The Broward County police union announced it was cancelling a discount ticket program with the NFL’s Miami Dophins after 3 players protested during the national anthem.
Wide receivers Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills kneeled while one player, defensive end Robert Quinn, raised his fist during the playing of the anthem before the pre-season game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The statement issued by the Broward County PBA said that,“The Broward County PBA recently offered our members discounts to a Miami Dolphins game because that franchise said they were going to honor all First Responders,” read the Facebook statement. “We entered into this partnership with the understanding that the Dolphins organization would require their players to stand for the National Anthem. This did not happen at last night’s preseason game against Tampa Bay.”
The statement continued, “As a result, the BCPBA will no longer participate in this ticket program, and we are asking all of our members, as well as members of the Dade County PBA and Palm Beach County PBA, not to participate either,” the statement continued. “If you have already purchased tickets to this game, we encourage you to call the Dolphins ticket office to request a refund because this organization obviously DOES NOT honor First Responders and the dangers they put themselves in every day.”
Broward PBA Vice President Rod Skirvin called the protest “disrespectful and disgusting.”
“It’s a slap in the face,” Skirvin told the Miami Herald on Saturday. “We have a lot of police officers in the county who are ex-military. It’s not just a slap in the face to our military — past and present— but to all law enforcement officers across the country. As long as the protest continues, we will protest our attendance at the Dolphins games and continue to stay away from the NFL and its products.“
The Miami Dolphins did not immediately return a request for comment.
A few weeks ago, the NFL invited South Florida police unions to a game in November slated to honor first responders. According to Skirvin, the Broward PBA accepted the invitation because the NFL had announced in May that protesting during the anthem would be against policy.
However, the NFL changed course last month and said players wouldn’t be penalized, putting their new policy on hold.
The league is intimidated by the players. A bunch of overpaid men playing a kids game have cowed the owners and league officials of a mutli-billion dollar business. The powers that be are more afraid of the liberal press and activists than the growing rage of fans.
The NFL will survive — at least for another few years. But it will never regain the lofty status it once held as “America’s game” — words that ring hollow when the league won’t protect the most cherished values of their fans.
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