I Will Not Watch Nfl Football Again as Long as They Kneel and Disrespect Our Flag

Following an NFL weekend that saw players and teams respond to President Trump'south comments well-nigh the league with more demonstrations during the anthem, The MMQB received numerous emails from NFL fans who said they'd had enough of politics mixing with sports and are washed watching the NFL. Here are some of those messages.

(The post-obit letter of the alphabet was sent to the Steelers' ticket office and the office of the NFL commissioner, and cc'd to talkback@themmqb.com.)

Dear Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL:

I want to thank y'all for freeing up my Sundays. Some of the primeval memories of my life are watching Steelers games with my dad. I was once a season-ticket holder. I have occasionally missed a few games on Goggle box through the years due to scheduling conflicts, but I tin can honestly say in my 44 years of living, I have never intentionally turned off a Steelers game. That changed today. As I sat down to scout the Steelers-Bears game today, I learned from the sideline reporter that the Steelers chose non to participate in the national anthem. I realize that in that location is a lot of injustice in our country. I realize that there are a lot of people upset at the current administration. I realize that we live in a gratuitous country where people accept the freedom to not participate in the national canticle. I also accept the freedom to non spend some other minute or dollar on your product. I am of the opinion that this is quite peradventure the worst way to become about "protesting." If you want to hold a rally at Heinz Field to let your players to voice their opinions, that would be fine.  If you desire all the Steelers and NFL players to march on Washington D.C., fine. Merely to not participate in the national anthem is an insult to every serviceman who has served or has passed away defending this country. If you are truly that unhappy with the land, feel free to play for the CFL. So thank you, Steelers and NFL, for freeing up my Sundays.  I will no longer waste my time or money watching your product. The weather today the in Pittsburgh surface area is cute and I tin can not think of a better day to spend it outside, away from the TV. — Jim Coletti, former fan

I am in my 40s, and as long every bit I tin can remember the NFL has been part of my life (I was always told, I was born a Raiders fan). Football had become my break and my escape from the rest of the world. No matter what was going on everywhere else in the world, I could melody into a game on Lord's day, turn the dial to sports radio or skip the other sections of the newspaper and go straight to sports. Sports could exist my little oasis abroad from it all.

Occasionally, politics and sports collided, simply it was by and large just a side notation and we got back to the sports. Unfortunately, politics take at present taken a front seat in the NFL. Sports radio all calendar week talked about Donald Trump and protests. The pregame shows fabricated it a huge role, including going to the commercial interruption, "Nosotros volition be right back for our national anthem," which they never announced before. Sports radio this morning seemed to all lead off with anthem protest talk. And despite an exciting day in the NFL with endless storylines involving the bodily play on the field, The MMQB [cavalcade] leads off with the political angle.

This isn't an NFL players need to stick to football game opinion. I am non racist or a Trump supporter (the default accusations I get when I state this stance). I am simply a lifelong fan who enjoyed having football game be my interruption from all of this, and information technology no longer is. If I went to the theater to watch a flick, and before the film, during the film and then after the motion-picture show I had to listen to PSAs regarding the actors'/actresses' political stances, I would quit going to movies, just like I am going to quit watching and reading nigh the NFL.

I was surprised at how hard and emotional information technology was to make this decision. I didn't realize how passionate a fan I was until I decided information technology was time to leave. Thank you for your many years of providing me groovy reading material while I had my coffee and breakfast on Mondays mornings.  You were part of my weekly routine, which volition now be changing starting this Sunday, when I will be on a lake fishing instead of a couchsurfing. — Tim, signing off

Equally a 24-year veteran, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution. When American citizens exercise their Ramble rights, information technology lets me know I did my job whether I agree with them or non. While I don't think the flag or national anthem should be used in protests, I back up anyone's right to do and then.

Yet, I hate politics. It's all over social media, television ... I can't even become out anymore without overhearing people having heated political discussion. Football used to provide me an escape from all that crap. Now politics has infiltrated something I used to love. I take been an NFL fan since 1978. I spent every Sunday watching the games. I knew this past Dominicus was going to suck, so I went sailing instead. Information technology was nice. Out on the h2o alone with my thoughts. I think I may have watched my last NFL game. — Kevin Williams

I have cancelled NFL Lord's day Ticket and will exist sending the remaining money to www.leadthewayfund.org. I've been reading MMQB for years, only that likewise will end. I will no longer be supporting anything NFL or NFL-next going frontwards. Make yourselves feel practiced nearly rich athletes protesting inequality all you lot want, but real people in America are working hard to live decent, productive lives, and we don't need politics infused in what was once an escape. Wait forward to the standard MMQB response of "... then don't read the column if you don't hold with united states of america." Reaffirms my position. — Keith in San Diego (and yes, Chargers leaving hasn't helped)

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I am a football game fan, always have been. I am no longer watching. I have cut down my consumption of sports radio and columns. I think I speak for a large grouping.I have eighteen stations of 24 hour news. I have a bazillion political websites and talk shows. They are all angry and opinionated. Good for them, I sentry when I need to. Sunday is my escape. Sports are entertainment. I need a break from all that anger and yelling and name-calling. Now it permeates my escape. Politics and the editorializing thereof ruins my game-day experience. I have plenty stress without twenty minutes of every game and half of all the game stories being more politics. Sports are supposed to exist well-nigh competition (and beer!), entertainment (and beer!) and a few hours of beingness occupied by something else besides how polarized we all are. In my example, that is why the ratings are down, why the sports stations are declining in viewership, etc. NFL, please get back to football game... The angling shows are merely boring! — Michael Peters

A Gesture of Support by NFL Owners Is Meaningless without Them Taking Real Action

Sonny Jurgensen was my favorite actor growing up, and then y'all can tell I've been watching the NFL for a while. Watched every bit Baton Kilmer and his wobbly passes replaced him and didn't miss a beat. Neat time to be a football fan. Now politics has reared its ugly head and crept into the game. This whole country has gone crazy. Maybe information technology was escapism, but it was prissy to be able to watch without any of that in the game. I know there is a lot of social injustice in the globe and the Usa might lead the fashion in this, but it was nice to exist able to watch a game without whatever of this involved.

