Jim Bratten
On October 9, National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke, reaffirming that NFL players should stand for the national anthem. It’s in the rules; players are to stand, helmets cradled under their left arms with their right hands placed over their hearts, during the presentation of the flag and the singing of our national anthem. Unfortunately, no one in NFL management enforces the rule nor is there an intent to enforce it. As it turns out, they’re not really interested.
But Roger was adamant – the players should stand. Where was he a year ago? The rule was in place but apparently no one told Colin Kaepernick or other duped players.
With the subsequent public outcry, it seems the NFL should have learned, albeit slowly, who their fan base is. It’s not progressives who watch the Sundance channel or get their current events reportage from NPR. But does the NFL care?
Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, was more direct in his comments to ESPN on October 8: “We cannot, in the NFL, in any way give the implication that we will tolerate disrespecting the flag. We cannot do that. And I know the vice president did leave because in his opinion…
“There is no equivocation. We will stand for the flag. If there’s anything that is disrespectful to the flag, then we will not play.”
Again, where has the NFL been? Why has it taken this long to proclaim the obvious; what over 70% of NFL fans believe? Why did Roger Goodell wait to give his assurances after Jerry Jones laid down the law to his players?
After the public announcement of Jones, Goodell admitted that, “Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the national anthem. It is an important moment in our game. We want to have our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us.”
This should not be a case of the NFL gingerly testing the temperature of the water with its toe before it jumps in. They should have known what the reaction of their fans and supporters would be. Are they that divorced from the beliefs and principles of their most loyal fans?
The answer is yes, because the upper management of the NFL is populated with progressives. Many of them, like Joe Lockhart, NFL executive vice president of communication and former White House press secretary under Bill Clinton, are leftists who have no affection for NFL tradition. These “infiltrators” from the Left have made the NFL a social justice vehicle for the progressive agenda. This is another attack on a popular American institution, the latest in a string that have been designated for destruction by the Left. It has apparently been successful, judging by Goodell’s remarks and the NFL’s official position regarding the obstreperous “kneelers.” Kids throwing tantrums at football venues, totally unrelated to their responsibilities to their employers, have been allowed to continue their unruliness. Immaturity reigns and the rap sheets of many of his players show nearly 40% have had run-ins with the law. When Roger seeks harmony in the ’hood, he defers to the Soros-friendly players’ union.
Two years ago, the NFL was the most respected professional sports organization in the U.S. Now it’s the least.
Goodell should understand that the longer this faux protest continues the bleaker the NFL’s future will be. If Roger continues to allow progressives to guide the organization and excuse its miscreants the demise of the NFL will be at hand. But, based on this clumsy fumble, Roger seems clueless.
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