Looks like dollars and cents finally got their message through to the NFL.
Last year, the National Football League saw a notable loss in ratings and revenues thanks to the National Anthem protest movement started by former quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Americans are tolerant of many things, but using a moment to honor fallen heroes to raise grievances about police misconduct was something many wouldn’t stand for. (RELATED: NFL Sunday Night Football Ratings Down After National Anthem Protests).
As public opinion of the NFL declined, the League started to consider ways to improve its image among fans. So it looks like the executives of the League finally woke up to the plain fact that football won’t continue to exist without a substantial fanbase. (RELATED: Poll Confirms Politics is Tanking the NFL’s Ratings).
Now it looks like the action is finally being taken. Sports Illustrated just reported the following:
On Tuesday, NFL owners put three hours aside for a privileged session to speak—amongst themselves and family members—about the most sensitive of topics.
One was how the league will handle players kneeling during the national anthem going forward. An idea being floated in the room goes like this: It would be up to the home team on whether both teams come out of the locker room for the anthem, and, should teams come out, 15-yard penalties could be assessed for kneeling.
A 15-yard penalty for kneeling during the national anthem? It was floated during a privileged meeting session at today’s owners meeting https://t.co/9Si7XZNiae
— The MMQB (@theMMQB) May 23, 2018
A 15-yard penalty would certainly get the message across that kneeling during the National Anthem is unacceptable. And, no doubt, some players would risk the penalty in order to protest anyway. But, once that penalty costs a team a big game, you can bet you’ll see players think twice about taking a knee when Francis Scott Key’s memorable lyrics are sung.
And, just like Barack Obama, Colin Kaepernick’s legacy is being washed away by a wave of common sense. (RELATED: The Remnants Of Obama’s Legacy Revealed In One Picture).
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