Stating that the recent protests sweeping the nation concerning
racism, police brutality, and inequality are starting to make them feel uncomfortable,
the nation's targets of such protests are beginning to strike back. "Look,
I completely understand where these protests are coming from, but I just wish
these groups could find another way to protest that doesn't make me feel so
uncomfortable" Ever since the recent protest of a few NFL players during
the national anthem, many sports fans are also starting to call for a
change--to the protests themselves that is.
"Look, I respect the
constitution and first amendment and all that stuff, but these players taking a
knee are being really disruptive, I come to these games to watch football, not
protest, and that includes during the national anthem", said Jets season
tickets holder Douglas Kern. "I just wish they'd protest on their own
time, so I wouldn't have to acknowledge this disrespect." Many NFL fans
say that they have begun to be turn off by the anthem protest, and are
beginning to question their love of watching large men crashing into one
another due to some of the players actually admitting they are indeed sentient
beings who have an existence outside of the physically detrimental sport.
"I am so tired of these
spoiled millionaires who play a game for a career talking about injustice,"
says Pittsburgh Steelers season ticket holder, indirect billionaire supporter
and totally not jealous fan Jason Lawrence. "They need to stick to
sports". Stick to sports is a refrain from many NFL fans who believe that
the athletes should focus on the only thing they are good at, and leave complex
racial and socioeconomic matters that plague minorities of all social strata to
the much more informed sports fans. "I'm tired of politics that I don't
agree with being interjected into sports, sports used to be an escape,"
says the never systemically oppressed Eagles fan Kevin White. With many sports
fans and Americans, in general feeling threatened by calls for equality, one thing
is certainly clear: these protesters need to find a more constructive, less
offensive way to call for basic dignity than peaceful protest.