Politics Has Ruined the NFL - Part 2

Part 2 - Do I really have to be a Cowboys fan now?

So now that we see that the Anthem protest forces each of the players to take a political position on one single issue, should we then cheer for the team that most aligns with our personal politics?  That seems to be required.  Every single week, players force me to recognize and contemplate their views so perhaps I need to make my cheering decisions based upon those. 

So from my perspective, a few teams are automatically out.  The Oakland Raiders, as a team have taken this whole protest to new levels.  Marshawn Lynch took it to an extreme  when he sat during the US National Anthem but stood during the Mexican Anthem… racism and police brutality in Mexico?  Apparently he has not seen the complexion of the skin of every single reporter in Mexico and has never heard about Mexican jails. 

Philadelphia, Kansas City, Miami, LA (both Chargers and Rams), Seattle, New York (Giants), San Francisco and New Orleans have players participating in the protests.  Aaron Rogers has expressed solidarity with the protests (which kills me because I really liked that guy) so throw Green Bay into the list of teams for which I cannot cheer. 

So are there any teams that have political views that don’t offend me?  Well, the Redskins have resisted political correctness by keeping their name so I guess that is a good thing. 

But what about Jerry Jones?  He seems to be the only guy in the league that actually understands how ridiculous this whole thing is.  He recognizes that the game should be about the game, not the personal political beliefs of the players.  He also comprehends that fans have a choice and if the league continues to insult such a huge swath of the American population, they may choose to do something different on Sunday afternoons. 

Nope.  I can’t do it.  I can’t cheer for the Cowboys, even if Jerry Jones is fighting to keep politics out of the league.  Politics is now an integral part of the game.  It cannot be separated.  The league is poisoned with it.  I realize that the players have a right to free speech, but so do I.  I am choosing to speak by not listening to them.  They can kneel, sit, lock arms or raise a clenched fist but I can always change the channel… or better yet, turn off the TV and go outside and find other activities to fill my day.

Fortunately, the insanity that has infected the NFL hasn’t reached college football in any serious way yet.  I can still follow the Virginia Tech Hokies without being confronted by the “resistance” or any such silliness.  I’ll get my gridiron fix there while I still can.  Beyond that, I am done with football for now.  I’m not sure there is a way for them to get me back either.  Time will tell.