Ranger Rick: Will taking a knee be the undoing of the NFL?

As the old saying goes, NFL (Not For Long) was spoken to rookie officials and players if they didn’t measure up to the coach’s standards. The league didn’t coddle mediocrity. That has all changed since “taking a knee” didn’t mean take a break, but disrespecting the flag when the National Anthem was being played.

The milquetoast NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, has proven he forgot the first rule of marketing; “the customer is always right.” His attempt at mediating the conversation between players and owners only exacerbated player’s actions and accomplished nothing of significance in correcting the situation

Look at the ratings – down, Down, DOWN. With ratings like that, no program would be successful and taken off the airwaves with increasingly poor numbers.

Now the NFL will say it’s not bad, only down 5-7% in overall viewership. When you take that 5-7% along with the declining numbers lately just because there are alternate forms of entertainment and the saturation of so many games on TV, the NFL has overplayed its hand and forget they aren’t the only game on the airwaves.

If you are watching on TV and view the stands, they aren’t even close to full when in years past, even teams with mediocre records playing on a Sunday, the stadiums would be packed with enthusiastic fans cheering on their favorite teams. In fact, TV camera people have been instructed to not show the players during the National Anthem and to keep the stand views to a minimum so as not to show the vast number of empty seats.

Of course the NFL will say the stadium seat sales are still up only because many of the fans are season ticket-holders. That has been changing with many die-hard stadium season ticket-holders stating they will no longer be customers.

Does this sound like the baseball debacle years ago that decimated Major League Baseball for years with a strike, effectively ending the season in 1994? Many fans said that was it, they were sick of overpaid men playing a kid’s game, and many never returned to watch from the stands. It took them years to get their audience back.

However, MLB doesn’t have problems like head concussions on a regular basis, nor do they have players taking a knee when the National Anthem is played. The concussion issue can be addressed with new rules, coaching techniques, and improved equipment, though the inherent danger will always be present any time a contact/collision sport is played. The display of protest is another matter.

To those who have a love for this country and especially to have served under the flag, watching players take a knee when the National Anthem is played is an insult. Me, being to the far right of Attilla the Hun and a Deplorable, if I had owned a team I would have told players on my team taking a knee they would be benched until such time they stand respectfully for the anthem for the first game offense, the second game would be to fine them their salary per the game, the third would be to fire them and since the contract is unfulfilled, the money stops and the contract invalid.

If this would have been done last year once Colin Kaepernick started this unintelligent and fake protest, this would have stopped further protests. Where is Mr. Kaepernick now? Outside looking in. Exactly where he should be.

The professional football field is the player’s workplace. The contract binds him to the rules of the NFL, and standing for the National Anthem is in the organization rules. There should be no exceptions for anyone. They are to be out on the sidelines, standing with their helmet in the left hand during the anthem. Whether they sing the anthem, place hand over heart, or salute (if they are a veteran) is up to them. But they will be on the sidelines and be respectful as the rules dictate.

I understand the social unrest between the African-American community and law enforcement doing their job to take control of law enforcement situations and protecting the community. But the players should on their own initiative focus attention to the situations in the black community with despair and feelings of no self-worth, helping by helping others. Mentor young men so they won’t be attracted to gangs to take the place of a father. Instead they take a knee and think that is going to bring attention to and solve the problems. Do they realize where the dollars come from to pay their salaries?

As Steve Gruber, a local syndicated radio personality recently wrote, speaking of Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL future;

“This will be the end of the National Football League. You cannot snub your own fans and think that you know better. You don’t. You lost the conversation early on and instead of admitting it, you let the sickness spread. It’s all over now except for the crying. Unless of course you fill the stands with all those Social Justice Warriors the league has embraced over the support of it’s now fading hard-core fan base.”

I won’t go quite as far as my friend Mr. Gruber, but I think he’s on to something when you look at the negative numbers and unfilled seats in previously well supported teams at home games. The writing is on the wall, who will control the destiny of the NFL – the owners or the players? If it’s the owners, there’s a chance. With the players, not so much.

The rotting of America from within continues…