Peter King Puts Perspective On NFL Anthem Protest Backlash
By Erik Lambert
The NFL anthem protest situation is probably one of the most divisive the sport of football has seen in decades. It’s rather amazing to think about.
Everything started when Colin Kaepernick decided to sit during the national anthem to protest police brutality. Since then the movement has caught fire, spurred on by incidents like Michael Bennett being harassed by police in Las Vegas. Many people are angry about it, feeling it’s an insult to the flag and the millions of men and women who gave their lives defending it.
As result there are many people who have vowed to give up the sport of football for this “insult.” Truth be told this is the latest incarnation of racial tension in the United States that seems to pop up every couple decades. Each time tempers flair and each time it forces Americans to once again reflect and look inward to who we really are as a nation.
Peter King of the MMQB offered his personal take on the issue and whether it could actually kill the NFL as a league in the long run.
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— Peter King (@peter_king) September 27, 2017
I don’t know the future of anthem protests. I so recall covering the 1987 players’ strike. Many fans said, “I’m done with football.”
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— Peter King (@peter_king) September 27, 2017
I’m sure many of those kept their word. But the game went on. And maybe this is different … maybe the anger will last longer.
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— Peter King (@peter_king) September 27, 2017
But it’s a resilient country. In the sixties, many Americans despised Ali; 50 years later, presidents went to his funeral.
The shock will likely pass with enough time
It’s a fair point. Fans were angry with the NFL in the 1980s thanks to not one but two work stoppages in 1982 and 1987. Coupled with uninteresting Super Bowls many thought the game was destined for a serious dip in the years to come. However, the league endured and only grew in popularity. The same goes for Major League Baseball. If any incident could’ve destroyed a league, it was the 1994 players strike that cancelled a season.
For a long time attendance and revenue sagged heavily afterwards, the fans feeling betrayed. Over time though they recovered and fast forward to present day the sport may be more popular than its been in years. If nothing else it’s proof that people tend to forgive or at least forget with enough time. The NFL anthem protests mean something and should not be ignored. Still, to say this will cripple the relationship with fans? Unlikely.