Donald Trump stoked a firestorm of emotions last week when he decided to bring up NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem. In a rally for Alabama Republican Candidate, he referred to the Kneelers as “Sons of B*tches†and said he wished these owners would fire them.
As usual, the media lit it’s hair on fire and began attacking the President. They would have been right to claim that it isn’t great for the President of The United States to attack a private organization but of course the media couldn’t help themselves. They couldn’t help but take an issue in which Trump felt was disrespecting our flag and add race into the mix.
The media didn’t care that the man who began this movement, Colin Kaepernick was half white. They didn’t care if Colin had worn socks that portrayed Police Officers as pigs or that he donated $25,000 to a foundation that supported a convicted cop killer. My father is a police officer, any movement tied to Colin Kaepernick has no credibility because Colin doesn’t deserve credibility on an issue so important.
Now, of course, more important than my opinion is how America responded. Did America side with the media and the NFL or with President Trump? If you guessed President Trump you’d be correct. Fans almost immediately took to social media to show their disgust for these players decision
losing fans #NFL has had for decades @nflcommish
“My husband the diehard Giants fan burning his jersey” #BoycottNFL pic.twitter.com/tuFPwwhMML
— Saints Watch (@TheSaintsWatch) September 25, 2017
🚨Hey 👋🼠@steelers 👀👇ðŸ¾. Take that â€¼ï¸ #DumpNFL #BoycottNFLSponsors #StandForOURAnthem 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xHUgvwJs4s
— BOYCOTT 🚫NFL 🚫 (@chfortrump) September 26, 2017
I could have found hundreds of these posts but they really are all the same. It is heartbroken NFL fans who don’t want to stop supporting their favorite teams but are now forced to due to the National Anthem Protests.
There is still more though. According to a Yahoo Poll, the NFL is going to take a drastic hit in its bank account over this.
A new Yahoo Finance poll suggests the NFL has an enduring problem on its hands. Nearly 62% of 9,056 respondents told us they plan to watch less pro football in response to the anthem controversy. Thirty-six percent said they plan to buy less NFL merchandise, and 32% have chosen not to attend a game they would otherwise have gone to. Those findings all have financial implications for the NFL and its 32 team owners.
This Poll has been backed up by other statistics in recent weeks. Last night’s Monday Night Football matchup saw two great teams go head to head. The ratings still fell 10% from last year.
Against a packed Big 4 primetime, MNF snared an 8.4 in metered market numbers. That’s down 10% from the Cowboys and Cardinals game of September 25. Year-to-year, the Chiefs’ fourth straight win this season dipped 8% in the early numbers from the comparable Minnesota Vikings’ 24-10 win over the New York Giant on October 3, 2016 – a season of sliding ratings that the NFL wants to forget, but may repeat.
The immediate social media outrage from fans seems to be supported by the statistics of viewership so far. It seemed like once the first jersey burning video was uploaded to the web it was followed by one hundred more. This effect created the tense environment surrounding the league today. Social media is one of the leading mediums being used by those who disagree with the kneelers to boycott the NFL and it is has been highly effective.
