So, this was the reason that I decided to start doing this. I’ve had a lot to say about a lot of things, but this is the reason that I started typing.
First off, let me say that, like many issues in this country, I look at this differently than most.
I have no problem with people protesting for any reason, even during the National Anthem. I wouldn’t do it, but other people can. My problem is with the teams and the players that choose this forum. I will explain each factor separately.
The teams have many rules regarding political actions of any type. They don’t allow it on the property of the stadium. If you are not sure that I am correct, take a petition for anything to your local stadium this weekend and try to get signatures. You will be asked to leave the property as soon as someone from any of the security agencies employed notice. It’s not allowed. Take a banner for any politician, political statement or amendment. If you don’t get turned away at the gates (which you probably will), it will be taken away when it is noticed inside. It’s just plain a fact. If you take in a sign saying “Stop police brutality now!”, it won’t be inside very long, if at all.
In the same vein, how many people that you know who are not self-employed can make a political statement in uniform at work without repercussions? It’s just inappropriate. Ask Starbucks about employees that refused to serve police or even a baker who chooses not to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple because they don’t agree with the gay lifestyle.
In addition, my understanding of the First Amendment is that it protects the individual from certain forms of censorship by the government. It does not protect workplace speech. I know of people who have their Facebook and Twitter accounts monitored by their employers and can be reprimanded at work for posts. I know of a person who recently retired, who wasn’t allowed, for 28 years, to put a political support sign in his front yard, or he loses his job. So stop trying to make this a First Amendment argument, it just plain isn’t one.
Now, as for the individual player, where do I start? This is a team sport. I have been a part of a great many sports teams in my life. One of the biggest cliche’s is that the name on the front of your uniform is more important than the one on the back. The moment you take a knee or sit on the bench or in the locker room during the National Anthem, you have made one of two statements. You either have put the rest of your teammates in a position of either having to defend, distance themselves or be considered in agreement. That is not what a team is about.
In addition, the team is a lot more complicated than just the players. When you make that type of a statement while in uniform, you are implicating everyone in the organization. The from office, the various sales departments, the grounds crew, the food services company, the janitorial staff, the security staff, the medical staff, I think you get the point. That is just plain selfish. You have now presented your views as theirs to a certain extent.
That doesn’t even bring in the fact that Colin Kappernick had the name “San Francisco” associated with his uniform. Putting your teammates, your boss and your organization in this position is wholly inappropriate, but to implicate an entire city? Indefensible.
I guess what it boils down to is that these athletes have enough celebrity to have a platform on their own time that is in some ways even more powerful than the one used in uniform. Can you imagine having a problem with something and having the opportunity to summon the media, control the venue, the focus and the time spent on the subject? And to actually have the media attention needed to make your point on top of it? What could be better?
The problem is that these clowns don’t have any interest in thinking this through. They don’t care about the position it puts anyone else in, they are to self-centered to even notice any of that. And God forbid anyone criticizes, it turns them in to children. “If you didn’t like it, watch me double down on it”. Week four in the NFL had nothing to do with protesting anything except our President. “He said I can’t, so I’ll show him”. Now it’s selfish AND childish.
Just to close out really quick, I actually read the NFL rule book. There is no A61-A62, the only rule that was broken in week four was by the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is a rule stating that the teams will be on the field ten minutes prior to the kickoff “Both teams must be on the field to kick off at the scheduled time for the start of each half. Prior to the start of the game, both teams are required to appear on the field at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff in order to ensure sufficient time for proper warm-up. Designated members of the officiating crew must notify both head coaches personally of the scheduled time for kickoff prior to the start of each half.”. The Steelers weren’t, so the penalty is worded as: “For failure to appear on the field at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff of the first half: Loss of the coin-toss option for both halves and overtime, and loss of 15 yards from the spot of the kickoff”. Right or wrong, that’s the only rule on the books.