“Say you love me or you’re going to get it.”

That invented quote is of course absurd, any utterance of affection under such a threat steals away the possibility of meaning and sincerity from what is spoken. One aspect and definition of patriotism is love for one’s country, and just as with personal love that cannot be forced. Dictatorships around the globe force people to stand, sing, and praise and it fools no one. It results in the ultimate expression of symbolism over substance and that is the same outcome for the NFL’s anti-protesting rule.

For a sport already facing a growing backlash over its treatment of its players and apparent lack of concern over their health I think this latest move is of questionable strategic value. There have already been a number of people uneasy about their enjoyment of the sport’s spectacle and giving even more ammunition and reason for people to boycott the games and the telecasts if less than wise.

The owners changed the rule without consulting with the players’ union and frankly if I were the players I would start building support for a strike. This heavy-handed shut up and do what I say approach is not one that will smooth the rough waters.

There are those who bemoan that politics has invaded every aspect of life, but I have found very few of those are willing to throw out the playing of the anthem as a solution, even though it’s performance is a recent addition to the show. In general people only gripe about a ‘political invasion’ into sports or the arts when it is a branch of politics with which that they do not agree. Given the apparent lack of concern about assaults, domestic abuse, animal abuse, and all manner of unsavory behavior NFL players have displayed over the years it’s unconvincing that the Owners are taking any sort of moral high road with this action but rather the poor beleaguered billionaires are acting as toadies to the President. The owners are not billionaires because they own football teams they own football teams because they are billionaires. They have vast economic interests, interests that the federal government influences and this move is yet another example of Trump’s corrupting influence on our nation.