Viewership for NFL games has fallen about 11 percent as compared to the first six weeks of last season. Apparently, some people think the protests of the national anthem, started by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is the reason.
via ESPN:
In a Seton Hall Sports Poll released Thursday, 56 percent of those surveyed said they think fans are watching less because of the stand some athletes are taking by not standing during the national anthem.
“It is somewhat remarkable that the impact of the national anthem protest seems to hold, given that the action occurs pregame and isn’t even televised,” poll director Rick Gentile said.
Other factors that fans cited as reasons people are watching fewer minutes of football were: the presidential election (50 percent), oversaturation of games (44 percent), focusing on postseason baseball (39 percent) and head injuries and the decline of play (33 percent).
Seton Hall says the poll was taken this week from a statistically representative sample of 841 adults in the U.S.
The protests were started by Kaepernick garner attention to racial inequality and police brutality against black people.
Last week at an NFL owners meeting, commissioner Roger Goodell told the media that he didn’t believe the national anthem protests were one of the reasons why ratings fell. In my opinion, he’s right, it’s not the protest, but he should probably take a look at himself as the cause. Goodell has implemented a number of rules that has helped dubbed the NFL as the No Fun League. There’s also discrepancies in the way they dole out or don’t give out punishments. I’m sure there are other factors, but those stand out pretty heavy to me.
