The NFL Is A Political Organization

As a kid growing up I used to love reading National Review, and I think my favorite part of the magazine was John O’Sullivan’s column. John ‘O Sullivan was a great writer and thinker, and in these politically correct times I think about his first law of public policy:

That is all organizations that are not expressly right-wing will over time become left-wing.

He cites examples such as the ACLU, the Ford Foundation, founded and funded by a capitalist, and even the Episcopal Church, a church that now accepts people without regard to what they believe – being judgmental is extremely politically incorrect.

O’Sullivan reasoned that most people who staff such organizations reflect the culture at large, and are more likely to follow the latest cultural trends. And as the country, at least culturally, moves further and further to the left, organizations, whether for profit or not, will keep up.

I remember when Miss America was a conservative, but the lefties took over that organization many years ago. The current Miss America complained about the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Such a move may have saved taxpayers billions of dollars, but it upset Miss America, and of course she feels the need to let you know what she thinks about it.

My guess is that in the future all Miss (or I guess it is now Ms.) Americas, will have canned anti-Trump answers at the ready. Perhaps Black Lives Matter or the Southern Policy Law Center will provide talking points es gratis.

The NFL is no different than the Ms. America organization. A Ms. America contestant is no more likely to admit that she voted for Trump as is an NFL football player, or the owner of an NFL franchise. In the current climate if you are a conservative you must keep quiet. The NFL and Ms. America are part of America’s cultural rot. That is, they mirror the culture. They express thoughts and act in ways that seem politically and culturally correct.

A beauty contestant is not just going to walk around a stage in a bathing suit. She wants to be taken seriously. So she and her fellow contestants, when given a chance, will have to establish their leftist bona fides and signal their progressive virtue, and one good way to do it is to denounce the Trump administration. A football player is not just going to run up and down a field, he is going to remind you that America is a racist country, and of course Trump is bad as well.

Now, most people want to watch sports because it offers an escape from politics, but that will not happen. The NFL has made it clear that they have and will advance a political agenda. Yesterday the NFL owners sent out this tweet:

“Today owners and players had a productive meeting focused on how we can work together to promote positive social change and address inequality in our communities.” 

“Promote positive social change?” “Inequality in our communities.” These are the banal phrases that we expect from Think Progress, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

If the NFL owners wanted to keep politics out of the game they would have told the players that you are not allowed to politicize our National Anthem, you must stand or else you sit for the game. Instead, they have allowed the players to stage a protest while in uniform and on the clock. What other employer would have allowed such conduct?

The NFL does not shun politics. They take political positions, they lobby the government, and they contribute to political candidates. They are a political organization.

So why would conservatives want to fund the NFL? Why not deny them your money, and find something else to keep you entertained on Sunday?