Donald J. Trump,??? ?? ???? the 45th president of the United States, has explicitly asked football fans to give up on the National Football League "until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country."
In other words: He's calling for a boycott.
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That word's roots extend back to the 19th century, but for many in the U.S., boycotts are closely associated with the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. To hear Trump suggest such a thing, when just a month ago he praised the "fine people" that marched alongside violent white supremacists and anti-Semites in Charlottesville, is the very definition of irony.
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Since Friday's speech in Alabama, Trump has been on the attack with the NFL. He's got a real problem with the growing number of pre-game protests in which players -- black athletes, primarily -- kneel or sit during the national anthem. Their intent: to shine a brighter light on racial injustices in this country -- especially as it relates to police brutality.
As many have noted, there's racist subtext to all of this. Trump takes offense to peaceful black protesters in the NFL while, as we saw after Charlottesville, he's quick to express his belief that there are good people hiding in the ranks of racially motivated hate groups.
On Friday and Saturday both, he made the outrageous demand that NFL team owners fire players for exercising their First Amendment rights. Now, on Sunday, he's gone a step further, exhorting football-loving American citizens to turn their backs on the NFL.
There's no mincing words here. Trump is attacking the demonstration of basic rights. And he's doing it, seemingly, because he's offended by the idea of black public figures speaking the truth to power.
Prediction: The Sunday, Sept. 24 lineup of NFL games will host the widest display of player protests to date. It's also likely to boost ratings, since all eyes are on this president's disgraceful behavior and its after-effects.
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It seems that the NFL Sunday of Sept. 24, 2017 will be filled with photo opps galore. Teams clearly intend to take their discontent with Trump's words out onto the field, where it can be put on public display for everyone to see.
But a greater irony still exists: As an increasing number of NFL owners weigh in to defend their players' right to protest, Colin Kaepernick -- who made headlines in 2016 when he kicked off this wave of protests -- still doesn't have a job.
Trump has lashed out against a powerful force this weekend. The NFL is an economic juggernaut and a classically culturally uniting entity. Today's games will bring his words into sharp focus and likely call his bluff.
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