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Opinion

When the NFL Itself ‘Takes A Knee’ It’s Time for Fans and Advertisers To Boycott

Enough is enough!! Why are Americans still debating whether or not they should attend, view a NFL game or even seriously consider supporting these disrespectful players who kneel before the National Anthem and the American flag? When the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave in to the player blackmail and did not convince team owners to penalize players for disrespecting the American flag and the National Anthem, Fans and advertisers should show them who is in charge.

The football field is not the town square where individuals of every group can exercise their U.S. constitutionally protected freedom of speech. These so-called heroes of the gridiron are not only at work playing a game for the entertainment of millions of Americans, but they do not have an absolute right to inflict their unpatriotic display of contempt for the American flag and the National Anthem without suffering real consequences. Those consequences must be harsh and swift.

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sheepishly remarked that he believes all players “should” stand for the national anthem, he neglected to insist that a rule be imposed to require standing for the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner. He literally folded like a cheap suit. This is outrageous, contemptable and demonstrates his lack of understanding of why millions of Americans are now just saying no to the league’s form of cowardice.

If you asked any one of the few dozen players who are kneeling, it is guaranteed that not one could tell you what exactly they are kneeling for. Of course, they could rattle off some platitude that they heard from mainstream media pundits about “Injustice against blacks”. But specifically, what are they talking about and exactly how will this sign of unpatriotic disrespect change that or cure that? Of course, you and millions of others around the nation would be greeted to the sound of crickets.

Of course, these overpaid protesters would not have an answer, because their sincerity for addressing the issue which forces them to their knees is rooted in a false narrative. For a moment consider the facts.

Last year Colin Kaepernick, then a not so successful, underperforming quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, took a knee to supposedly raise attention to racial inequality in America. Of course, this is the same football player who wore socks that depicted police as pigs.

When interviewed last year, the attention-seeking quarterback could not specifically point to one, two, three or more instances where racial inequality in America was caused by police, the GOP, racism or the fans who were paying his salary.

Because this former football player whose play on the field was not as impactful as his political act before the game, Kaepernick is now out of the league because team owners want proof of ability to perform. That should also be a lesson for not only this unemployed quarterback but also for Roger Goodell. When these NFL players are taking a knee against the flag and the anthem, why not require them to produce proof and specifics besides quotes from the Black Lives Matter playbook.

As for the fans and the millions of small and large businesses that provide ticket and advertising revenue to these teams that support Goodell’s lame excuse for a rule that these football players show respect for the flag…disengage monetarily. In other words, local businesses should pull their advertisements from teams and football fans should stop purchasing tickets!

Show these players, team owners and Goodell that your patriotism for American and the National Anthem will never be trampled upon by the likes of these players. If these players want to treat the NFL fans and the nation with such contempt, let them fall to their knees with dwindling paychecks and empty stadiums.

By the way, for those NFL players who are still on the knees, how about going to Chicago, Detroit, New York, Atlanta, Cleveland and other urban killing fields where black-on-black crime is the primary reason for causing death and inequality in the black community. Help these residents to stand up before you take a knee again!

Image: By Source, Fair use, Excerpted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15237182

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Kevin Fobbs

Kevin Fobbs has more than 35 years of wide-ranging experience as a community and tenant organizer, Legal Services outreach program director, public relations consultant, business executive, gubernatorial and presidential appointee, political advisor, widely published writer, and national lecturer. Kevin is co-chair and co-founder of AC-3 (American-Canadian Conservative Coalition) that focuses on issues on both sides of the border between the two countries.