National anthem

Let me bottom-line this issue:

Floating this anthem penalty idea not only maximizes the league’s leverage against the union in this matter, but it also plays well to the middle-America contingent, many of whom have felt alienated by the league over the past couple of years. It may even warrant kudos from Trump, though likely doubtful—he’s forever bitter to the league for old personal reasons.

But the buzz is already strong on social media this morning: many who may have felt offended by the protests in the past are really applauding this proposal, even while the rule idea itself is an absolute hot turd of a joke. It’s a PR statement more than a football operations statement.

This rarely is discussed in granular detail via today’s hot take fuck face sports media, but let’s face it: ratings on the whole are down, and the bedrock demographic for NFL Thursday/Sunday/Monday television viewership is and will remain *male viewers, ages 35-54*. That’s the money demo, and it just so happens to be the very group of Americans most “turned off” by the kneeling. White males in this bracket, in particular, are of high value to the league (they won’t dare admit that—god forbid we be honest—but they know it’s so).

The league desperately needs to retain and grow this demographic through their ratings to drive maximum television revenue. If the 18-34 millennial demo slips as a result, that’s ok, so long as they continue to make significant gains in their key (M 35-54) demo, the revenue will keep trending up. Millennials, by nature, are far more likely to turn back into games despite their objections to social policies, whereas middle America will absolutely dig in and stand by their morals.

Additionally, there has not been a proportional surge in M18-34 viewship to counter the M35-54 losses. Young people have too much shit going on, too many distractions, so placating their desires with the kneeling will not drastically impact ratings positively.

The rule fucking sucks, And it probably won’t stick, but I’m actually impressed that the league is not completely clueless as to what butters their bread.

 

Dang, Mr. Abusive channels his old college well honed writing skills in a serious manner.

I like it and I'm sure BB approves of this message.

 

UNC stadium parking is terribly exponentially worse even than BOA.

If you want to call it stadium parking. More like a town-wide, tiring desperation for 30 minutes trying find a fucking overpriced parking space and then a fast walk/jog through 'campus' for two miles trying to inconspicuously chug a beer in one hand and holding tight to another one for the last 1/4 mile walk in your pocket. And you ain't gonna be able to go get one at halftime.

Off topic, sorry.

 

It's better they're doing something rather than nothing, but again, this is a very easy problem to solve if the NFL really wanted to solve it.

 

Yeah, they should stay in the locker room so they aren't given a platform for any thing political one way or the other. They should then all run out on the field for the coin toss and get straight to entertaining the fans, which is what they're paid for.

 

It's really stunning how much the American press hates this country. HATES. If they would cover this like objective journalists, it wouldn't be as much of an inflammatory issue. People have stopped watching the NFL because they're tired of the biased coverage of this. The press is demonizing at least half of the population. It's despicable.

 

Even Florio/staff can't help themselves over at PFT.

 

I know it's become old hat to slam the media, but it's just unreal. There's no two sides to this story. They're now browbeating anyone who disagrees with the protests.

 

That's what we've become. We can't even agree who started it.

But we all know the media isn't helping, just the opposite. It's what they've become. Drama peddlers and destabilization meddlers.

 

Why not a 50 yard penalty?