Chiefs-Chargers Game / Anthem Protests, Etc.

I went at the Stubhub center yesterday. Great stadium to watch a game. Tiny - roughly 25K people. All seats are great seats. I hadn't been to an NFL game in ages. Atmosphere different from other sports - much more drinking, partying, more middle class, diverse crowd. My friend commented there was a much larger range of "looks" than at other LA sporting events. By that he meant, there were a lot of ugly people and a lot of hot people.

Too much sun at the game - a bit too hot. But other than that, a quite cool experience. All the fans were saying the same. Shorter lines to get food and beer. People were really liking it.

As for protests, etc. Here's what I noticed being on the ground. The Chiefs ran out of the tunnel. About 10 or so players went to the end zone and kneeled toward the flag in advance of the national anthem and then everyone stood during the anthem itself. One SD charger knelt during the anthem. It was a funny thing to see in person - a stadium of 25K people standing. 100+ people on both sides of the field standing, and this one guy kneeling. It put things in perspective. Let the guy kneel if he wants. Who cares, right? It really felt that way - small. I think it's the TV cameras pointed on the guy and the echo chamber than expands the discussion way out of proportion.

That said, there was an annoying fan behind me yelling "Stand Up!" "Stand Up!" It was unpleasant, but again, one guy. Apparently at other stadiums there was more kneeling and more booing, and no one totally seems to understand why some are kneeling and why people are booing.

Here's a thought I have for both sides that I recognize will be unwelcome by each.

For the Protesters:

A lot of pro-protesters are saying: don't you understand, this isn't about protesting America, the flag, or the national anthem: it is about protesting police brutality. If so, maybe you are picking the wrong way to express yourself, because this is not what the audience is hearing. Also, I think you ought to talk amongst yourselves because I actually think a good number of you are protesting the USA. A good number of you are taking the Ta nehisi Coates position, which is that the country is fundamentally flawed and doomed and must be resisted. It's nihilism repackaged with a racial element. This is an incredibly unpopular and wrongheaded position and will lead to much misery on all sides.

Oh, and also, you are getting trolled by a grandmaster and falling into his traps. The best way to deal with trolls is to ignore them.

For the Anthem-Insisters:

I would suggest relaxing. If a few folks want to kneel, let them. This is not a big deal. Do not insist someone must stand - you are becoming an authoritarian and a thug if you do. Try and enjoy football and not make the choice to kneel more than it is. As for the NFL, I would try to come up with a clear rule about what is expected, run it by the players, teams, etc., and great broad sign off. This way, people know whether they are breaking the rule or not and what to expect. A lot of this stems from lack of clarity and leadership from the NFL.

Trump jumping into the fray is entirely un-Presidential, but is very Trumpian. This guy is a trolling grandmaster. I mean, he's got his opponents protesting the Nation Anthem.