The anti-American protests are destroying the NFL.
TV ratings and stadium attendance are dropping.
But the NFL’s biggest problem is who is not watching and why.
The divisive and unpatriotic National Anthem protests have fractured sports fans along political lines.
The concern for the NFL is that both sides are tuning out for different reasons. People on the right aren’t watching because of the disrespect being shown to the flag and the armed services.
People on the left aren’t watching because their revolutionary hero Colin Kaepernick is still jobless.
From Breitbart:
In an appearance on this week’s “The Podcast with Shaq,” actor and comedian Craig Robinson said he has turned off the NFL because quarterback Colin Kaepernick continues to be unsigned the season after he protested the National Anthem.
Host Shaquille O’Neal asked Robinson who he cheers for in the NFL.
“I’m from Chicago, I go for them Bears, man,” Robinson replied. “I haven’t been watching because [Kaepernick], man, so I don’t know what’s happening this season.”
Co-host John Kincade responded, “Craig, you’re boycotting the NFL over that situation? You’re not watching the NFL?”
“I’m not watching the NFL, no,” Robinson reiterated.
Other leftists are taking it even further and consider the NFL boycott a civil rights issue.
From The Root:
That’s why I’m not watching NFL football this year. It’s going to hurt me, but one of our problems is that we think resistance should be easy. We think progress can be achieved through social media memes instead of tired feet and sweaty necks. We think change is supposed to come without bruised knuckles and bloody skulls. It doesn’t work that way.
I am not under the illusion that if every black person stops watching the NFL, Colin Kaepernick will get a job.
[…]
But once, while sitting in these same pews, I heard a story about a little boy named David who managed to kill a giant by himself.
Meanwhile conservatives are sick and tired of being preached to by millionaires who disrespect the country that gave them the opportunity to become rich and famous.
From Townhall.com:
After spending a week at work, hearing about the liberalism being forced on their kids at school, having liberalism shoved in their face by their local newspaper and being harangued by TV shows portraying people like them as creeps, a lot of conservative men like to relax by watching sports. Sports is a place where politics shouldn’t even be on the agenda….but IT IS.
Now, watching a football game requires you to put up with spoiled, pampered, privileged, obscenely wealthy man-children disrespecting America during the national anthem.
As if that isn’t bad enough, you turn on ESPN or somewhere else discussing sports and what do you hear? Liberals talking about how great it is that these football players are crapping all over the country that made them rich and famous.
Forget about rushing for 100 yards and throwing 4 touchdowns in a game; if you really want people to talk about you, just tell everyone about how racist America is and how awful the police are because the latest criminal who was “about to turn his life around and go to college” gets shot after doing something insanely stupid and dangerous with a cop around.
Know what the penalty for putting America down in the NFL is right now? Nothing. The same NFL that banned pro-cop helmet decals and stopped Titans linebacker Avery Williamson from wearing cleats that honored the victims of 9/11, supports players who refuse to stand for the Pledge.
Moreover, spoiled mediocre quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s jersey became a best seller AFTER he held the flag in contempt. On a personal note, I wouldn’t even shake someone’s hand who is wearing a Kaepernick jersey, much less hire him.
But, when people who hate America will reward you for doing the wrong thing, while the good people just shrug their shoulders, you shouldn’t be surprised when NFL players keep flipping off the whole country.
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That’s the same reason conservatives have lost the schools, Hollywood, the mainstream media and it’s why the NFL is turning into a bigger, even dumber version of the Daily Kos.
If liberals are going to reward you for trashing America and conservatives aren’t going to punish you for it, a certain percentage of people are going to take advantage of that.
The NFL had a chance to quash this last year, but the problem has become intractable. Appeasing one side only emboldens the other.
The NFL needs to realize where its bread is buttered, and it’s certainly not on the hard left.