The reelection of President Donald Trump has transformed the country not just politically, but in countless other ways as well. The last four years were some of the toughest in American history, but the nation has emerged from the other side, and now there is a feeling of unbridled optimism in the air — dare I say, the sense that a "golden age" is on the horizon? Attached to the feeling that common sense has made a comeback in America, several events have taken place that have led Republicans and conservatives to entertain the thought that they might be in a winning position in the culture wars. Not so fast.
As Americans gear up for the 2025-26 football season, the NFL has decided that fans still need to be lectured to on the virtues of social justice. To make that happen, they will include several social justice messages in the end zones to promote various causes. On Sunday afternoons, when football fans want nothing but to turn on the TV and relax and watch their favorite team, they will be greeted with messages like "End Racism," "Stop Hate," "Choose Love," or "Inspire Change." But that's just one end zone. The message at the other end will read, "It Takes All of Us."
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"Inspire Change" replaces "Vote" from 2024. How well did that work out for the NFL? For international games, the league will use the "End Racism" and "It Takes All of Us" messages in the end zones. The idea of the messages, to complement other causes the NFL is associated with, such as Salute to Service, a veteran's organization, and Crucial Catch, which is associated with the American Cancer Society.
Anna Isaacson is the senior vice president of social responsibility for the NFL. In a stream of woke gobbledy-gook, she stated,
"This is an honor and responsibility that the league takes seriously, which is why we actively invest in off-field programs and on-field initiatives that promote unity."
Isaacson also says that the league wants to "amplify player voices and underscore what is most important to them." Players will also have the option of putting messages on their helmets. But a few things: vice president of social responsibility? Why is this a job? It is not the "responsibility" of the NFL to decide what issues should be important to fans. Second, if you are a professional football player and want to promote causes you care about, that's great, more power to you; you have the platform to do a lot of good. But do it on your own time. Most Americans cannot promote their pet issues at work. Neither should you.
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Because of things like Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle Jeans ad, Greg Gutfeld appearing on "The Tonight Show," or Nike's ad featuring pro Golfer Scottie Scheffler on the golf course with his baby son, Republicans have declared the culture war "won," and maybe it is. But there is something that, often in moments like this, Republicans don't have: a healthy dose of skepticism. It is unknown how much direct revenue, as in fans in the stadium buying beer and nachos, etc., the NFL might have lost due to kneeling, George Floyd, and other woke cancel culture nonsense. But a 2021 poll showed that 35 percent of Americans said they stopped watching sports because they were tired of being lectured to. Fewer TV viewers also translates into fewer dollars.
Have we really won, or is this just a case of the NFL failing to read the room, as in realizing that American attitudes are shifting? The left is not going away quietly. Am I the only one skeptical of our win? Maybe, but I'm okay with that. Some words of caution to my fellow travelers on the right: don't get cocky, we haven't won anything yet.
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