Players could start returning this month

[bengals1969]

(06-10-2020, 04:16 AM)samhain Wrote: It's not going to kill football.  Not even close.  The league will be behind it this time around.  NASCAR has a BLM themed car that will run this Sunday.  They have literally one black driver and a predominantly white, southern fanbase.  Do you really think the league won't follow suit with similar gestures?  

The NFL is like Amazon or Nike at this point.  It may have peaks and dips, but it's way too much of an established product for anything outside of outright criminal activity to derail it financially.  It survived the last round of backlash from the kneeling just fine, and public sentiment has turned significantly in favor of the protesters since then.  

If anything, the league stands to hurt itself by cracking down on player protests.  It's never been against league policy, and it isn't now.  

I'll guarantee you two things: 1.There will be an uptick in player protests.  2.  The league will continue to flourish relative to the current economy. This is especially true since the public is extremely eager for any sports entertainment, and the most popular one in the country will be a welcome return to semi-normal for anyone that watches.

I don't care if they do it or not.  I don't care if Donald J Trump buys the Bengals and names them the Cincinnati MAGAs.  I'm watching football because I enjoy the hell out of it and there's nothing that can compete with it from an entertainment standpoint.

The NFL isn’t permanent. It exists to entertain. Depends upon how the protests are conducted. The reason I say that is these protests were organized across the country to a very violent purpose. The player’s won’t be the only protesters.
Major NFL cities were attacked this past couple weeks and the the police were beaten. They completely lost the streets, then the confidence of citizens and city government. How will this affect crowd control on game day if protests occur outside the stadiums? Fans assaulted? Cars vandalized or burned? The people who directed these protests are capable of it. Can the NFL get the security to prevent this? From demonized cops?
For sure the NFL will come under intense pressure to stop using off duty cops for security. I think the NFL has never faced a more dangerous time to its future than the upcoming season.