Yesterday was the first Sunday I didn't sentinel a minute of football since before Nixon. Don't programme on watching any more. Which actually hurts, since I've been a Falcons fan since they drafted Tommy Nobis. If this is what football has come to, stick a fork in me, because I'g done. — Richard Watson, Greenville, S.C.

Built-in and raised in Akron Ohio, a stone's through from Pittsburgh, I've been a Steelers fan my entire life. No matter what the team was doing, Offset Amendment or not, the flag and the canticle are for honoring the fallen and those who serve. Simple every bit that. I will never watch an NFL game again. I will never spend a dime on the NFL. And I will be forever heartbroken on Sundays. Goodbye my Steelers. Goodbye. —James

Roger Goodell and the feckless owners have ruined America'southward favorite pastime for millions of Americans. May it hurt them in the only place where they experience hurting: their financial bottom line. I never thought I would be forced to choose between my love of pro football and allegiance to the patriotic traditions I was raised on, but at present that it comes to that, information technology'south a very like shooting fish in a barrel option. The NFL loses. — Ed Clayton

Unity? The Steelers Mess Shows How Fleeting the Thought Is

I'm disgusted by these players and owners not standing for the national anthem. I completely support President Trump on this issue.

The NFL is the only sport and league that I follow anymore. Not now. Equally of this moment I'm boycotting all things NFL and by clan this website, until I hear that owners and players have come to their senses. If they want to protest racism in this land, there has to be a better mode than dissing the flag and all that accept fought for the freedoms nosotros savor.
Huzzah to President Trump. A pox on Commissioner Goodell and the NFL's owners. The NFL will have ane less viewer and reader this flavor. — Todd Greene, San Diego

Accept read your column avidly for years, offset thing Monday morning. Love your insight into the game and the personalities of those involved. The fact that I don't share your political views in no style detracts from that enjoyment. Heck, I don't similar coffee or the taste of beer, and you write about those all the fourth dimension. To each his ain.

Merely similar many who I've seen write to you earlier (major props for publishing those critical emails) I've become increasingly saddened past the politicization of the game I dear. And this from a guy who grew up in a super politically active household. My mom was a Representative in the Arizona House for years. I voted for the commencement fourth dimension on my 18th birthday.  I follow politics closely, reading political columns and newsletters on Mon as well, but non until after my MMQB.

I'm a pastor who happens to be very much confronting school prayer. We alive in a various social club, a society I share with many people who share my beliefs, and even more who don't. I dear the fact that I'm free to believe as I do, and even make my living giving weekly presentations almost my organized religion, to which the general public is invited. And the vast bulk of those in my community refuse. That's okay. The same society that grants me the freedom to believe every bit I do gives them every right to not share my beliefs.

So we make a bargain. I tin can believe like I do, you similar you lot do, and we can nonetheless exist friends and neighbors because we share so many other aspects of our lives that are secular. Similar school. Like sports. We don't live in a theocracy, which is fine by me. If we did, and my faith were not the dominant ane, then I'd suffer the same fate as religious minorities all over the world.

Now imagine a earth where my religion was the ascendant i. Where you couldn't watch a movie, or enjoy a Television set show or go to a game without having to sit down through a sermon. Where even the news was delivered from the perspective of a religious person. I wouldn't want to live in that earth.

And withal I increasingly feel like I do. I beloved movies, and used to spotter the Oscars every year. Simply I gave that upward when they stopped existence about celebrating film and turned into a political rally. You find your political views mocked, and feel like you're on the receiving end of well, a sermon. Same with the Emmys. Simply I figured that if I didn't want the sermon, I didn't have to watch.

Football used to be a identify where people of all races, religions and political views could come up together. Not anymore. At present you have to sit through the sermon. And the tough things about not liking the sermon is that those preaching it love the bulletin. They believe it. They think it would be corking if you lot embraced their belief.  Believe me, I know. And so they feel justified in making everything nearly The Bulletin.

So I'm left with the same option for football game that I accept for entertainment. If I don't want to sit through the sermon, I take to plough information technology off.  Information technology just seems like a weird business organisation model to actively try and run off half your audience, then exist stunned when the audience begins to shrink. I want to go on watching. I dear football. I play fantasy. I watch the highlight shows, even the cruddy ones.

I estimate I just miss the days when sermons were express to church. — Kevin Carlson, Mesa, Ari.

I've been a Pittsburgh Steeler fan for 54 years, but that association ended Dominicus! Forth with that association, I've ended any association with the NFL or their sponsors… I'll spend my fourth dimension watching golf or NASCAR. — Greg Greenman

Nosotros turned off football today, for the showtime time in 30 years. Really, who is allowed to protest at work? The NFL players are at work. I really don't intendance what they think, just play ball. The flag ways more than to me than a football game. I have lost and so much respect for these men. I will also not be exist buying products that sponsor the NFL. I know I am just one person, just let's really exercise something worthwhile, instead of disrespecting the flag. — Cindy Robertson

When the NFL stands up I will return to watching NFL football game. Really, I survived quite well no longer watching the Buffalo Bills. — Elona

Question or comment? Email us at talkback@themmqb.com.

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Source: https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/09/27/themmqb-nfl-fans-stopped-watching-colin-kaepernick-anthem-protests-donald-trump-nfl-ratings

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