Like millions of NFL football fans, screaming and yelling for our teams to win, I sit in wonder as this year’s 2017 season unfolded with the very rich, NFL players of all races ‘taking a knee’ during the beloved national anthem. This was followed by whole teams disappearing during the national anthem in their locker rooms. So far, most fans have received this like a treasonous ‘gut punch’ against our flag, Vets, country and sacred tradition. The usual, media ‘ship of fools’ call it all about race and the racist, President Trump picking a fight with the NFL.
As a loyal Seahawks fan, who saw my team last week not even come out during the national anthem, along with the team they were playing, I felt beyond, sick to my stomach. Boy, did they call this one wrong.
I knew last Sunday when so many teams pulled the – ‘Take a Knee’ fire aimed in all the wrong places by 49rs player Colin Kaepernick, started back in the preseason of 2016, that the NFL had just shot themselves in the foot in a bigger way than they could have dreamed. They are now bleeding out and frankly don’t know what to do other than make excuses, change the definition of words and even draw in the crowds to join them in a ‘moment of silence’.
The NFL seems to be in obvious panic but instead of humbling themselves, apologize to their fans and honor our national anthem again, they preach to us about ‘solidarity’ and say they are not against our vets and flag. They are just standing with blacks who are treated unjustly. Oh, I get it now. Apparently, taking a moment to honor our flag, vets and freedom, honoring a tradition observed from the beginning stages of our country means we are insensitive and don’t care for blacks or fair ball in justice.
Wrong time and place to make a political protest against racism.
So far, the American response is that 17% less tickets for games have been purchased and thousands are having parties to burn all their NFL sports gear and Jackets. I talked with many formally devoted NFL fans that plan to never watch a football game again.
Most real and decent Americans aren’t racist and want what is right for all. We also understand people exercising their freedoms to make protests reflecting many issues. This is just so not the venue to smear and manipulate the racist issue into.
Get it right, NFL because so far you and your manipulative, solidarity response is getting it all wrong.
Dr. Laurie Roth Just Who is this Annie Oakley of the airwaves?
Laurie Roth has a Ph.D. in counseling and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, is happily married and currently resides in Washington State. She is a singer/songwriter with five CD albums to her credit.
