Welcome back sports fans!

The 2020 NFL season has started, and with it another year of controversy around the national anthem and athlete’s protests over social injustice.

The NFL has pivoted away from its anti-kneeling policy of a few years ago, is now embracing player’s efforts to fight social injustice, and has committed to players’ rights to peaceful protest. Football fields have end lines that display the messages “End Racism” and “It Takes All of Us.” And many players are wearing league-approved decals on their helmets calling for unity and an end to hate and racism.

As for kneeling, each team determined how best to protest in a meaningful way. For the opening games this past weekend, some teams chose to remain in the locker room during the national anthem, while on other teams, players took a knee during the anthem, the opening kick-off, or during touchdown celebrations.

Today, I want to share my opinion on the controversy, and the reasons why I’m not boycotting, and will continue to watch football and support my favorite teams and players.

One – I love watching football.

I always have and I always will, and I won’t apologize for doing so. I love cheering on my Green Bay Packers, I love spending my Sundays watching the games, and I love being part of this community of like-minded fans. Being a football fan is big part of who I am.

Two – I support player rights to protest.

I’ve never understood why we all can’t just let other people decide what their own actions mean to them, instead of projecting what we think it means onto them. When Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the national anthem, why did so many people assume he did it in order to disrespect the American flag? Because they only considered their beliefs about what he chose to do, and weren’t open minded enough to think about what it meant to him. I’m grateful the NFL is listening to its players.

Hearing from some fans that they are tired of the divisiveness in this country, and just want the social injustice messages to go away so they can watch sports “in peace” makes me sad.  I don’t see the protests going away anytime soon, because significant change in this country will take a long time, and if protests help to move that process along, I’m all for it. Until then, does seeing a player take a knee really take anything away from the enjoyment of watching the game? Seriously? Go grab a beer during the anthem, and you won’t have to see it.

Three – I love the community of fans.

To me, the world of sports has always been a place where we can put aside our differences and enjoy the spirit of a friendly rivalry and a good competition. We may not cheer for the same team, but we embrace our community of fans and a common love of the game.

I believe that the real fans of the sport and of that community will continue to watch and support the NFL.

So that’s why I choose to continue to watch. If you choose not to, I respect your right to do that, too.

But what do I say to those who are boycotting? I hope you take a good, hard look at your reasons for doing so. Do you really believe that the NFL supporting the fight against racial injustice is wrong? If you do, then I hope you dig deep and try to recognize and understand your own biases and prejudices. Are you boycotting as a political stand? I can only offer you my sympathy and suggest you stop allowing yourself to be so offended by what others do, and start learning to think for yourself.

But that’s enough of my soap box. I’d love to hear from you on why you are watching or not watching this year.

Until next week,

Carrie