A new poll on the NFL by Los Angeles Times/SurveyMonkey demonstrates the culture war has taken a toll on and eroded support for the league, reports David Lauter of the L.A. Times. About a third of those surveyed nationwide said their approval of the NFL has declined in the past five years. Only an eighth of respondents have more respect for the league now.
What happened five years ago? America -- and cop-hating protests were in full force on National Football League playing fields and many angry fans stopped watching the games (evidenced by above photo of Colin Kaepernick, center, and teammates). Social justice warrior players pounded on the polarizing theme of America as the land of so-called “systemic racism”, and the NFL bought into that theme.
Lauter attributed two poll questions to the loss of approval, both dealing with how the NFL handled race issues which have arisen since then. Disapproving poll respondents believe the league is doing “too much to show respect for its black players." This poll finding offers evidence that many Americans reject the NFL’s ongoing social justice activities, visible on playing fields, helmets, PSAs, Super Bowl pre-game features and NFL support for the “Inspire Change” initiative advocating for the defunding of police departments.
The league's 2020 sell-out to the Marxist-founded Black Lives Matter movement also soured football fans. As well as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell publicly apologizing to Colin Kaepernick, the former player who ignited the protests.
Lauter wrote:
“The group who say they are now lesser fans is disproportionately Republican, the poll found. Nearly half of those who identified themselves as Republicans or independents who lean to the GOP said their interest as fans had declined over the last five years. By comparison, only one-quarter of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic said that.”
Twenty-two percent of adults think NFL is doing "too much" to show respect for black players. That figure for Republicans and Republican-leaning independents is 45 percent. Just 5 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents took that view.
Fifty-seven percent of Democrats and a fourth of white adults apparently want more social justice and a greater focus on black issues. Only 9 percent of Republicans agree with them.
People whose approval of the NFL has declined are also more disapproving of the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching positions.
Why wouldn’t people frown on the Rooney Rule? It has failed to increase the number of minority head coaches because teams aren’t serious about quota hiring practices. And it’s drawn criticism from all sides, including blacks.
A clear majority of Americans 62 percent — agree that the NFL has not responded well to the risk of long-term brain injuries among players.
According to Lauter, conservative Republicans are more likely to say in polls and in political debates “that discrimination against black Americans and other people of color is a thing of the past and that white Americans are now being discriminated against.”
Lauter also cited former President Donald Trump’s strong criticism of player kneeling as something that negatively influenced Republicans toward the NFL.
