The National Football League took a massive step in the right direction this past week by removing social justice messages from the ends of the playing field and replacing them with the generic statement “Play Football.” Many on social media pointed out that the woke messaging had all but disappeared from the field in what might be a return to normalcy from the league.
Football fans who are more conservative-leading politically have seen the league go from their favorite to a league that they nearly boycott but for major games and the Super Bowl. Once avid fans, those same people divert their attention from the TV screens when woke slogans like “end racism” or “it takes all of us” flashed across the screen anytime a player scored or the back of a helmet was visible.
Twitter user PJ Green shared an image with the Play Football slogan shown at the backside of the endzone. That return to what the league is all about, the game of football, is a welcome 180 from the constant woke messaging that has dominated its airwaves since 2020.
The NFL will no longer ‘End Racism’.
They will Play Football. pic.twitter.com/hgZaXmz1sA
— PJ Green (@PJGreenTV) August 26, 2023
One commenter perfectly summed up the joy that plenty of football fans felt when seeing the new slogan, saying, “That’s perfect cause when I put on a football game the goal is to watch people play football.. if I wanted to watch people be activists I’d go to a protest.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Another commenter faced horrible irony when trying to diss the fans who welcome the change, saying, “The whole “I hate the woke NFL and will never go back” crowd sure pays a lot of attention to what is happening with the end zones in the NFL.” If you have a problem with people watching the end zones of an NFL game, maybe you just don’t get football. The end zone is the entire goal of the sport.
The victory was short-lived for NFL fans, who had to hear the “Black National Anthem” played before the start of the game. The stadium erupted in boos according to multiple eyewitnesses.
The decision to play the anthem before NFL games was announced when Commissioner Roger Goodell announced, “We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter. I personally protest with you, and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country.”
The league has taken one huge step in returning to a football-first mentality. If the league continues to separate itself from the divisive messaging of the left, it is sure to see its viewership numbers reach new highs and to see itself once again become a mainstay on televisions all across America.
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