NFL players: Do not to bite the hand that feeds you

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Once again controversy surrounds the NFL.
This past week, President Trump rescinded an invitation to the Philadelphia Eagles to commemorate their Super Bowl LII victory over the New England Patriots at the White House.
That action was in response to the Eagles decision to send a group of fewer than 10 representatives to attend the White House ceremony.
Now, let’s be fair. As they say there are two sides to every story.
The President, in a statement, said the team is “unable” to attend the ceremony because they don’t agree with his belief that NFL players should “proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.”
However, former Eagle Torrey Smith stated that “No one refused to go simply because Trump “insists” folks stand for the anthem.” Smith added, “Eagles players have different views and that anyone who wanted to attend the ceremony should’ve been able to go. It’s a cowardly act to cancel the celebration because the majority of the people don’t want to see you. To make it about the anthem is foolish.”
This latest incident now sits on top of the controversy that riddled the 2017 season about whether players should stand for the playing of the National Anthem before games.
Recently the NFL owners enacted a National Anthem policy for 2018 that requires players and league personnel on the sideline to stand but gives them the option to remain in the locker room if they don’t want to stand. Individual clubs will have the power to set their own policies to ensure the anthem is being respected during any on-field action. If a player chooses to protest on the sideline, the NFL will fine the team. The player also could be fined by his team.
Now, here is the way I see it.
I believe that the President should have gone on with the ceremony at the White House despite how many of the Philadelphia team personnel did or did not attend. And I say that for two reasons.
First of all, there may have been some of the Eagle players and/or personnel that found it an honor to have a chance to be recognized in that manor. Let them have their chance to shine.
Secondly, it would have put a huge spotlight on those players and/or personnel that showed their backsides in refusing to attend. Everyone would have been able to see the outright immaturity of supposedly grown men.
It does not matter what you think of the person in the White House and his policies. By presenting yourself at this possible once in a lifetime event, you portray yourself as a man of fairness and sincerity; not one of short-mindedness.
Whether people want to admit it or not, this latest tangle between the President and the NFL all stems from the National Anthem controversy. Regardless of any one’s views on if a person should stand during the playing of our nation’s song or not is not seeing the forest for the trees.
The bigger picture is that the NFL players will lose this battle. The majority of Americans, despite what the liberal media will try to have you think, believe that standing for the National Anthem is the patriotic thing to do. They believe that by not standing for the Anthem, you are disrespecting the very fabric of this country.
I myself have weighed in on this before. There is no doubt that people have the right to protest in any way they deem necessary as long as it does not bring harm to others.
But, I truly believe that we owe the brave men and women that have fought to give us that freedom to protest the dignity of honoring their sacrifice by standing for one minute in solemn attention.
Now, don’t put words in my mouth. I did not say that someone that does not stand for the anthem is anti-military. There may be some that love the military but choose to protest by kneeling during that time.
My mind just keeps going back to all of the pictures of those soldiers that were about to give their lives for this country, like the one’s from Normandy beach, and the ultimate sacrifice they performed for our nation.
If we can’t stand for that, then where has our humanity and respect gone?
That being said, I have one piece of advice for the NFL players: DO NOT BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU!!!
If you continue to stay on the course that a number of you have set, the money you get paid will run dry. Just look at what happened last year. Ratings dropped, which meant that revenue dropped, which meant that the owners did not make the money they normally make.
As they say, poop rolls down hill.
If the owners are not making money, the big contracts that you receive will no longer be an option. The NFL is a business, sadly enough. It is not just a game. And as in any business, profit loss means employees lose.
So, quit pissing the majority of your fans off and get back to playing the game. If you want to make a political statement, find another way to do it. In fact, why not try to make a difference in your own community first. There are a million other actions that you can take to have your cause known. Use them.
Just my opinion!