As a supporter of free speech and the first amendment, I fully
respect the right that all NFL players and other professional
athletes have, to take a knee in peaceful protest of what they
perceive to be racism, police violence, injustice or oppression of minorities.
Even though I believe their justification for the protest is severely
flawed, I completely support their right to express their opinion.
What those players and coaches should acknowledge however, is that
the team owners also have the same right to bench them or terminate
their contract - not for protesting, but for doing something that
owner believes hurts his team's brand.