Week 17: A Frozen Wasteland of Empty Seats in the Last Week of the NFL Year

Week 17: A Frozen Wasteland of Empty Seats in the Last Week of the NFL Year
01 Jan, 2018 by
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The last sixteen weeks for the NFL have been nothing short of catastrophic. Fewer and fewer fans are showing up at stadiums to watch games. This might be one of the biggest boycotts of all time and it’s hitting the NFL right in the wallet. It was no different this week, except for one added benefit… freezing temperatures. In Oklahoma this morning, it was a brisk four degrees with a windchill of fifteen below zero. And we are comparatively warm compared to other parts of the nation right now. Can you imagine sitting in that kind of cold? Me either. I can’t think of a better reason to stay indoors.

Although the cold will keep some from going to games, that isn’t much of an excuse. Die-hard football fans have suffered worse conditions. Most of the empty seats are directly related to the football players who are still kneeling and protesting during the National Anthem. Week 17 was abysmal for the NFL. It was literally a sea of seats… a wasteland of non-attendance. Behold football Armageddon.

The Cowboys braved the Philadelphia cold to play at Lincoln Financial Field against the Eagles. They clipped the Eagles’ wings 6-0. But they did it to a mostly empty stadium. That should have been a packed game. It didn’t go any better for the New York Giants versus the Washington Redskins at MetLife Stadium. The Redskins got scalped 18-10. They played in a ghost stadium to non-existent cheers. The Indianapolis Colts won against the Houston Texans 22 to 13. But their fans were absent at Lucas Oil Stadium. Guess they decided to throw darts or something. Meanwhile, the Lions beat the Green Bay Packers 35 to 11, but fans for both teams stayed away en masse. Very few showed up at Heinz Stadium to watch the Pittsburg Steelers defeat the Cleveland Browns in a close 28-24 final. The New England Patriots blew away the New York Jets 26 to 6, but fans were very hard to come by at Gillette Stadium. Sad, but definitely justified.

More than a dozen NFL players protested during or right after the National Anthem on Sunday, the final weekend of the league’s regular season. Just call them the twelve horsemen of the NFL apocalypse. These people are bent on grid iron suicide. Nine Seattle Seahawks players sat or knelt during the anthem prior to the teams’ game, as they have throughout the season. Michael Bennett, Marcus Smith, Frank Clark, Dion Jordan and others were among those demonstrating. Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews stayed off the field during the National Anthem before his team’s game, while his teammates, Brian Orakpo and Jurrell Casey, raised their fists once the anthem ended. Kenny Stills of the Miami Dolphins also knelt prior to his team’s game while the anthem played. San Francisco 49ers players Reuben Foster, Marquise Goodwin, Louis Murphy and Eric Reid all knelt during the anthem before their team’s game.

Reid says he realizes he may not get signed after protesting. “The things that I’ve done, I stand by, and I’ve done that for my own personal beliefs. Like I said, I’m fine with whatever outcome happens because of that,” Reid told ESPN. Good for him. I hope all these guys have saved their money, because they are killing off the golden goose while Commissioner Roger Goodell nods moronically in the background with a vacant smile on his mug.

NFL players have protested social justice issues, such as police brutality and racism, since the 2016 season, either kneeling or raising a fist during the National Anthem. The issue was highlighted again at the beginning of the season, when President Trump suggested those taking a knee should be fired. Looks like the entire league is firing itself if you ask me. Players have been spotted protesting each week since Trump’s remarks and the President has continued his criticism of the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell for allowing the protests to continue without punishment. But it’s the fans who are making the biggest statement here. Americans are ticked off at the NFL and are shunning them.

There are consequences for your actions. Reid says he’s willing and happy to accept them. Well, we’ll see how all of them take it as this just gets worse for the NFL. Americans are not going to put up with this crap, not even for football.

Terresa Monroe-Hamilton

Terresa Monroe-Hamilton is an editor and writer for Right Wing News. She owns and blogs at NoisyRoom.net. She is a Constitutional Conservative and NoisyRoom focuses on political and national issues of interest to the American public. Terresa is the editor at Trevor Loudon's site, New Zeal - trevorloudon.com. She also does research at KeyWiki.org. You can email Terresa here. NoisyRoom can be found on Facebook and on Twitter.

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