I think the NFL's basically just facing a perfect storm of factors that have led to a decline in ratings.

In addition to the folks all upset about the protests, there's a segment of people who can no longer stomach the health risks. Add to that your point -- that the product's as bad as it's been in a long time -- and the fact that fantasy sports participation has leveled off and that's an awful lot of regular viewers who just aren't paying the close attention anymore.

cc - I agree with you 110%.

Kaepernick recieved SI's Muhammed Ali legacy award last night. GQ named him their Citizen of the Year. Continue to tell me that history will not view his actions positively.

A good take from Paul Daugherty at the Cincy Enquirer:

"COLIN KAEPERNICK has given away close to $1 mil, says Sports Illustrated. That’s good. Better is, he has sought zero publicity for it. Like him or loathe him, Kaepernick is living by his conscience. He’s helping people who need it. That’s never a bad thing.

I would bet that in 10 years, when all the Anthem rhetoric has disappeared, we will revise the history of Kaepernick, and see his efforts in a better light."

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/blogs/daugherty-b... /

It's really odd to simultaneously buy into Trump's culture war nonsense around Kaepernick and insist he's insignificant. He's either a threat to the future of the NFL or he's insignificant and won't be remembered. I'm not sure how it is that so many people think he's both of those things.

1. I never said he was MLK or Rosa Parks. Actually, earlier in the thread I specifically said his actions will be viewed favorably, but that's not to say he is as significant as those figures.

2. There IS a question about his effect on the NFL in the short term. Ratings have been down and attendance has been down long before he started his protest. There are many reasons why the NFL is losing viewers, including over-saturation, a growing concern about CTE and other long-term effects, and a proliferation of entertainment options. It's impossible to suss out what effect each variable is having. Further complicating the narrative is the fact that ALL major sports are seeing the same issues and the NFL is still a juggernaut and far and away the most popular sport in America.

3. Most people may not know Smith and Carlos by name but they certainly are aware of their actions at the 68 Olympics. Those actions have inspired documentaries, books, and many other homages in pop culture. There is a statue of them at the African American museum in DC. They have specifically been mentioned as inspirational by many, many civil rights activists since. If you use your test of "Are they household names?" then most historical figures don't fit the bill. Most people in the U.S. have no idea who the Marquis de Lafayette was but that doesn't change his status as a very important historic figure. And before you jump on that, no I am not saying Colin Kaepernick is in the same league as Lafayette, I'm just saying your test of what it takes to be considered important is flawed.

This is a very good point. When we look back on Trump's (abbreviated, hopefully) Presidency it will be hard not to talk about the NFL protests because he has made them a central pillar of his political strategy.

Because of what happened Monday night WFAN had several former NFL players on talking about the head tackling issue.

They said in many cases,players,especially at the youth level are either not being taught proper tackling technique or corrected when they lead with their head.

They also said a lot of players think that helmet provides more protection then it does or try use it as a "weapon".

Yep. And they're also totally fine with Trump continually attacking gold star families, criticizing others for their service records (McCain), and saying the reputation of law enforcement is in tatters.

That's all perfectly supportive of people who protect our freedoms. It's kneeling for the anthem that warrants an outcry.

And at the same time Mike Mitchell is calling out the League for penalizing hits that lead with the head. Irony.

So people who had a class with you know who Smith and Carlos are.

What I said was that,today,the average person does not.

I wonder,if you showed people under the age of 30 the picture of the medal ceremony from 1968,how many would know what it was.

I do value the contributions of people like MLK and Rosa Parks.I just don't put Smith,Carlos in the same league.

As I also posted previously,only time will tell how people view Kaerpernick.
He could be rallying cry for his cause,or a Jeopardy answer.

Another problem is just because he does not value the symbolism and heroic actions of Smith and Carlos, others will not either. Talk about egocentric

But let's remember the average person can't identify who our allies were in WWII and can't name all 50 states.

Highly educated. I meant what I said. Talk to some and you'll see. Also, millennials are not middle school and high school students. They're in their 20s and early 30s. They are the teachers not the students.