Ad for veterans
Here are the words on the ad the American Veterans wanted to put in the Super Bowl program:“#PLEASESTAND. Make a $20 tax-deductible donation and help us help veterans by texting VETERANS to 444999. AMVETS is the most inclusive Congressionally-chartered veterans service organization in the nation. Helping Veterans Since 1944. AMVETS.org/Americanism.”
There is no way to downplay the ripples from a story that circulated earlier this week.
According to the Fox News website - insert bias pshaw here - an advertisement request from a group representing American Veterans asking everyone to stand for the national anthem has been refused by the NFL.
Read that paragraph again. The American Veterans wanted a full-page ad in the program for Super Bowl LII (that's 52 for those of us who are Roman-numeral challenged) that asked for $20 donations via text and asked people to stand during the national anthem.
We're not sure what the cost of an ad in the Super Bowl program runs for, but this being the NFL nothing comes cheap. A 30-second television commercial during a Super Bowl broadcast runs in the neighborhood of $5 million, and as recently as last year there were political statements made in those advertisements.
Speaking of TV, for those unaware, the NFL has a monster issue with declining ratings, and every playoff game over the last three weeks was down in TV numbers and viewers compared to the same spot on the schedule from last season.
Plenty of folks - including my dad - have vowed not to watch the NFL because of players' protests during the national anthem. Those protests were started with Colin Kaepernick - who sacrificed his job in the NFL to make his public statement - kneeling before last season during the pregame ceremonies meant to honor the country and the military.
Jay Greeson"It's a simple, polite request that represents the sentiment of our membership, particularly those whose missing or paralyzed limbs preclude standing," wrote National Commander Marion Polk in a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "Freedom of speech works both ways. We respect the rights of those who choose to protest, as these rights are precisely what our members have fought - and in many cases died - for," Polk wrote. "But imposing corporate censorship to deny that same right to those veterans who have secured it for us all is reprehensible and totally beyond the pale."
Amen, especially in this case considering the number of players who have followed Kaepernick's lead during the last two seasons.
American Veterans accused the NFL of outright censorship by rejecting the advertisement.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy defended the league's decision, noting the game day program "is designed for fans to commemorate and celebrate the game, players, teams and the Super Bowl."
"It's never been a place for advertising that could be considered by some as a political statement," McCarthy told Army Times.
Well, Brian, everything is a political statement these days. Not allowing this group - or any group for that matter - to purchase an ad is without question a political statement.
And a clear one at that.
So, while New England and Bill Belichick are chasing a history-rewriting sixth Super Bowl title, the NFL may have actually completely flipped the sports viewing experience. For many, this could be the first sporting event in which viewers do not pay attention to the action and only want to watch the commercials.
Seriously, the NFL has passed $10 billion in annual revenue, and for an 11-figure operation, it feels at times it is getting its marching orders from a fortune cookie or a Magic 8 ball. Has there ever been a bigger, privately owned operation that continually serves as its own worst enemy?
Remember this is the organization that, while individual owners have tried to make players on their respective teams stand, the league has remained silent. It's also the same league that charged the U.S. Army - therefore also charging the American taxpayer - for pregame ceremonies and honors before the understandable public blowback caused the NFL to give that money back to the military.
Hey, Roger, there may be only one way to right the ship now because allowing the group to buy the ad now shows the league's complete lack of direction as well as its lack of common sense.
Nope, Roger needs to call a news conference and offer the following statement: "We wanted to bring more attention to this cause than simply a page ad in the program. So we decided the best way to get America talking about this very important issue was to create controversy. This got the ad in front of the entire country rather than in the lap of the 80,000 great fans in attendance at the game. Mission accomplished.
"And God bless America."
Of course, the way Goodell and the NFL leadership have handled matters, there's likely a better chance that in this political climate, the commissioner announces that the league has forced some politically offensive team names to be changed.
He will start with the Redskins.
And, considering the most recent decision with the program ad, he may make the Patriots change its name, too.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and 423-757-6343.