Fear
I, for one, am tired of the reference of the first amendment as though it were applicable to this situation. As most know, the first amendment only guarantees that the government will not obstruct the freedom of speech. Employees always obstruct speech on the job. Try making a racist remark at work, demean the company you work for, or making sexist remarks, and you'll will be, and should be, out on your duff in a second. The motive behind the owner's acceptance of this behavior is fear; fear of what the athletes may or may not do, if they interfere and believe me, the root of this fear begins way before they play for the NFL. Try suspending a star quarterback on a college football team that is failing to make good grades in academic classes and watch the push-back. We've all see horrific things occur as a result of obsession with protecting star athletes. We start treating them special as kids and wonder why their actions can't be controlled in the workplace like everyone else.
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