It Really Is About The Money

A lot of Americans are not watching the NFL games this year. The kneeling protests by oppressed players making millions of dollars has not really impressed the fans. I miss football, and I may begin to watch it now that everyone is required to stand up and respect the flag. I am sorry that we have not achieved racial equality in America, but we have come a long way, and if we can work together, we can progress even further. One area that would make a big difference would be to strengthen the black family and instill a desire to succeed in school in black children. We will never have equal outcome because everyone is different, but we need to provide equal opportunity. I agree that there are problem areas, but they are problem areas–they are not the whole picture.

At any rate, yesterday The Gateway Pundit posted the following statement by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell:

The NFL will discuss in an upcoming meeting the nationwide dispute over whether players must stand during the National Anthem, Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a copy of a memo obtained by CNBC.

In the memo sent to NFL teams, Goodell said the league must “move past this controversy” and that this has to be done in collaboration with its players.

“Building on many discussions with clubs and players, we have worked to develop a plan that we will review with you at next week’s League meeting,” Goodell said in a Tuesday memo.

While he said the plan would include continued dialogue and promoting the work of its players on key issues, Goodell didn’t provide further details on what that proposed plan would entail.

The NFL comissioner said that the league believes everyone should stand for the National Anthem. Goodell said the NFL also “care deeply about our players and respect their opinions and concerns about critical social issues.”

This is about money. If the viewership is not there, advertisers will not pay what they normally pay for ads. Some advertisers have pulled their ads or threatened to pull their ads. If the revenue does not come in, the NFL cannot meet its financial obligations–players will no longer make millions, and owners will be facing financial problems. The Commissioner did the right thing for the wrong reason. That’s ok. I’ll take it.