The NFL and The Anthem: Love It or Leave It

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, the National Football League's owners (without so much as a vote) decided to give its players a choice when it comes to Honoring America with "The Star Spangled Banner".  They can either stand for the anthem on the sidelines, or they can sit in the locker room until it is finished.  No more taking a knee unless it's to run out the clock.

This action meant that the league has caved to outside pressures.  They are afraid of President Donald Trump's attacks on players who take a knee.  They are afraid of plummeting TV ratings.  They are afraid of turning off fans when they should be worried about other things that threaten their sport, such as concussions, long games and hiring players with criminal records.  Most of all, they are afraid of losing money.  They'll gladly take payments from the Department of Defense in exchange for jamming "patriotic" messages down our throats to increase recruitment.

We seem to have forgotten that players such as Colin Kaepernick, whose football-playing career came to a screeching halt because of this, have resorted to taking a knee during the anthem to protest incidents of police brutality against African-Americans.  It was never intended to be an attack on America's manhood.  But that's the way it was interpreted by Trump, conservative activists and holier-than-thou veterans groups.  They'd rather see these players check their First Amendment rights at the door, or they can leave.

And what athlete wants to sit in the locker room while his teammates are saluting the flag, then risk getting booed and called a traitor by fans once he goes out onto the field?  This doesn't sound like much of a decision at all.

It's getting difficult, if not impossible, to separate sports from the rest of society.  Racial issues, sexual harassment, violence and other things have injected themselves onto the playing field, and athletes are making their voices heard.  We may not like what they have to say, but we should defend their right to say it.  Forcing them (and us) to salute a piece of cloth and a bygone way of life is not the way you Honor America.

UPDATE (6/5/18):  The Philadelphia Eagles will not get to celebrate their Super Bowl championship at the White House.  Trump disinvited them because not all the players agreed with his "my way or the highway" approach on standing for the anthem.  That's not how patriotism is supposed to work, but Trump seems to have a different set of values and we're all paying the price.

Lynx 2018: What Do You Do For An Encore?

The Minnesota Lynx have won four WNBA championships in this decade, more than anyone else in the league's history except for the Houston Comets in the 1990s.  They are excellence personified in a sports market where every other pro franchise (Vikings, Twins, Wild, Timberwolves and United) have had their hand-wringing moments.

But now it's a new season.  All the regulars are back--Seimoine Augustus, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whelan--along with new faces Lynette Kizer, Danielle Robinson and Tanisha Wright.  The Lynx have said goodbye to Renee Montgomery (traded to the Atlanta Dream), Natasha Howard (traded to the Seattle Storm), Jia Perkins and Plenette Pierson (both retired).  And after a sojourn in St. Paul last season, the Lynx return to their newly remodeled digs at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Coach Cheryl Reeve has seen her status rise too, having also taken on the role of being the tean's general manager, which means she's now responsible for her players on and off the court.

Forgive Whelan if she's sometimes distracted this season.  She recently became head coach of women's basketball at the University of Minnesota (her alma mater), replacing Marlene Stallings, who has moved on to Texas Tech.  Whelan has never coached before, so the Gophers must see something in her besides boosting the program and selling tickets.  So far it's not a problem, since she's playing basketball during the summer and coaching it during the winter.

The challenge for the Lynx this season is not just to repeat as champions, but to do so in consecutive years.  They've won WNBA titles in 2011, '13, '15 and '17--all odd numbered years.  Which is why most basketball pundits are looking at the Los Angeles Sparks (the most recent champion besides the Lynx), Connecticut Sun and Phoenix Mercury as possible title contenders.  And the San Antonio Stars are now the Las Vegas Aces.

So what does the Minnesota Lynx do for an encore?  It comes down to how much longer they can delay Mother Time, and how much they want that one for the thumb.  We'll see what happens.