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AMVets Director: NFL Rejected Our Simple #PleaseStand Ad

Philadelphia (CBS) - The NFL is once again being scrutinized for it's stance, or lack-there-of, on a pro-anthem, #PleaseStand ad campaign by nonprofit group, AMVETS.

National Executive Director Joe Chenelly tells The Dom Giordano Program on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that the NFL reached out to the group directly about possibly doing an advertisement during the Super Bowl, even at a discounted rate. However, when the NFL realized it was a politically-charged advertisement, they rejected.

"We wanted to do something simple. We wanted to be polite. We weren't trying to bash the players, we weren't trying to bash the NFL. We weren't criticizing anyone. We just wanted our point of view known, which is simply, we are asking to stand for the American flag and we'll even use the word please," said Chenelly.

Chenelly went on to explain that the NFL told the group they did not want to take sides on this particular issue.

"Our opinion, and we expressed this to them, is by rejecting  our ad is they are in fact taking a stance. We don't agree with their stance and we didn't find it acceptable and we let them know that."

Chenelly, who has worked in communications for a number of companies prior to joining AMVets, was confused by the decision of the NFL to say no to a simple ad.

"As a professional communicator, I don't understand how they would make this decision. It can bring nothing but negativity to the league right now and that was never our intent. I doubt that would have been the situation whatsoever if they chose to run our ad. They came back and told us just yesterday, after news of this got out, and they told us that they didn't want to be political."

The ad was also pitched to other professional sport leagues and was accepted by the NHL, NBA and NASCAR, Chenelly went on to tell Giordano.

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