The NFL season started off last night, and another round of protests joined it. The limited capacity Chiefs stadium booed both teams as they engaged in a show of unity that was nothing more than a bait and switch, and the bubble that is sports media still cannot comprehend why fans dislike these protests.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport said fans booed for “some ridiculous reason,” while NFL Network’s Steve Wyche said Chiefs fans had “racial issues.” Good Morning Football host Kyle Brandt solemnly stated that “history will write that there was booing.” NFL star J.J. Watt was also confused by the negative reaction from fans.
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But the show of unity between Texans and Chiefs players was a clear bait and switch. Texans players opted to protest the national anthem by staying inside the locker room. Fans booed the linking of arms between the players because it was taken as a political statement, not a statement of unity. And the fans were right.
It can’t be stated frequently enough: You cannot argue that you are trying to show unity while aiming your protest at the ultimate signs of unity, the American flag and the national anthem.
The American flag is our national symbol, arguably the only symbol that connects a dairy farmer from central California to a factory worker in Michigan to a newly naturalized immigrant in New York. The national anthem is a sports ritual that unifies a stadium of opposing fans from all different backgrounds, reminding us that the artificial conflict taking place on the field is done in the American tradition of good-hearted competition and fairness.
For some mind-boggling reason, athletes and the media continue to push on with anthem protests without it ever occurring that this is the wrong way to win people to their cause. Polling shows that positive opinion of sports has dropped from 45% to 30%. Sports are now underwater with both Republicans and Independents, and even Democrats have seen a 5-point shift toward the negative since last year.
By sitting out the national anthem, the Texans brought on boos because they were only showing unity with the Chiefs, not with the fans. Everyone already agrees that what happened to George Floyd was wrong, and various police reform proposals have substantial public support. But when it comes to anthem protests, athletes are driving away their own fans while refusing to listen to criticism. If the hysterics from sports media are any indication, that’s not going to change.
