If there’s one thing that the National Football League became known for in the Trump years and years of furor after the death of George Floyd, it’s using the spectacle of the games to push leftist talking points and wokeness on fans just trying to watch some football.
From “end racism” helmet stickers and end zone messages to players kneeling for the anthem and not facing any retribution from their teams, the NFL turned off many political people and conservatives who just wanted to watch a game while having fun with their friends, a problem with which it has been contending now that most of the impetus for that woke push has worn off.
Most recently, a lack of interest in the NFL could be seen in the recent game between the Charlotte-based Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. During that game, played at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, the stands were nearly empty despite ticket prices catering to under a dollar, in some cases as low as $0.45, in the run-up to the game.
Front Office Sports, tweeting an image of the nearly-empty Carolina Panthers stadium, captioned it by saying, “Depending on where you look, get-in ticket prices for today’s Carolina Panthers’ game ranged from about $0.45 to $5.”
Depending on where you look, get-in ticket prices for today's Carolina Panthers' game ranged from about $0.45 to $5. pic.twitter.com/CGd2fXJVHJ
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 17, 2023
Here’s a video of what the nearly empty stadium looked like:
It’s “Friends & Family” Day in Charlotte. 10 minutes before #Falcons at #Panthers kickoff. pic.twitter.com/zsOw7fly0C
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) December 17, 2023
The Panthers had hoped that, with its pick of quarterback Bryce Young as the number one 2023 NFL Draft pick, it would manage to do well this season. However, that has not happened, with the team instead struggling significantly. In fact, it has done far worse this season than last. In the 2022-23 season, it had a 7-10 record, whereas this year it has the league’s worst at 1-12.
Former President Donald Trump famously blasted the NFL and its players for wokeness in 2017, when much of the anti-American rhetoric was heating up as his presidency began. Then, the president said, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’”
Continuing, Trump added that he thought whatever team owner decided to enforce a strict anthem rule would become incredibly popular, saying, “You know, some owner is going to do that. He’s going to say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it [but] they’ll be the most popular person in this country.”
Trump also noted that the league was struggling with ratings then, saying, “The NFL ratings are down massively. Now the No1 reason happens to be they like watching what’s happening … with yours truly. They like what’s happening. Because you know today if you hit too hard: 15 yards! Throw him out of the game!”
Similarly, in 2018, Trump suggested that those players who disrespect the flag should be tossed out of the country, saying, “You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.”
