In typical NFL owner fashion, they displayed a startling hypocrisy that resonated through the league. This week, President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to fill the seat of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Before you decided to click out of this article, this opinion focuses less about party affiliation, more about right and wrong. So, unclench and read for a while. Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill told on himself.
The Move
Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill instructed his website to run a story praising Brett Kavanaugh. To the raised eyebrow of many, Bidwill gave full-throated endorsement of Kavanaugh. Around the league, this went over like church flatulence. Yet, Bidwill also managed touch on sticking to sports. In one fell swoop, an NFL owner endorses a Supreme Court nominee and managed to display hypocritical tendencies.
Courtesy KYFI. Bidwill’s words.
“I think it’s important to speak up. People are saying stick to sports? You know what? We ask our players 20 days a year — game days — to restrict their statements. The rest of the days, we want our players to get engaged in the community. Just like I am and other owners are.
Unoriginal
Now, before everyone lines up to take swipes at Bidwill, remember to shade him for being unoriginal first. In March 2017, Denver Broncos GM John Elway wrote a letter championing the case for Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination. While Elway’s act strikes a similar chord to Bidwill’s a few differences. First, Elway did not use the Broncos’ official site to lobby for Gorsuch. He used his own stationery to write the letter and did not turn Denver’s website into propaganda for a political issue. In addition, Elway, in his defense actually accomplished a great deal in football. Unlike Bidwill, who won the zygote lottery. With that said, Elway riding for Gorsuch publicly opened the door for Bidwill to walk through.
Menagerie of Wild
When Roger Goodell rubberstamped the tone-deaf anthem policy, owners like Bidwill applauded. Through their myopic vision, Bidwill, Jerry Jones, and Bob McNair worked to erase any semblance of kneeling from their hallowed game. Yet, McNair calls players inmates, Jones fakes a knee and Bidwill practically used an NFL website as a giant e-card. When do they stick to sports?
The Message
In all honesty, if you are an NFL player, look around, you are alone. Your union appears like a groundhog, looks at their shadow, and proclaims 10 more years of a CBA. As a result, players work for people like Bidwill. While they are smart enough to diplomatically object, the case remains closed. Owners, for as long as they deal out losses to the NFLPA like Halloween candy, will run the league. With almost little to no oversight, 32 people control America’s popular game. At the same time, their employees watch as the world off the field devolves into chaos, bigotry, and general despair. Meanwhile, Michael Bidwill lauds a Supreme Court nominee on company time. Players knelt and raised fists, but those acts were viewed as seditious.
Tomorrow, the NFL will still prosper. Rookies will attempt to make a splash, while vets aim for that last year in the sun. However, for those 82-180 seconds, the league mandates them to ignore injustice; ironically, an owner wants the country to embrace justice. You’d think an NFL owner would probably need to attend to more pressing matters like…
