NFL legend Herschel Walker, a running back who played in the league for 11 years, most noticeably with the Dallas Cowboys from 1986-1989, says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell needs to install a rule banning kneeling during the National Anthem.
“I think it means making a league-wide rule that if you want to protest, protest off the job,” Walker said in a video posted to TMZ.
Problem solved.
Walker, who says he’s perfectly content with people who want to demonstrate for equality or injustices, says pre-game ceremonies involving the American flag are neither the time, nor the place.
https://t.co/Qo3GlnLjpJ Walker is not only a legend IMHO but right! Protest on off season #BoycottNFL #Boycott advertisers that support this
— ❤IN THE END WE WIN❤ (@Carolin17951107) September 29, 2017
“One of the things I want to say about the protests, where was everyone before the season started?” the two-time Pro Bowl player asked. “I didn’t see anyone protesting in front of the White House, protesting in front of Congress or protesting in front of police officers. Why did we wait until football season started to start this again?”
It’s a business, Walker argues, and protests have no place in a business.
“The commissioner’s got to step in and say guys, we have advertisers, we have sponsors, we have a lot of people that this is a job,” Walker explained.
Another NFL icon, Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown, agrees with that sentiment, explaining that the Kaepernick-led protests are bad for business – and bad for the players bottom line.
“Football is commercial,” Brown explained. “You have owners. You have fans. And you want to honor that if you’re making that kind of money.”
.@JimBrownNFL32 gives us the ‘real deal’ on @Kaepernick7, flag, anthem and being an activist. pic.twitter.com/MMcLX3dteb
— ThePostGame (@ThePostGame) August 24, 2017
This stunt that the players are currently engaged in is clearly turning off viewers and fans.
Fewer and fewer people are willing to shell out money in the form of watching programming and absorbing advertisements. A recent survey showed that the top reason cited by NFL fans for watching fewer games this past season was the National Anthem protests.
Walker and Brown seem to be the rare individuals amongst athletes that understand this. If nothing else, these protests will continue hurting the NFL’s bottom line when fans leave in droves.
Then maybe the one thing that motivates them more than ‘social justice’ will come back into play – $$$.
Do you think there should be a rule against kneeling during the National Anthem? Share your thoughts below!
