The national anthem and the ratings. It’s time to have a talk.

The controversy over NFL players not standing for the national anthem just got hot again. So let’s talk about the anthem and the ratings.

I really thought we were done with this story, but it just won’t go away. Three news stories in the past two days made some interesting connections for me. And of course the President brought the national anthem up in his State of the Union address. Hey, if he can bring it back up, I can too, right?

Let me say this at the outset. I’m not out to convince anyone that they have to stand for the national anthem. Nor do I want to convince anyone the various protests have been the best course of action. I just want to make a few observations and share a few facts that I think many people have missed. First, the three stories.

The first, and probably most interesting to 12s, was the announcement of Michael Bennett’s next book. As you can see, it’s bound to make some people…well, uncomfortable.

Yes, Michael Bennett has been one of the most vocal professional athletes regarding social justice. Or if you prefer, he’s just been one of those guys who refuses to stand for the anthem. Regardless of your viewpoint, you probably know his.

Is standing for the national anthem better for ratings?

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The second story was this bit of news from a state that has nothing to do with professional football. South Carolina’s governor signed felt it important enough to sign a proclamation declaring February 4th as “Stand for the Flag Super Bowl Sunday”. Governor McMaster used the term “Super Bowl” twice in the proclamation. Since he mentions the prevalence of retired military personnel in South Carolina, I wonder if this could be construed as an ad for his state? f so, he may have violated the fair use doctrine. Hmmm…Mr. Goodell’s associates may be calling, Governor.

Anyway, the point is that politicians just can’t seem to stay away from the topic. The third story is pretty far afield – but is the one that brings it into focus for me. It seems that the ratings for UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) on Fox keep hitting new lows. Ben Fowlkes of MMAJunkie wrote this excellent look at the situation. As Fowlkes writes, ratings have been in a steady decline for two years. Haven’t seen a single fighter disrespect the flag, yet the ratings are falling.

Surprise! It isn’t just the NFL that’s been struggling

So how do poor ratings for a fight show tie in to athletes kneeling for the anthem? It isn’t just the NFL after all. As Fowlkes says, the UFC’s ratings drop is just part of a bigger picture. It’s a general trend for sinking TV viewership for many sports. He links to this fascinating article by Joe Lucia on awfulannouncing.com.  As Lucia writes, it wasn’t just the NFL that saw a drop in ratings. NASCAR’s ratings have dropped 45 percent in the past twelve years. I don’t recall too many drivers kneeling in the pit, or too many viewers boycotting the left turn show. Regular season college football, baseball and NBA ratings all dropped in 2017. Not a lot of kneeling or boycotting there either.

So when I see Michael Bennett has a book coming out soon, and politicians railing that everyone should stand during the anthem, I just have to laugh. See, I’ve been in line at the concession stand during the anthem. I’d say most people turned toward the field – but a lot didn’t. That makes me curious about the people who rant about athletes not standing for the anthem. Do they all stand in their living rooms, put their hand over their heart, and sing? Or that just a good time to grab another beer and a plate of wings?

If what’s truly important is honoring the sacrifice, it shouldn’t only be if you’re on camera. If you truly honor something, you honor it no matter where you are. So no quick runs to the bathroom, no dipping into the queso. You know, there might be a correlation between those two.

Well, the point is, I have a lot of reasons to believe the kneeling athlete meme is terribly overblown. Hey, if you want to boycott the NFL, knock yourself out. Me, I’ll be hitting the queso, having a beer and enjoying the Big Game. See, we’re not getting a knock on the door from Mr. Goodell’s associates at 3:00 a.m. Have to be free to read Michael Bennett’s book soon!