Dissenters and Boos Burst the NFL Players’ Bubble — Are We Really Surprised?
NFL players have not been quarantined in a bubble like many professional athletes from other sports were earlier this year. Yet on Thursday night, a bubble that has indeed been protecting them burst on the eve of the 2020 season kickoff.
When the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans came together in a moment of unity instigated by the players, some spectators at Arrowhead Stadium booed in reaction to that demonstrative action. We were shocked. There was outrage across social media. But why? Because we are naïve and living in our own bubble, that’s why.
NFL players and those rightly voicing their frustration at the boos, particularly through social media, should have cast an eye towards Major League Soccer back on August 12. It was the first MLS match played before spectators since Covid-19 struck. On that occasion, players from FC Dallas and Nashville SC were booed for kneeling during the national anthem and raising clenched fists in the air. It turned out that not everyone in Texas shared their views on social justice and Black Lives Matter.
Those upset by the NFL boos are likely not close followers of MLS, just as they likely don’t tune into right wing-influenced news outlets, or follow people pushing prejudice through social media to expose themselves to messaging that contradict their own beliefs. We surround ourselves with like-minded friends, whether physically or through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and consume media from outlets that share our values. That’s a natural trait. We’re in our own little bubble of sorts and the opinions of those who feel differently can be kept at bay relatively easily.
So, when our protests or demonstrations, in the case of NFL players at Arrowhead, are forced into the faces of those with differing views, there will always be dissenters. Backlash should be expected. That’s what happened when the NFL season kicked off. People who disagree with the players’ stance made their feelings known. They forced their way into our protective bubble and we were naïve to think they wouldn’t.
Had the Chiefs polled everyone entering the stadium to confirm they are advocates of BLM, believe in religious and gender freedom and abhor racism, we would have likely enjoyed a kumbaya moment. But life isn’t like that.
I’ve read a comment on social media from a friend who attended the game and insists those fans were shouting ‘Chiefs’ and not booing. She’s a person with liberal views who loves her team and her community. I hope she’s right, but I doubt it.
Then there was NBC. At halftime they should have immediately confronted the controversy. After all, the Chiefs were easing past the Texans, as expected, so there was little on-field action to discuss. In Mike Tirico, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, Football Night in America had three presenters ideal to further debate the hot topic that had dominated the pregame build up. But the boos certainly didn’t fit the program’s positive narrative. If the controversy was conveniently side-stepped, then it diminishes all the earlier powerful statements they made to bring the issues this nation faces to the audience.
Several more NFL games will be played this weekend. You should indeed be outraged and angry, but not surprised when some people react negatively towards players promoting positive change. And remember, those people will be at the polling station when the time comes to vote in November, so you should be there too.
