Time To Punt on the NFL: It’s Just Way Too Political
THE ISSUE: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s statement that players won’t be forced to stand during the anthem.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and many team owners refused to demand that their players stand during the national anthem (“Kneedom of speech,” Oct. 19).
Goodell told NFL fans that his employees, while wearing their jerseys on the field, can continue to demonstrate their disrespect for our national anthem, the flag and the republic for which it stands.
This is one fan who will no longer be watching NFL football this year. Adios. Ed Moffit Brooklyn
Goodell should quit. He looked weak and scared as he addressed the players protesting.
He’s too much of a coward to be in charge of such a large organization. I’ve lost all respect for him and the NFL. The NFL needs stronger leadership. I’ll no longer be watching NFL football. Goodell is making it into a weak, disrespectful organization. Fred Snyder Brooklyn
If NFL players want to make a difference, they can work with civic groups and make media announcements on their own time and in the offseason all they want. But Sundays are for football, not social activism.
I’ll never watch another NFL game because of the league’s capitulation to politics. From now on, owners should have to finance their own stadiums — no more taxpayer dollars for their corporate welfare. Richard Reay The Bronx
As a veteran, I am appalled that the anthem protests have continued for so long. I hear the issues being spoken about, but I don’t see what they have to do with kneeling during the anthem. I understand there is discontent in the ranks, but it cannot be fixed by a lack of respect for the flag.
The NFL is not bigger than the fan base that supports it, and if this continues, the league will suffer. This is just a game — not a platform for spreading discontent. Joe Marco Hatboro, Pa.
Anything less than paying respect to the flag that my grandfather, father and husband fought for is unacceptable to me. While I recognize we all have the right to protest, there’s a time and a place for it, and I don’t think the players should be doing it on the NFL’s dime.
Perhaps the protesters should pool some of their money and arrange for air time to get their point across.
I won’t watch any game where my flag is being disrespected, nor will I buy any products that are being promoted. Doreen Ginipro Ossining