Al Michaels Says Trump Partially to Blame for NFL’s Troubles
“Once the president made those remarks in Alabama, at that particular point it was like throwing a match into a gas tank”
NBC sports announcer Al Michaels blamed Trump stoking tensions in the “take a knee” nonsense plaguing the NFL.
In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Michales said he believed the kneeling controversy was simmering down until Trump weighed in, “once the president made those remarks in Alabama, at that particular point it was like throwing a match into a gas tank.”
Trump had also tweeted:
Ratings for NFL football are way down except before game starts, when people tune in to see whether or not our country will be disrespected!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
From the Inquirer:
“It’s number one and it’s getting bashed because the ratings are down,” Michaels said. “Two or three years ago, the ratings were so spectacular that there had to be a little bit of a diminishment at some point.”
Michaels said it felt like tension over the protests was starting cooling down, until President Trump weighed in during a September rally in Huntsville, Ala., where he called on NFL owners to fire players who decided to protest while the national anthem was being played.
“Once the president made those remarks in Alabama, at that particular point it was like throwing a match into a gas tank,” Michaels said. “During the off-season, both sides just have to sit down and figure out a way to make this a situation where it doesn’t overwhelm the conversation about the NFL.”
Michaels neglected, at least during this interview, to discuss other factors that have contributed to the NFL’s dwindling viewership, including the public’s disdain for the politicalization of sports.
The NFL’s brand favorability dropped to its lowest point in brand tracking during the “take a knee” protests, not to mention the numerous surveys which found NFL-watchers opposed to players kneeling during the national anthem.
Even CNN conceded Trump was on the right track here and that NFL owners were in possession of data supporting his statement.
Think what you will of Al Michaels or Trump for that matter, but the evidence simply doesn’t support Michael’s claim here.
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Comments
that’s what you get for taking the cap off the gas tank to begin with, dumba55!
The NFL has been trying to morph into something more than just a game for 30 years. They are completely converged. If not for them embracing and promoting fantasy football, the NFL would have been dwindling sooner. All the insipid rule changes and emphasis items, where refs and the league make a new rule and then decide to enforce their new rule , that is, until they swallow their whistles every playoff season… unless the team they want to lose isn’t getting enough calls.. and then they’ll penalize them like crazy.
All of that, and then lard on “pink month” and ” cancer awareness” and no taunting or celebrating and some thugs slide, as others get ruined.. then the BLM/anti-American crap… complete pile of mess.
Only 2 words for Al.
“STUFF IT!”
More precisely what the NFL has been doing for the last 30 years is they’ve been trying to figure out how to attract women viewers. The NFL has had a lock on men viewers since the 60s, but women not so much. This is a nontrivial matter. From the television advertisers’ standpoint men are second-rate because in most households in America it’s women who are the deciders when it comes to purchases. Other than beer almost all advertising is directed at women. So they want and need the women, but the NFL has yet to figure out how to chickify the product without losing men.
I also blame him and his caustic statements for the state of the economy since the election.
[i]Michaels neglected, at least during this interview, to discuss other factors that have contributed to the NFL’s dwindling viewership, including the public’s disdain for the politicalization of sports. [/i]
From the article:
[i]Michaels cited players’ protests against racial injustice during the national anthem as one of a myriad reasons ratings might be down. [/i]
Eh, it’s in the body of the article!
Do wet sidewalks cause rain in your world too?
It was mentioned but not discussed at all. I think her point stands.
name ANY African country which treats Blacks better then the USA, let alone the vast racism against whites in Africa.
The Whites left thriving farms when they left, to become trashed.
This is similar to how the Fakistinians did in the Gaza Strip when Israelis left.
It was all rainbows and glitter when Duh One was pushing so hard to create racial harmony… sigh, the good old days when the President rushed to condemn the Police and increase racial division under false pretenses.
racial harm and show me da money…
If so, then good on Trump.
Buy that man a Zippo!
He’s not wrong. Had Trump not mixed himself into the issue the “protests” would have remained confined to Kaepernick and a few more extremists and/or morons; by publicly condemning them he provoked a whole lot more people to join them just to spite him, and the whole thing blew up into a much much bigger deal than it was.
I’m just not comfortable with that word “blame” there. The blame belongs with the people whose shameless display of their utter lack of patriotism has turned people off wanting to watch them. That they did so to spite Trump is not only no excuse, but since he did nothing wrong I don’t see how any blame attaches to him. Responsibility, yes; but for him many of these fools would not have acted, so he is objectively responsible for their decision to do so. But blame carries a negative judgment, and that belongs entirely to them.
you might be right but the issue would just have been simmering and pop up again and again as for the Colon, he would have done more things to get attention.
Trump is a Patriot and wants to increase the love of country not to find fault with our Founders.
Do you think that in the age of destroying statues of WASHINGTON abd proposing one of Marion Barry will lead to ……
There is something to be said for doing the right thing.
