Anti-American anthem protests might’ve irreparably damaged the NFL’s brand.
Swaths of fans that turned away could be hard to reel back in despite the NFL’s new policy of requiring players to stand if they chose not to stay in the locker room during the anthem.
While several players expressed misplaced outrage over the policy, one NFL great gives America hope that not all players have completely lost perspective.
Running back Eric Dickerson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 after completing a legendary career with the Los Angeles Rams and the Indianapolis Colts.
To this day, he still holds the record for most rushing yards in a single season with 2,105. And in the contemporary NFL where offenses are far more pass-oriented, Dickerson’s record does not appear to be in jeopardy any time soon.
As a player as well as a commentator post-retirement, Dickerson has been known to speak his mind. Recently he publicly called out the Rams organization for showing him disrespect after he had the gall to criticize embattled former coach Jeff Fisher.
Dickerson was proven right, as the Rams have made a quick turnaround since showing the perennially overrated Fisher the door.
Dickerson is again speaking out, and this time he broached the subject of protesting the National Anthem.
TMZ reached him for a brief interview:
Eric Dickerson Would Stand For Anthem, ‘Can’t Please Everybody’ | TMZ Sports
Eric Dickerson says the fact players now have a choice to stay in the locker for the national anthem is a “good thing” … but says he would stand if he was still in the league.
Dickerson injected some common sense into the debate in opposition to the anti-American protesters who foolishly think their free speech is being infringed upon.
First of all, free speech protests against government force. Private businesses are allowed to set their company policy, and some owners have even kowtowed to the players and said they would be allowed to protest without fear of incurring the league-mandated fine.
Second, kneeling for the flag isn’t an act of patriotism. It’s a gaudy show of defiance started by Colin Kaepernick, a player who has succumbed to neo-Marxist thought.
When some kneeling players have been asked if their protest is an intentional affront to the country, they collectively say no. However, Kaepernick would surely disagree with them.
His rhetoric and actions are stridently anti-American, such as calling for America’s capitalist system to be “dismantled.”
He’s unambiguous about his disdain for America, but players and pundits continue to give him the benefit of the doubt that doesn’t exist.
More players should take their cues from Dickerson. He said he would proudly stand for the anthem, which doesn’t preclude anyone from caring about social issues.
Ardent leftists don’t have a monopoly on social concern and philanthropy. In fact, data shows that conservatives give more in charity than do liberals.
Showing contempt for America doesn’t save any lives in the communities Kaepernick claims to care about.
The Ferguson effect, the phenomena that violent crime increases in areas where police withdraw due to public outrage, suggests the loud anti-police rhetoric from the hard left is having a harmful effect.
The next time Colin Kaepernick wears socks caricaturing cops as pigs or compares policemen to slave patrols in the 1800s, he should reflect on the statistics that show he’s actually doing damage.