The National Football League excels at many things: making money, interesting marketing, and abusing Black players.

On Wednesday, the N.F.L. announced a new policy to prevent players from kneeling during the U.S. national anthem. The policy states that “all team and league personnel on the field shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem” and that a “club will be fined if its personnel are on the field and do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.” Any player who refuses to stand will be allowed to stay in the locker room until the anthem is over.

The decision comes two years after former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt as a silent protest against police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.

Since then, many athletes – some in other leagues and sports – have joined in solidarity, creating a movement big enough to annoy the President of the United States.

“If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or country) and should stand for the National Anthem,” Donald Trump tweeted in September 2017.

The problem with Trump’s tweet and the N.F.L.’s new policy is that kneeling was never about disrespecting the flag. It was about opening up conversations about race in America and how Black people are unfairly abused by police forces and institutions.

Football is the most watched sport in America, but polls have shown a steady decline in viewership since 2014. The Washington Post reports that viewership has dropped 9% in four years and only 51% of their core fan base (men aged 18 to 49) are still watching. The owners, who are predominately white, simply cannot afford anymore losses and sees the new policy as a way to fix their financial troubles.

The move from the N.F.L. proves that nothing has changed when it comes to racial tensions in America because Black people are still being abused by those who are white and in power. The policy treats the N.F.L. players as commodities whose primary job is to play and win games. The players are also seen as liabilities to the league because the protests effect viewership and ticket sales.

By punishing Black players, who make up 70% of the league, the N.F.L. is sending out a message that they care more about money than they do about social injustice. Players should not have their rights used against them because they are using their voices to oppose against systemic racism and abuse. They should be applauded for raising awareness on social issues when their owners have kneeled to political pressure.

Maybe the N.F.L. thinks the ruling shows how powerful they are, but what the owners have failed to see is that they are alienating the players who helped them build the league.

Many players are faces of the organization and have helped bring tremendous amounts of money and publicity to the league through advertisements and endorsements.

And given that the players in the league weren’t consulted on the new policy, they should continue to protest for what they believe in by kneeling during the anthem anyway, staying in the locker room in solidarity with other teammates, or even refusing to play completely. These athletes can force the N.F.L. to see that abuse of power and submission to political pressure shouldn’t be tolerated in sports or anywhere for that matter.

Don’t forget, America is still the land of the free and the N.F.L. are unjustified in stripping away free speech from its players.