Showing contempt and disrespect for our flag, a symbol which represents something vitally important to millions of people does not win anyone to your cause. These protests serve only to harden positions and divide. Pure venom that results in further incitement and discord. An expression of contempt and anger.
The NFL kneeling controversy is not a stand-alone demonstration. It is all part of the Black Ascendancy Agenda which has been in place since shortly after the Zimmerman case in 2012. While the protest movement at that time was strictly a money-making scheme, it was co-opted and ultimately became Black Lives Matter. It exists solely to drive a wedge between the races in America by convincing Black Americans that they are 1), victims of racial oppression and 2), powerful enough to gain what they want. What Trump did, was to derail the movement, by bringing it out into the open in a venue which is largely supported by white, working class Americans. Now, the owners, all white Americans themselves, are placed in the position where they can either control their employees, the players, or watch their brand become a has been. And, white America is telling black America it is time to join the rest of the citizenry.
This is just part of the revolution. Become an American of move elsewhere.
“…so he is objectively responsible for their decision to do so.”
I disagree. A player make a decision every time the Anthem is played. He decided to honor or dishonor the flag and the USA before Trump ever said a word. He still would make the decision after Trump’s comments. If a player chooses to dishonor the flag after Trump called him out, it was still a player’s choice, not Trump’s to stand or not. Trump is accountable for his words and the players are accountable for their decisions. Neither is “responsible” for the actions of the other.
I do agree with the main points you are are making. I just got caught on this small point.
Honestly, that has been part of the reason Trump’s been so successful. The hard left is so invested in spiting him that if he went on air tomorrow and said smoking causes cancer, I’d expect half of the Times editorial board to start chomping stogies by the bushel.
Trump is not sitting by idley by our culture rots.
Al Michaels is.
It’s call ‘leadership,’ Al.
I blame Roger Goodell, Al. Roger is a spineless decision maker that allowed the ruin of the NFL brand. That’s okay Al, Roger Rabbit will be set for life with his contract though.
I don’t “blame” President Trump, I thank him.
It’s a culture war as well & President Trump chose to lead on this particular battle.
Well done.
That’s what I love about President Trump: He tells it like it is. I find that very refreshing.
I don’t think Al truly understands the nature of the SJWs that have taken over the league, using the players as pawns…nor does he understand that the culture war is more important than the NFL’s ratings…or maybe he does and isn’t allowed to speak his mind
He does not understand that he is a pawn.
In other words…. Al is stupid?
Don’t be like Al.
Not necessarily stupid, but Al Michaels is an employee whose paycheck is filled by the trickle down of the NFL’s billions. Whoever’s actions detrimentally impact the NFL are reaching into Al’s pocket. Al’s special interest is Al and nobody on the long list of fools destroying the NFL brand gives two shits about Al’s opinion on anything. What surprises me is that Michaels said anything at all.
So … the fools who manage the NFL brand were so inept that they allowed some black supremacists to turn their spectator sport cum money machine into a platform for anti-Americanism and black racism …
… but somehow that’s the President’s fault.
Well, that’s a first. Trump has been accused of all sorts of silly things, but being an enabler or booster of black racism hasn’t—until now—been one of them.
The real problem was caused by Goodell/the League for not taking appropriate action against Kaepernick right from the git-go. The League has a policy on conduct during the anthem and it prescribes appropriate penalties for ignoring the policy. Kaepernick almost certainly had a clause in his contract making him subject to discipline for acts, off or on the field, that reflected negatively on the game or the League.
I contend Goodell didn’t take action for fear of the Leftist shitstorm that would have followed after disciplining a black player protesting “racism in America.” Trump did nothing but make the League take a side, and it came down with “resistance”, anti-Americanism, and progressivism, while at the same time throwing legions of conservative fans, as well as those of any stripe who don’t care for politics in sports, under the bus.
Bob Kraft said it best when he said that politics are divisive and have no place in sports. He was correct, but unfortunately the comment was made in response to Trump, instead of in response to the “kneelers”, and came a season too late.
Goodell is only doing what the owners want. They pay him to stand out there and be a target, but it’s the owners behind it giving the instructions. Blame the owners.
They didn’t tell Kaepernick to stuff it, because they actively supported him. They liked what he was doing last year. It may have kept him from being cut. The owners are even willing to lose a little (to them) money to push their SJW agenda. That agenda may be why some of those billionaires bought their teams.
Now they are very unhappy that the conservative fan base was able to make a boycott stick. Up to now the owners, and ESPN, would just taunt us saying that fans will be back and laugh at our attempts to get them to listen. Now we’ve left and they’re all mad.
HAHAHAHA! Screw them!
Leftist idiots are easy to identify. Their common denominator is an absolute disregard for a sense of responsibility. They always findm someone to blame for their own problems. How stupid.
What some may not realize is that the week leading up to Trump calling out the Kneelers in the NFL two things of significance happened-
-Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks celebrated a QB sack with the Black Panther salute.
