As a Redskins fan it pains me to paraphrase Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, but he said it best when he told his players that they are paid performers, the field is the stage, and the National Anthem is part of the performance.
That really should be the end of all this nonsense because this is all about time and place, not free speech. It is inappropriate to insert your political views into certain aspects of life. The kneelers can protest whatever on their time, not on company time in company uniform.
I have been told that when someone has a platform they need to use it. Well in today’s digital age, all these pro athletes have a tremendous platform away from the field. Whether through their own social media account or the endless opportunities to appear on any one of the 24 hour sports networks and/or news networks, these athletes have a great chance to reach millions of people on their own time. They really don’t need the platform of the field on game day to send out a message. Again, it’s all about time and place, not free speech.
But what exactly are they protesting? What is the message? What are the metrics for success? And when does this all end? This is all just an undefined and poorly conceived idea that is not a real protest. And it all came from a quarterback who was upset that he was no longer the starter, but nobody brings that up.
It is part of the job of being a professional athlete to stand for the flag. Stand for professionalism if you must. I stand for the National Anthem when I go to games for reasons other than professionalism, but I’ll keep those reasons to myself. May God bless America.
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