Drama drives us to our knees

The show: Monday Night Football, Sept. 25 (ESPN) The moment: The booing Before the Cowboys played the Cardinals in Arizona on Monday night, they lined up on the field, arms linked with owner Jerry Jones. As one, they knelt. Many in the crowd booed.

The Cowboys stood, keeping their arms linked. As a squadron unfurled a field-sized American flag, the announcer said the Cardinals “will now lock arms in a sign of unity.” All stood for the U.S. anthem, sung by Jordin Sparks. Inked on her left hand was “Prov. 31:8-9,” the Bible verse that reads, “Speak up for the justice of all who are dispossessed.”

Monday night capped a weekend of drama, after U.S. President Donald Trump called for the NFL to fire kneelers, who are protesting systemic racism. Entertainers including Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder and Eddie Vedder joined 250plus football players in kneeling before they performed. They knew Trump knew exactly what he was doing when he tweeted, “The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race” — deflecting our attention from racism, while dogwhistling to his base. Proof: When the Cowboys knelt in Arizona, it was before the anthem; it had nothing to do with “disrespecting the flag.” Yet many still booed.

We expect U.S. presidents to appeal to our better selves. But Trump purposely does the opposite. He reaches down, to the moral low ground. Seeing how energized some people are by that is enough to drive anyone to their knees. Johanna Schneller is a media connoisseur who zeroes in on pop-culture moments. She usually appears Monday through Thursday.