-A MLB player, a back-up catcher, took a knee for the National Anthem, first baseball player in history to protest the National Anthem.
Trump saw the escalation. On field protests, and spreading to other sports, and took it on, head on.
That’s the Trump I voted for.
Obviously, Al Michaels does not understand that most American’s were already, as thinking people with free will, changing their football watching and buying habits, prior to President Trump, saying or doing anything. Al ought to take responsibility for his inept assessment and not put the blame on the President, but bear the shame of what he thinks of the American public.
Politics and sports don’t mix, Al.Shame on you for thinking we’re that stupid. Go find a real job, like washing golf balls at a driving range.
I don’t give the president blame, because that would only apply if there were a bad outcome. It was a good outcome.
So I give him credit!
“once the president made those remarks in Alabama, at that particular point it was like throwing a match into a gas tank.”
So?
I appreciate that Mr. Michaels seems to have missed the headlines about the players becoming more organized in their protests, using that organization to make teams bend to the protests more and more and become a larger part of the players’ efforts, and a push to have an entire month devoted to protest like you would, say, fighting cancer.
I didn’t miss them. I don’t think Trump missed them at the time. Michaels is simply buying into a convenient delusion reinforced by events after the fact where his peers lumped all the blame on Trump.
Carl Bernstein, media folk hero of Watergate fame, some months back, to a group of ‘journOlists: “You have a moral obligation to destroy Donald Trump”
When the MSM heard DJT make those remarks, they remembered Bernstein’s charge and charged. Its sorta like the patellar reflex with the Obama/Rhodes Media Echo Chamber.
The NFL doused themselves with gasoline and said ‘hold my beer and watch this’. Trump merely took the beer, handed them a match and said ‘OK’. NFL lit itself ablaze of its own volition.
“meat eaters are to blame for the violent acts radical animal rights groups”
Self-inflicted wounds are always easier to blame on someone else. Few organizations have the courage to stand up in public and admit their own stupidity, and apologize.
They were used to getting away with it. They knew people were unhappy about many things, including the SJW emphases the NFL was imposing on us.
But they said “tough, the fans will come back anyway, we can do what we want.”
Now the fans didn’t come back, and they look for someone else to blame. Because now, like Hillary, they lost.
Trump only said what so many of us were already saying. The only difference was he could be heard.
Michaels is correct, Trump was effective in strengthening the boycott. And good for him and for us!
The NFL can now focus on their female fan base, because they’ve lost most of the males.
Gee Al Michaels, isn’t it all about everyone speaking their version of the truth to power now days no matter what their position and consequences? So I guess Trump was supposed to shut up and keep his opinions to himself…
“felt like the protests were simmering dowb”
This guy is so out of touch. The counter protests we’re just wrapping up. I need fresh blood in NFL leadership. Condeliza Rice once one of the job see if she’ll still take it.
Remember the commissioner complaining about the disrespect of the NFL for disrespecting The national anhem and flag? He said it without any sense of irony.
They are like the idiots who enable the toppling of Confederate statues and desecration of Confederate monuments and then are shocked when George Washington is next.
Milhouss: “had Trump not tweeted, the protests would have remained confined to – ”
You don’t know that. You have no freaking idea. And the protests are farce so it’s likely they would have chosen any thing as an excuse spread their race-mongering bs.
How can these punks claim to care about black lives when they haven’t bothered to even investigate the cases, as LI has done.
And we’ve seen the consequence of these protests – innocent black lives destroyed as police Retreat from the inner city.
Al Michaels joins the “It’s Always Someone Else’s Fault Club”. That is, if he wasn’t already a member. The membership is primarily liberal and/or leftist/Marxist.
Yet another thing to thank the President for….
It is cold and rainy here today. I blame Trump.
They picked the wrong republican to offend with Trump. Regular republicans wring their hands and try to hide instead of standing tall and proud for law, order, and justice because they don’t want to be called racist. They are called racists ,bigots, sexists, radicals, extremists and haters anyway by leftists citing no facts or instances.
Then, Al Michaels apparently is a douchebag.
NFL’s troubles are of its own making. giving rabidly fanatic fan bases the middle finger salute. i.e., Chargers, Rams, & Raiders with out of market stadium controversies and the mediocre product. the game itself with all its over-paid-Madonnas is no longer fun to watch being overshadowed by hours of endless commentary and analysis. Even its premier event now a 10-12hour banal yak-a-thon interspersed between an equal time of mind-numbing commercial s. Hamsters are no longer cute.
Channeling Clara Barton; “Where’s the game?”
My view on Trump’s comments on the disrespectful activities in the NFL is that at last, we have a president who will speak out against the BS artist no matter who or where they are. GWB was a punching bag for everyone and unfortunately, he had a Jesus complex that required him to turn the other cheek. The msm is in shock that a president will call them out personally and rip them a new one. I’ve been waiting a long time for this guy to come along! No one on this planet gives a flying F*ck what Michaels says.
The NFL didn’t need any help from Trump. They screwed themselves!