Cleveland Crocks

In this weekend's NFL games, the TV coverage treated the National Anthem as a competition of its own. Even highlights noted who, if anyone, didn't stand for the anthem, or gave the black power sign. If you're not aware, this started with Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the anthem in protest of the treatment of African Americans. Kaepernick himself was suspicious by his absence, having still not been signed this season. Although his performance has gone downhill since nearly winning the Super Bowl in 2013, it's still hard to believe that he's not qualified for a league with about a hundred quarterback jobs. It will get even more suspicious as time goes on, and we see some of the has-beens and never-weres that aren't getting the job done.

But in Cleveland, they headed-off the anthem controversy by having a big video on the scoreboard urging peace and understanding.

A special message on unity and equality from members of the Cleveland Browns. pic.twitter.com/CvyTdgTaIS

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 10, 2017

This video gave me a new level of understanding of America. Suddenly I get it. I get why black people hate it when you say, "All Lives Matter." I mean sure, I'd heard lots of explanations. And I'd seen the recent meme that tries to address the flooding in Houston with "All Cities Matter." But it didn't really hit home until I saw this attempt to show concern for real - and rather specific - problems using a bunch of vague platitudes.

It's become apparent in recent years that America has problems that have been around for a while, but lurk beneath a friendly sheen of agreeable principles. The challenge of activists has been to call attention to those problems that are getting ignored by a big portion of Americans that should be sympathetic but are turning a blind eye. Making a feel-good video that doesn't acknowledge any problems is just adding to that facade.

Okay, you can make the point that in the current America where up is down and Nazis are normalized, actually promoting those positive principles is a radical step. And if you're going to promote those values, then the ideal place is the national Lowest Common Denominator, football. But I've moved beyond that. Yes, I'm apparently woke now.