NFL Is Trying — and Failing — to Fix Its Image Problem

The NFL is going full-blown social justice activist in a recent attempt to improve its image.

The league has lost 15 percent of its television viewers over the past two seasons, and the primary reason for that is the growing number of anthem kneelers and the league’s refusal to take responsive action against that.

Critics have argued that these players have shown disrespect toward the country, our military, and our first responders — while hijacking a sport to make political points.

[lz_ndn video=33313415]

Now the NFL and about 40 players who make up the Players Coalition have come to an agreement for the league to contribute $89 million to causes that benefit the African-American community over the next seven years. Such causes include criminal justice reform, education, and law enforcement/community relations.

To break it down, the current plan would give 25 percent of the money to the United Negro College Fund, 25 percent to Dream Corps, and 50 percent to the Players Coalition — the latter for it to choose how it would like to spend those remaining funds.

What is odd here is that it took the league’s declining popularity for it to reach out and actually do something that went beyond the kneeling actions of its players.

The NFL has shown its interests are not the same as its fans’ interests — and that’s a continuing problem this money will not fix.

Earlier this month, Clay Travis of Fox Sports reported that the league’s declining television ratings could cost it as much as $500 million in lost revenue this season alone. Kneeling was also a hot topic in the NFL last season — but the league waited another year for its ratings to slip before it began to address its credibility problem.

Nothing about the new announcement mentions the funding coming in exchange for players to stop kneeling during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” If that were the ultimate goal and conclusion of these negotiations, then the NFL would have essentially forced fans and advertisers to pay players even more money to stop kneeling.

Related: Curt Schilling and the Baseball Hall of Fame: What’s the Issue?

It is possible that league owners agreed to the deal because they wanted to incentivize players to stand for the anthem in order to improve ratings and earn more money. This may explain why there was a rift in the Players Coalition, with San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid and Miami Dolphins safety Michael Thomas withdrawing from it on Wednesday, just hours before this new deal was announced. The players were apparently not happy with the direction of the negotiations.

If that is why the NFL is donating the money, then the league might not gain credibility with either side. It is easier for the NFL to shell out $12 million per year to keep players standing during the national anthem than it is to lose out on a half billion dollars because fans seeing players kneel on television is a negative optic. It may indicate the owners have no real vested interest in patriotism or in social justice — just in adding to their bottom line.

Plus, if the NFL cared about the causes it’s throwing money at — which they want the public to believe — a team probably would have signed Colin Kaepernick by now to show its dedication to the cause. However, that would likely not help the ratings, either — because, as Reuters pointed out in 2014, NFL fans are 21 percent more likely to be registered Republicans than Democrats.

That said, showing disrespect for the American flag is not a great way to win friends and influence people. At this point, however, the NFL has shown its interests are not the same as its fans’ interests — and that’s a continuing problem this money will not fix.

Tom Joyce is a freelance writer from the South Shore of Massachusetts. He covers sports, pop culture, and politics and has contributed to The Federalist, Newsday, ESPN, and other outlets.