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Wow: NFL Players Association Awards Colin Kaepernick Week 1 MVP

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

Yes, the headline is accurate.

The NFL Players’ Association – the players union – honored currently unemployed controversial quarterback Colin Kaepernick as the Week 1 MVP.

The union gave Kaepernick the MVP award based on his community service – obviously not for his nonexistent on the field performance.

The Chicago Tribune reports:

Colin Kaepernick is not currently in the NFL, but that didn’t stop the NFL Players’ Association from naming the 29-year-old its Week 1 MVP.

The award, which is open to current NFL players and free agents actively seeking to return to the league, went to the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback “for his commitment to empowering underserved communities through donations and grassroots outreach.”

Keeping Kaepernick in the headlines is not going to help the NFL with the league’s poor TV ratings and attendance after week one.

The drop in TV ratings for week one was reported by MoneyWatch:

These days, however, the most popular U.S. professional sport isn’t such a sure bet. According to Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser, viewership for the NFL was down 14 percent on a year-over-year basis during the first week of the 2017-18 season. That’s the lowest level of same-week viewing since 2009.

The story mentions a host of reasons for the drop in viewership, including Kaepernick, “Others have pointed to the controversy around former San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a fan turn-off.”

The drop in viewership is not the NFL’s only problem.

Week 1 attendance at football stadiums was also highlighted in the media.

From TheBigLeague.com

Week 1 of the NFL season had plenty of important stories worth following, but maybe the most entertaining was the mostly empty stadiums in Los Angeles and Santa Clara. Both the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers had sparse crowds for their home openers, and that has not gone unnoticed by the NFL.

The story shows pictures of a few stadiums with a huge number of empty seats but it does not mention player protests during the National Anthem as a reason for the fall in attendance.

Instead, it assigns the drop in fan attendance to stadium relocation.

Of course, there are multiple excuses from the NFL but it’s a mistake not to acknowledge the brand damage caused by Kaepernick and the number of players following his lead.

The NFL’s Kaepernick problem is not going away. In addition to the NFL Players’ Association award, singer Jay Z dedicated a song to the free agent quarterback.

CBS News reports:

But on Friday, Jay Z, performing his first headline concert in three years in his hometown of New York City, mentioned Kaepernick by name during the show.

“I want to dedicate this song to Colin Kaepernick tonight,” Jay Z said before performing “The Story of O.J.,” according to ESPN.com. The song is from Jay Z’s new album, “4:44.”

“I want to dedicate this song to anyone that was held back and you overcame,” Jay Z added, while also dedicating the song to legendary comedian and activist Dick Gregory, who died last month.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is responsible for the continuing brand damage of player protests during the National Anthem.

The entire issue would have been avoided if Goodell banned on the field protests after Kaepernick’s first publicity stunt last year.

Tom Borelli

Dr. Tom Borelli is a Newsmax TV contributor and radio commentator addressing political issues from a conservative grassroots perspective. As a columnist, he has written for The Washington Times and authored articles for Newsmax Magazine, Newsmax Insider and previously was a co-host with his wife Deneen Borelli on the SiriusXM Patriot channel. Dr. Borelli appeared on numerous television programs, including the highly ranked Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” “Hannity,” “The Kelly File," and "America’s News Headquarters." He has also appeared on Fox Business Network’s “Making Money with Charles Payne” and “After the Bell” as well as TheBlaze TV’s "The Glenn Beck Program" and "Dana!" Prior to working for public policy organizations, Dr. Borelli was a managing partner with the investment advisory firm of Action Fund Management, LLC and a portfolio manager for the Free Enterprise Action Fund (FEAF) where he used shareholder activism to challenge corporations that sought to profit from the growth of government. During his 25 years with the Altria Group, Inc., he built a foundation in public policy and issues management, drawing from diverse experiences ranging from basic research to corporate affairs. Dr. Borelli served as science fellow for the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space, and Technology during the 100th Congress. Dr. Borelli has also published scientific papers on interferon and human leukemia.

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