Jim Irsay Thinks Anthem Protests Hurt Ratings and are not a "Positive Thing"

NFL ratings are cratering and nobody seems to know exactly why, although shitty football would seem to be more logical than a shitty presidential candidate, but who knows? It's likely a confluence of things, but the ball don't lie. TV ratings are down 11 percent over the first six weeks of the season compared to last year.

One theory floating about the sports bloviation ether is that the ongoing national anthem protests started by Colin Kaepernick have so turned off a large chunk of fans, they've turned off the games as a counter-protest. Over at Forbes, Mike Ozanian, a self-described "traffic cop at the intersection of money and sports," says exactly that. His column yesterday opened with the line, "The protests of the national anthem by NFL players continue to hammer the league's TV ratings." His proof lies in a poll by the (oft-unreliable) Rasmussen Reports and an internal NFL memo which says there is no evidence protests are having "any material impact" on ratings.

A more nuanced look at the issue can be found in The Daily News, which has a solid breakdown of an HBORealSports/Marist poll of 1,298 Americans. In a nutshell, the poll finds the people most upset about the national anthem protests are old white men.

Paging Jim Irsay.

Instead of perhaps looking at the numbers and trying to figure if, where, and when young people are watching the NFL—57 percent of those under 45, of all backgrounds, are cool with Kap—the Colts owner piled on the protestors and laid the ratings debacle at their bended knees. Irsay's argument boils down to the hoariest of football cliches, the raised fists are the dreaded distraction.

"I think it's the wrong venue," Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay told USA TODAY Sports. "It hasn't been a positive thing. What we all have to be aware of as players, owners, PR people, equipment managers, is when the lights go on we are entertainment. We are being paid to put on a show. There are other places to express yourself."

It's like his opinion, man—a reference a dude like Irsay would totally get—and it can't be proven or disproven as such. What it does however, is portray Kaepernick and all the players and coaches who've followed his lead in a negative light. People can argue whether the national anthem protests are good, bad, or indifferent for the NFL, but there's one rock-and-roll cat who should probably sit out all discussions of what constitutes a "positive thing" for pigskin.

In March 2014, Irsay was pulled over and arrested for a DUI. In Irsay's Toyota Highlander, police found a laundry bag filled with prescription drugs and more than $29,000 in cash. Later that year, he would plead guilty to misdemeanor DUI, serve a six-game suspension, and pay a $500,00 for violating NFL personal conduct policy. This isn't to make fun of Irsay's struggles in any way, we certainly hope he has his house in order. But Irsay's arrest and conviction should probably keep him mum on the definition of a "positive thing." Billionaire owners in glass luxury boxes shouldn't be throwing stones, especially when the players aren't guilty of anything but standing up for themselves. TV or not TV? That is the question. The answer remains to be seen, but it won't be found in the scolding of aging white hypocrites.

And, oh, Mr. Irsay? Leave the equipment managers out of it. They have enough shit to deal with as it is. Literally.