evidence: On Oct. 27, 2023, SpaceXMania published an article positing that 10 players were disqualified across multiple games in the span of a week for choosing to kneel for the national anthem. It then went on to interrogate the role of the referee extending beyond "ensuring rules are adhered to" and "the extent of their authority in political expressions." The article begins as follows: Breaking: NFL Referees Disqualified 10 Players For Anthem Kneeling Last Week In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves through the National Football League (NFL) and its global fanbase, referees disqualified ten players last week due to their decision to kneel during the national anthem. This significant number of disqualifications in a single week has stirred a new chapter in the ongoing debate about free speech, patriotism, and social activism within the sports arena.