Players and media politicized sports and many besides the President are fed up with them

Erick Erickson:
If you listened to the media over the weekend, or the Patriots’ owner, you’d think Donald Trump had just politicized sports. Actually, Trump is responding to the politicization of sports. The players, ESPN pundits and analysts, and the national press corps has politicized sports. They are the ones who started taking knees, covering the taking of knees heroically, and trying to examine the politics of it all.

The NFL, ESPN, and other media outlets already have internal data showing the protests are not popular. ESPN has internal data showing its politicization of sports is not popular.

So along comes President Trump to express a widely held sentiment and he amps up the rhetoric. The press and player reaction is to not only double down on the protests, but to accuse Trump of inserting politics into the situation — something everyone already knows the players and pundits did first.

And now what happens? Because of the way the argument has unfolded, you are either on the side of patriotism and Donald Trump or you are on the side of protestors who reject the flag. Some leftists are screaming that to not bend the knee is to side with Trump. Most Americans will not actually see it that way since they understand Trump did not start the politicization.
...
At the Texan-Patriot game yesterday, the fans in the stands booed the players who took a knee when the anthem was played and yelled for them to stand up.  This was after many in the NFL management defended the disrespect for the country and the flag.

This is not a free speech issue as much as supporters of the disrespect would like to make it.  No one is saying that the players cannot speak out on their own time and in their own space.  Would the owner of a hardware store or a grocery store allow an employee to chase off customers by making a political speech when they came in for what the store is selling?

The NFL management and players should also consider that taxpayers are subsidizing their sport through the building of stadiums.  That is likely to come to an end if these disrespectful protests continue.

BTW, NASCAR has threatened to fire any driver who kneels during the playing of the anthem.  There is at least one sport where patriotism is not dead.

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