The recent phenomenon of professional football players protesting the National Anthem, or the flag, or whatever it is they're doing, is a perfectly legitimate expression of Free Speech. Citizens of the USA have the RIGHT to speak out, to protest, to voice their opinion, to complain to their elected representatives, and to vote the bums out of office. These RIGHTS are spelled out very clearly in the US Constitution and nobody can deny people their RIGHTS. However, there is a time and place for everything.
"It is the most basic rule of professional conduct,
do not discuss politics or religion at work"
As we grow up and get jobs, we quickly learn it is highly inappropriate to discuss politics or religion when we are working. We are getting paid to do a certain job, and as adults we are expected to be responsible. We can't waste our employer's money by goofing off, doing personal stuff, doing other work, or by bringing our personal problems and opinions into the workplace. NFL players are considered employees of the team, when they are on the field they are on the job. They have no right to push their personal beliefs onto to the audience; regardless if those beliefs are good or bad. When we watch a movie, do we want the main actor to stop in the middle of the act and lecture us? Can you imagine Harrison Ford stopping in the middle of a Star Wars movie scene and turning to the camera to say something about the benefits of going to church? It seems highly inappropriate, and a bit ludicrous. Why should the NFL be any different? The public paid good money to watch a football game, they are not interested in the players' personal opinions. It is the most basic rule of professional conduct, do not discuss politics or religion at work.
Expressing the wrong opinion on the job can have severe consequences. The football players have the RIGHT to protest and speak out, but they do NOT have the Right to force their opinion on the audience. The NFL is going to lose fans and advertisers, and the players will lose endorsement deals, because even if the players are right, politics and religion do not belong on the job.
