*By Conor White*
The former NFL star Victor Cruz said the league's new rule requiring players on the field to stand during the national anthem exacerbates an us-against-them dynamic between owners and players.
"It just doesn't make sense to me," Cruz said in an interview Thursday with Cheddar. "I just don't understand why you're retracting a player's right to even protest or do anything that you wanted to do. It just feels like you're continuing the narrative that you're the player, and we're the hierarchy, and you have to listen to us, and pay attention, and do as we say."
The former New York Giants wide receiver vocalized what some current players have said they are feeling.
Last week, the NFL announced it would fine a team an undisclosed amount if any of its players were to kneel during the playing of the national anthem. Players can stay in the locker room during the anthem if they do not want to stand.
In an [interview with ESPN](http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/211882/victor-cruz-youve-got-to-respect-the-flag) in 2016, Cruz had said the American flag needed to be respected, and that he thought players should stand with their teammates during the anthem "regardless of how you feel about things that are going on in America."
Now, the 31 year old said NFL players should be able to express themselves.
"I still stand by those players who are protesting, fighting for a change, or fighting for the right things to be done, not only in the NFL, but across the world," Cruz said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/victor-cruz-makes-an-impact-off-the-football-field).
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, Nov. 16, 2018.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Super Bowl Champion Darrell Revis is now the face of online bookmaker PointsBet's digital sportsbook, launching later this month. Revis and PointsBet CEO Johnny Aitken told Cheddar how they're trying to educate consumers about legal sports betting.
The Golden State Warriors' star-studded lineup and three championship rings over the last four seasons have been a major revenue driver for the team's business, but the next phase of growth will rely on local real estate, said the team's chief financial officer Jennifer Cabalquinto.
The subject of gambling and esports has become a point of serious tension for gamers. For companies like Unikrn, which built its platform on the practice of esports betting, battling that stigma is a central, implicit part of the operation. According to CEO and co-founder Rahul Sood, the company is determined to make betting on esports a “safe, legal, and relegated” space.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Four years ago, Aziz “Hax$” Al-Yami was one of the best Super Smash Bros. Melee players in the world. But after suffering what he said felt like “an explosion” in his left wrist, Hax’s once-impressive tournament performances were marred by serious physical pain. So he found his own solution: a different type of controller. Hax talked to Cheddar Sports about his life-changing design.
Disney's new streaming service and its acquisition of Fox assets will be the main fixation when the entertainment giant reports earnings and revenue after market close on Thursday.
Alex Rodriguez parlayed a lucrative and controversial baseball career into a successful second act as the CEO of his own investment firm, A-ROD Corp. He spoke to Cheddar about his investment strategy.
Kip Levin, president and COO of FanDuel Group, said that the partnership with the New Jersey Devils will be helpful in expanding the FanDuel experience. New Jersey was the second state to legalize sports betting, opening up opportunities with companies like FanDuel and DraftKings.
