The NFL has more problems than it can count.
The anti-American protests continue to damage the league.
And now NBC just ran an ad that could make the problem even worse.
Protest Problems
The problems all started with Colin Kaepernick.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback decided to kneel for the anthem.
He started by sitting for the anthem during a pre-season game in 2016.
But switched to kneeling because somehow that was supposed to be more respectful.
The protests spread across the league and caused headaches for the NFL.
Stadium attendance dropped.
TV viewership slipped.
Advertising revenue sank.
But commissioner Roger Goodell did nothing for two years.
He finally changed the anthem policy, requiring players to stand, or stay in the locker room.
However, Goodell chickened out and suspended the rule.
The protests have done nothing but create terrible headlines and spark boycotts on both sides of the issue.
The Kaepernick Ad
The league continues to suffer.
But not Kaepernick.
He’s now the darling of leftists across the country.
He’s been graced with many awards and accolades.
The mainstream media try without end to turn him into a civil rights hero.
But now Kaepernick has been rewarded with a huge deal from Nike.
The apparel giant just made Kaepernick the face of its new campaign.
Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.#JustDoItpic.twitter.com/x5TnU7Z51i
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 5, 2018
Kaepernick’s “sacrifice” is unclear.
The Nike deal is reportedly worth eight figures.
He’s a sacred cow among liberals.
The only thing he lost was a backup job in the NFL.
His supporters overlook the fact his play fell off sharply.
Kaepernick was benched for a journeyman backup.
He then went 1-10 the next season.
Teams were not beating down his door with offers.
Terrible Timing
In light of the Kaepernick controversy, NBC made a troubling move.
The network chose to air the ad during its season kickoff game.
This is a dangerous move because it will divide fans.
The NFL continues to watch its ratings fall.
This won’t help.
NBC’s own Chuck Todd even added fuel to the fire when he accused the NFL of being racist toward black consumers.
Todd’s comment is disgusting.
It also assumes that all black people are on board with the protests.
They’re not.
Even current and former black players have spoken out against the protests.
It makes no sense for a network to undercut its own product.
Considering the NFL’s problems, this could backfire in a massive way.
Nike is already feeling the pain.
The company saw an early 3% drop in stock price, and it’s projected to get worse.
One would think the NFL and its broadcasters would get on the same page.
So far, they aren’t.
The goal used to be to reach as many people as possible. That’s why the term broadcasting exists.
But companies seem less concerned with conservative viewers.
Liberals tend to struggle with economics.
They can’t seem to bend the facts to their will.