The
National Commander of American Veterans (AMVETS) has sent National Football
League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell an excoriating letter in response to
the league’s refusal to print his organization’s ad in this year’s Super Bowl
program.
AMVETS,
a 501(c)19 non-profit organization that was formed by World War II veterans, submitted
a one-page advertisement with the simple request: #PleaseStand. In response, an NFL spokesman said:
“The Super
Bowl program is designed for fans to commemorate and celebrate the game,
players, teams, and the Super Bowl. It
has never been a place for advertising that could be considered by some as a
political statement.”
Apparently,
the NFL considers a request to stand for the national anthem to be too much of
a “political statement,” despite the NFL institutionalizing the kneeling
protests on live television as part of pregame ceremonies earlier this season. It would seem the NFL is conveniently ignoring
the original motivation behind the national anthem protests was indeed very
much a “political statement.”
In
the letter to Goodell, AMVETS National Commander Marion Polk writes:
“Mr. Goodell, Veterans are good for more than just
military aircraft flyovers, photo opportunities during halftime, or props to
sell camouflage-style NFL apparel; although, the NFL’s stance on not allowing
the veterans’ unfiltered voice to be heard says otherwise.
Moreover, the fact that the commissioners of the
National Basketball Association and National Hockey League have allowed the
very same #PleaseStand ad to run in their respective program books only
makes the NFL’s decision to reject the ad that much more inexcusable.”
With
plummeting ratings over the past season and NFL brand’s unpopularity, can the
league really afford to alienate veterans in such a way? Last week’s conference championship games hit 9-year
lows for viewerships and fans deciding not to watch games have cost advertisers
$500-million this year. This is
certainly not the kind of PR the NFL wants going into its most lucrative game
of the year.
Admittedly,
I gave up on the NFL early on in the season due to the taking of a knee by
players. Now, as a Life Member of the
AMVETS, I’m finished with the NFL for their hypocrisy in denying the
publication of the #PleaseStand
ad because it is too “political.”
Really!
Rev.
Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel
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