It’s football season again and I’ve finally crossed the threshold. For years I’ve been threatening a personal boycott of the National Football League. During August, after much deliberation, I took the leap. I will not attend any more professional games. Nor will I watch any professional football games on television, the internet, or through any other means. Before you jump to the conclusion that I’ve made an easy commitment simply because the Chargers have left San Diego, let me explain.
Implementing this decision will be hard because I have friends who are current and former players, as well as friends and acquaintances who own teams. I have always loved the sport. A high point of the year for me has always been the opening game of the professional season. Most of my friends and family have also been avid fans, so football has been an important part of my relationship with many people who I hold dear. Giving up professional football is like giving up a piece of me. But like so many prominent features of the American landscape, professional football has been ruined by multiple bad decisions over the years that make it harder and harder to like.
The final blow has been the NFL’s total mismanagement of the incidents spawned by Colin Kaepernick’s decision to disrespect America and to encourage other players to do likewise during the playing of our National Anthem. Before anyone goes off on Kaepernick’s right to free speech and all that, hear me out.
The issue is simple and has nothing to do with free speech or freedom of expression.
The National Anthem is a tribute to America. Traditionally it has been played before sporting events to honor our country for giving us the freedom to enjoy these pastimes. No one, including the NFL, is required to play it before games. However, if they do so choose, then they should ensure that their employees respect that choice by showing proper reverence during the tribute. By not having their employees act respectfully while the anthem is played, the NFL is disrespecting both the anthem and our country. The logic is really very simple. If you’re going to choose to show respect, do so unequivocally. If you’re not going to show reverence in a respectful manner, don’t do anything. Not all teams have allowed disrespectful displays, but those that have—along with the NFL—are revealing themselves to be spineless and unpatriotic.
The decision by the NFL to condone unpatriotic insults to our country is sufficient reason to spur my boycott. But in fairness I should reveal that I was already on the verge of walking away because of numerous previous bad decisions and the impact the NFL’s sub-culture, driven by greed and narcissism, has had on American culture.
The league’s quest for profit has ruined the game. The cost of attending a game is outrageous. The delays in the game for commercials drag out the experience to the threshold of boredom. Instant replays haven’t improved the game. Even with the replays, many rulings still remain questionable. Replays simply allow owners to make even more money by running TV commercials while the referees try to sort things out.
The NFL has also virtually abandoned players who suffer from prolonged brain injury inflicted while playing football. This is a huge problem. The league’s feeble response has been downright shameful.
As the NFL becomes ever more unwatchable, I’ll gladly watch college games for my autumn “football fix.” It is refreshing to see the energy, pride and tradition the pros have lost. Go Navy, Beat Army!
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Dick Lyles is the CEO of Origin Entertainment, a Hollywood-based film production studio, a U.S. Navy veteran, the author and co-author of nine books, including some best-sellers, a sought-after management and leadership expert, and the former radio host of The Catholic Business Hour, produced by Catholic Business Journal and aired for eight years on the EWTN Global Radio Network. Read a more robust bio here. Mr. Lyles resides with his wife, Martha, in San Diego and may be reached at Dick@CatholicBusinessJournal.biz