

We don't yet know whether McAdoo will succeed as a head coach, but he's already made it abundantly clear that he is perfect for the kind of self-righteous bullshit the Giants—and the NFL—are peddling. Godspeed, coach.