Time To Remove Patriotism From The NFL

The NFL players who resent having to show patriotism by standing for the National Anthem have a point. After three years of me boycotting the NFL over their disrespect I view the entire sports industry differently now.

The NFL as an organization originally incorporated “patriotism” as a selling tool. They displayed the American flag, hired people to sing the National Anthem before every game, invited Air Force fighter jet fly overs for championship games, and had country singing stars write songs for television commercials to play before every game reminding us that we’ve waited all week for football. In keeping with the patriotic theme, they started calling it “Americas Game” and used the Red, White and Blue trying to drum up interest.

Sure enough, it worked like a charm. Gridiron football became a multi-billion dollar industry in America and became very popular among those who love college and pro-football, and of course among military personnel who serve our country and love watching football. Americans get to see clips of our beloved troops off serving our country in some godforsaken desert somewhere overseas sitting together in a tent receiving a special satellite feed of the big game, and it makes us happy. Americans all came together in our love of “Americas Game”. Families and even neighborhoods got involved with caravans of tailgaters barbecuing before and after games, betting on Fantasy Football, entering into sweeps at work. I mean....all American.

But, it was all just deceptive advertising wasn't it. I mean it worked - yes it worked. Portraying football as something special to Americans and calling it America’s game - that was deceptive.

The patriotic theme elevated football in America, it won fans, viewers, kazillions of marketing dollars for all the teams who’s logos and team symbols are on everything imaginable from magnets to t-shirts and beer cozies. The patriotic theme worked like a charm as it was expected to including for beer companies who hit advertising football nirvana with the Americana/football/patriotism theme.

I won’t lie, I was sucked in. I’m one of those dopes who took the bait hook, line and sinker. I’m the advertisers dream girl - my teams logo on gifts for everyone in my life! Christmas, birthdays, parties, a team flag in the yard - you name it, it had my teams logo on it.

Man did I ever love NFL. In fact, I’ve been told more than once that I’d be a great football coach. My strategy is tough - Strip the ball! Always go for it on 4th! Throw the damn ball! Trickery! Go for it!!

But I’m not feeling it anymore. I felt so hurt by the Anthem protests - its hard to describe really. It just hurt my heart. I’m not the only one. The NFL pulled at our patriotic heart strings then stabs us in the heart by disrespecting our Flag and Anthem. Man that hurt.

I haven’t watched NFL for 3 years. I wasn’t sure I could do it at first and you can be sure the NFL hoped I couldn't resist and was addicted - in fact they were pretty sure of it. They were as big as it gets in American life. But I’m one for beating addictions - I quit cigarettes cold turkey. I’m one for beating odds - its just my rebellious American spirit. Don’t tell me I can’t because I’ll prove I can.

Not just me. Look at all my fellow citizens who feel the same way I do. We took our hurt patriotic feelings and did something else with our time on Sundays. It felt good to take a stand. That’s what Americans do.

The NFL won. They achieved what they set out to achieve. They put us all in our place, they dislike patriotism and don't want to stand for our national anthem, and they don't like the American flag and everything it represents.

So now I don’t want the crowds to stand and sing the National Anthem anymore, and don’t want to see American flags in football stadiums. I don’t want our Air Force jets to fly over the game giving the players respect. I don’t want to see any football advertising that invokes patriotism in any way.

I’m angry that the NFL deceived America. They got us hooked on the game, got our kids and families involved, got us to buy our jerseys and season tickets - only to knock us down. That’s lowlife behavior like a drug dealer. That’s thuggery. It will hurt for a while - because you know - the memories and everything.

But now that the NFL habit is broken for me it’s for the best. It was all just an advertising deception and that really gets on my nerves now that I see through it. I feel better that I’m over it.

My true favorite game is college football and that’s what I’ll faithfully watch on Saturdays as I have for many years - but I’ve got other things to do with my Sundays, Monday nights, and Thursday nights or whatever new time-slot maneuvering the NFL has come up with trying to sucker us back in.

NFL football should go back to what it was before it claimed to be Americas Game - to when they couldn’t give away tickets to games.

In the meantime GO LSU!!!