Shame on NFL for permitting protests

The Daily Herald carried The Washington Post story on President Trump's tweets on how NFL team owners should deal with protesting players saying "Trump turned professional sports into a political battleground." Clarification: It was Colin Kaepernick who turned professional sports into a political battleground by not respecting our country and flag while representing his employer.

If Mr. Kaepernick wanted to attend a sporting event representing nobody other than himself and not stand for the national anthem, I doubt anyone would give it another thought. The reason this issue gets attention is because he chose to make his statement as a San Francisco 49er and NFL player, which created the controversy.

Shame on the NFL for allowing this behavior. There are strict standards regarding game day socks, wristbands, headbands (recall Jim McMahon's "Roselle"?) and shoes. Behaviors like excessive celebration and taunting are penalized - all this without a word about a player's freedom of personal expression."

If someone hires an individual to perform and entertain paying customers who invest money and/or time to enjoy a game and escape the stresses of life, it is reasonable to expect that they respect their employer, fans and the symbols of America and those who fight to protect it.

Not doing so speaks volumes about their character. I have no idea if this individual has been blackballed from football, but can understand the need for team executives to staff with individuals better suited to achieve the goals of the organization. Team sporting events are not the place for airing personal beliefs or political grandstanding.

Keith Gray

Mettawa