Letter: Don’t like kneeling players? Don’t watch NFL games.
(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File) In this Sept. 11, 2017 file photo, from left, Miami Dolphins' Jelani Jenkins, Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, and Kenny Stills, kneel during the singing of the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. Miami Dolphins players who protest on the field during the national anthem this season could be suspended for up to four games under a new team policy issued to players this week. The policy obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, July 19, 2018 classifies anthem protests as conduct detrimental to the club, punishable by suspension without pay, a fine or both.
I love football. I played high school football and coached for many years Little League (Ute Conference) football. I have had season tickets to the Ute games for over 30 years. And even though I choose to stand and cover my heart, I am not bothered by the professional players who kneel during the national anthem.
If you are bothered, there is a simple solution; don't buy tickets to the games, don't watch them on television and don't buy jerseys or other NFL gear. In other words, boycott the NFL and its product.
If you can't give up these things, then you value football more than you do standing up for the national anthem. And if these are your priorities, does this mean you are not patriotic, and/or how are you different than those players who kneel?
Bob Gilchrist, Millcreek
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