Sports Fans against Wokeness

For reasons that our great thinkers cannot think about, sports fans do not want to be lectured about identity politics. They do not go to games to see players refuse to show the minimal respect for our national anthem. 

Some public relations professional decided to call it a unity moment when one team walked off the field and one player on the other team knelt in solidarity against America, but in truth it was divisive.

The public attack on racism implies that America is an organized criminal conspiracy based on racist bigotry. It also implies that Americans have no right to be proud of their nation’s achievements.

As I say, this is highly divisive.  It is also demoralizing. It is not unifying.

The fans booed the display of wokeness.

Zero Hedge has the story (via Maggie’s Farm):

Who would have thought that sports fans just want to watch... sports?

Thursday night's return of the NFL which saw the Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans began with an “End Racism” message of unity (words which were also emblazoned at the end of the field).

As Mediaite details, things went downhill despite the special display: "The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Houston Texans Thursday evening for the NFL’s opening game of the 2020 season, and intended to provide a show of unity by locking arms with their teammates and opponents before the game — but the solemnity of the moment was ruined by fans booing in the stands."

As it happens, the public attitude toward professional sports has been declining. More Americans now see sports negatively than positively:

Gallup polling shows the Great Awokening of professional sports is alienating many, perhaps most:

The sports industry now has a negative image, on balance, among Americans as a whole, with 30% viewing it positively and 40% negatively, for a -10 net-positive score. This contrasts with the +20 net positive image it enjoyed in 2019, when 45% viewed it positively and 25% negatively.

This slide in the sports industry’s image comes as professional and college leagues are struggling, and not always successfully, to maintain regular schedules and playing seasons amid the pandemic. Professional football, baseball and basketball games have also become focal points for public displays of support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

As we and many others have noted, being lectured by fabulously wealthy people who cannot manage the most minimum gesture of respect for the country is insulting and even infuriating:

But again maybe, just maybe, fans are tired of having sports fields and arenas become scenes of endless political debate where "to kneel or not to kneel" has somehow become the prime question, which can make or break a season, or a player's contract and future livelihood.