By Steven Welcenbach

Colin Kaepernick may or may not have known what he would start. Though certainly ideologically to the left, Kaepernick probably didn’t think his little stunt during the national anthem last year was that big of a deal. He just wanted everyone to see that he knows America was founded unjustly by racist people of European descent and that legacy continues today with cops in the inner cites. But others took note and saw opportunity .

No sport represents the confluence of uniqueness, innovation and inclusiveness of American culture than American football. An unsuccessful attempt to found and keep alive a European league and the somewhat successful but divergent game of Canadian football exemplify this truth. Until recently, it far outpaced other sports as the most popular in America. Liberals and Conservatives put aside political differences for that special time each week to be united in support of their team. Football became a politic-free zone. And everyone loved it. But that has all changed.

The culture war against the unique American culture that evolved from the founding principles began long ago. The forces of the Left have had great victories from the institution of the Federal Reserve to government run education to popular election of Senators to social security to welfare to Fannie Mae to a president engaging an intern in sex acts in the oval office. All have had various impacts on the psyche of America from the destruction of the traditional family structure, confining God to the closet, elevation of transgender disorder to normality, to dependency on government for survival, to a financial cataclysm which vaulted Barack Obama into the presidency.

But some of the social institutions stubbornly remained intact, and thus represented a beachhead from where resistance to the Leftist modification of society could fester and possibly rally into an offensive. The Catholic Church used to be a big one along with inner city churches, service groups like the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, the widespread celebration of the christian holidays of Christmas and Easter.

These institutions and cultural elements have been attacked, marginalized, and undermined from both the outside and from within. And the Left has been very successful in reducing their influence.

But football represented a different type of challenge. It wasn’t government owned nor government sanctioned. It had become a vehicle for many people from poor backgrounds to gain great wealth playing the game or in some other role therein. And regular, common people love it. They love the fast pace, the strategy, the hitting and the legacy that had been built over the years since its inception.

In the last few years the attacks had been confined primarily to the injury problem. And this approach had some legs, since most people did not assign this concern with a political agenda. But when Colin Kaepernick turned a pre-season game into a political statement forum, he tore open a new front in the culture war. And the Left has rushed into that opening.

So now many of the players, owners and administrators in both the NFL and within teams put themselves into the role of useful idiot - the Marxist term for people who don’t recognize that they are aiding and abetting their own destruction? One thing that this culture war battle has made clear: the vast majority of football consumers do not want it used as a political forum. The fan base indicated in study after study that they want owners and players responsible for this intrusion into their politic-free zone to feel real financial harm. I find this data quite encouraging.

Here’s why. Colin Kaepernick, like any other player, owner or administrator, has a fleeting existence in the football universe. Thousands and thousands of players and football personnel have come and gone, but yet the game remains. Goodell can be replaced anytime and may go sooner than later. And believe me, any other player, coach or team president can and will be replaced if they end up on the wrong side of this battle. Owners better be careful lest their franchises become worthless shells. All this can happen in the blink of an eye.

But honestly, do you think any of the Leftist goofs behind the perpetuation of this political nonsense in football can compare to the legacy of the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys or the Pittsburgh Steelers? Can you imagine anything that can replace all that has been experienced and accumulated in the hallowed grounds of Lambeau Field? I can’t. And I won’t. And I’ll never stand for it. Not no way. Not no how.

As a Green Bay Packer stockholder, I and and many others would demand the resignation of Mark Murphy, Mike McCarthy or any other player or administrator that assisted in the continuation of this perversion of the game. I lived through the ‘70s and ‘80s as a Packer fan, brutal as it was but convinced that the glory days of the ‘60s that I did not personally witness but learned of through the voice of God on Packer films shown at Holy Name breakfasts would ultimately return. Then came the ‘90s and Reggie White and Brett Farve. And Glory returned and continues today (even with what happened last weekend in Minnesota).

No, the game of American football is bigger than any player, coach, team, owner commissioner or anyone else. Leftism may have temporarily impacted its politic-free reputation, but true football fans have galvanized into a resistance for which Leftism is no match. The Left wants the fans to boycott games and stop buying fanwear, destroying the financial foundation of the league. But we’re not going for it.

Instead, we fans will demand those who orchestrate, abet or are complacent about the political perversion of the game be purged from it. Like most fans, I would rather watch a football game played by less skilled and athletic players in a politic-free environment. Let’s hope these football people playing useful idiot wake up from their stupors and get back to the game, the game which always has and always will transcend the politics of the day.

For those who think this football chaos has something to do with freedom of speech, I encourage you to view the following YouTube video by the lovely Liz Wheeler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv84 s _ S 1 Q y E & l i s t = P L M _ t V X B x - AANkszoePvrX0kkS801IqEPg And please read and share this:

NFL & Freedom of Speech

Here are some “fun” NFL facts:

• In 2012 the NFL had an issue with Tim Tebow kneeling for each game to pray, they also had an issue with Tebow wearing John 3:16 as part of his blackout to avoid glare and made him take it off.
• In 2013 the NFL fined Brandon Marshall for wearing green cleats to raise awareness for people with mental health disorders.
• In 2014 Robert Griffin III (RG3) entered a post-game press conference wearing a shirt that said "Know Jesus Know Peace" but was forced to turn it inside out by an NFL uniform inspector before speaking at the podium.
• In 2015 DeAngelo Williams was fined for wearing "Find the Cure" eye black for breast cancer awareness.
• In 2015 William Gay was fined for wearing purple cleats to raise awareness for domestic violence. (not that the NFL has a domestic violence problem...)
• In 2016 the NFL prevented the Dallas Cowboys from wearing a decal on their helmet in honor of 5 Dallas Police officers killed in the line of duty.
• In 2016 the NFL threatened to fine players who wanted to wear cleats to commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11.

So tell me again how the NFL supports free speech and expression all of a sudden...