Somebody Really Thinks This Is A Solution? Are You Kidding Me?

Freakin' geniuses. You're going to take a hot button issue and throw gasoline on it? Yep, that's the solution to everything these days.. Un-buh-lee-vuh-bull.

Albert Breer in the MMQB today reports the NFL is considering penalties for players taking a knee during the national anthem, this upcoming season.

First of all, let's start at the beginning. First, Colin Kaepernick and then more NFL players started taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem. A lot of people got upset. Some (like the President) claim that TV ratings and attendance at games were down because of this.

So, the National Football League, in their infinite wisdom, is proposing to do something about this. It's apparently a two step proposal. First of all, the home team would have the option of staying in the locker room during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, but, if the players do come out, then everyone has to stand.  If any player takes a knee, at that point, it would be a 15 yard penalty on the player's team.

This is a solution? On one level, it seems reasonable. It might make those upset with players who take a knee, it might appease them. Maybe. Or it doesn't, but simply adds the opposing side to those who are honked off.  Or, say a Detroit Lion takes a knee, and the team is penalized 15 yards, and it leads to a touchdown, and that 7 points is the margin of victory. Is anybody happy?

And what's to stop players from both teams from agreeing ahead of time to come out and take knee? The two penalties cancel each other out and what have we accomplished here?

Look, I realize the game is the least important component in all this. We have some really big problems; legitimate problem. And, to me, the "taking a knee" issue is part of a much bigger societal problem; the fact that seemingly everyone is entrenched in their own ideology, or more to the point, dogma, and has no desire to compromise even a slight bit.

I'm no genius, but one thing I have learned is, no one is that right. And more often than not the answer is somewhere in the middle. But in the current shape the world is in, it seems like the goal is to be not only completely and totally right, but also, anyone who disgrees is a complete idiot...or worse.

Folks, we need some leadership and some solutions. Pronto.

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