NFL owners are finally getting what they deserve for toying with the flag all these years, while men such as Rocky Bleier took shrapnel for it. That’s when league owners first so devalued service to country and wrapped themselves in false sentiment and cheap banners for the sake of a buck. Throughout the war, NFL owners pulled political strings to get players into local National Guard units and reserves to protect their rosters and revenue. The scheme was so successful that Life magazine noted “the magical immunity” of the NFL to Vietnam service. But for Bleier, the anthem discussion has become nuanced; the tangle of difficult history, misperception, patriotism and racism makes him speak gently.

Source: Washington Post May 27, 2018 20:20 UTC