A new line of scrimmage has been established in the National Football League. On one side of the ball you have the players and members of the non-sporting press. On the other, you have the team owners and fans.
This delineation was established by the new National Anthem policy put in place by Commissioner Roger Goodell. Those who choose not to stand for the Anthem before games will have to stay back in the locker room. Anyone choosing to protest on the field will be fined. Goodell believes this will put to rest two years of contentious debate over players protesting police violence against African-Americans.
Goodell and his owner/bosses sided with the fans on this issue. NFL attendance and TV ratings were both down last year–in the case of TV ratings, ten percent. And when the vast majority of the revenue derived by the league comes from the TV networks paying an above-premium price to televise games–you need to keep those numbers up.
Fans made it clear–they do not care about players’ stances on political or social issues. To paraphrase Laura Ingraham (heard 9-11 weekdays on WOSH) “Shut up and play”. Consider that the player likely most-beloved by his fan base–Aaron Rodgers–asked fans at Lambeau last year to join arms like he and his teammates did on the sidelines for the Anthem as a “show of unity” before a prime-time game and few, if any, did so. Those not in line to purchase beer or go to the bathroom during the Anthem instead stood with their hands over their hearts and sang–because that is what they believe to be right in that situation.
I’ve heard a lot of arguments that the NFL is “restricting the first amendment rights of the players”. This is 100% incorrect–as the Constitution protects free speech from limitation by the Government–not private businesses. And let’s not forget this is the league that enforces uniform codes and will fine players for putting the names of cancer victims or deceased family members on their shoes or their hand towels.
As he has throughout his tenure, Roger Goodell has completely mis-read this situation and is fumbling it badly. The Anthem protest movement was pretty much petering out by the end of last year. The game broadcasts weren’t showing guys taking a knee anymore. The only person that seemed to be talking about it was President Trump and players themselves admit they were questioning if the effort was worth the backlash. But now that the Commissioner has decided to draw this line on the field–he has only given renewed vigor to the debate and the movement. Like a Brett Favre interception late in a playoff game, the Commissioner and the owners are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Of course, if the fans decide to take the ball and go home–the game is over anyways.
