NFL: A solution to the league’s National Anthem policy
By Edward Hunt
The NFL is in a political fight they don’t want to be in, but have to. There could be a solution to the trouble, though.
The NFL experimented with a policy to force NFL players to stand for the national anthem. This backfired as it caused fans more on the left to feel that free speech is being inhibited. It was also a policy suggested by the President of the United States. In a time where the right is moving toward a more nationalistic approach to policy and the left is in a state of resistance, this type of policy can’t win with all football fans both on the left and the right.
It has caused the NFL to be in a “no-win” situation. If the league moves forward with the anthem policy, then the left will feel that racial issues are being pushed aside and if the NFL does away with the anthem policy, then the right will feel that the league is not respecting people in uniform. Therefore, my solution is to force individual teams to make their own policy.
The way this would work is that some teams would have to adopt a more right-wing approach, some teams would have to adopt a more left-wing approach and others would be forced into a more moderate approach. With the country split along partisan lines, political fans would probably change the teams they are loyal to. Over time, the divide will not be at the NFL, but at individual teams. This is the way it has always been. Fans have a preference for teams based on location and legacy. Now they will add another dimension to their brand, political affiliation.
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We are living in a time where all forms of media have had to take a stance on political issues. We have seen the activism of Hollywood and musicians. Now, the NFL will no longer be able to avoid political issues. It’s not what the NFL wants, but it’s the situation that all forms of entertainment have to take.