Temple letter: NFL protests

The NFL kneeling controversy is a detriment to professional football. Fans subjected to seemingly endless advertising are now forced to witness a social statement during the anthem, a respectful moment to honor our country. The reason athletes are protesting is understandable, but kneeling has caused as much division as it has unity. Commitment can be judged by effort; kneeling is a huge distraction but takes little effort. I wonder how many kneeling players commit their own time or treasure to this cause off the field (probably a few, but not many)? We should remember the NFL is a business. Whether you believe it disrespects the American flag or not, what other business would allow such a demonstration to be infused into the regular course of business? It simply would not be tolerated. I’d like to see NFL players get back to providing a product; an entertaining competition between professional athletes without the demonstrations and distractions. Colin Kaepernick, with a 2-14 record last season in San Francisco, may have now learned the meaning of NFL is “Not For Long” in a business that demands results. Players should make plays on the field and take the protests elsewhere on their time.

This story was originally published November 5, 2017 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Temple letter: NFL protests."