Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff. 

Rarely do protest boycotts take hold, but this political season they are in style and gaining steam. Politics has its place, but this year anti-Trump, anti-police, anti-flag and anti-USA politics may drive your business out of business — just ask main stream Hollywood, late-night comedians, the Emmys, the National Football League or Rolling Stone magazine. They are all feeling the pinch of politics.

True patriotic Americans — like those 63-million Trump voters — are not reading Rolling Stone any more, or going to Hollywood movies, or watching any more awards shows like the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Tonys or the Oscars. In greater numbers they are turning away from beloved professional football because of the continuing disrespect for the U.S. flag and national anthem displayed, and allowed on national TV by the NFL, the NFL union, team owners and coaches. Trump supporters called for boycotts months ago on all these fronts and they are apparently taking hold as Americans in a growing wave of popular support are pushing back against liberal ideology wherever they see it.

President Donald Trump blasted the NFL Friday night during a campaign rally in support of Alabama Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed to fill the U.S. senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when he became Trump’s U.S. Attorney General. Strange is involved in a run-off election on Tuesday against fellow Republican Roy Moore. Either Strange or Moore will face a Democratic challenger in the Dec. 12 special election. The president’s statements on the NFL are resonating loud and clear as they are repeated on main stream TV news shows and social media.

“We’re proud of our country and we’re proud of our flag,” the president said to a cheering, packed-to-capacity audience in Huntsville.  He went on to say that professional football players that kneel instead of stand during the national anthem is a misplaced display of freedom of speech and it has no place on the football field. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say ‘get that son-of-a-bitch off the field right now – he’s out – he’s fired.’ “

On Sunday NFL national anthem protests spread like a wildfire in response to the president’s statements on Friday. Main stream media widely reported the controversy over the president’s NFL comments. However, one Pittsburg Steeler – Alejandro Villanueva – a former U.S. Army Ranger officer and West Point graduate came out of the locker room while his team stayed inside for the national anthem. This Army veteran stood alone with hand over heart as the national anthem was played.

It’s not just the NFL pros taking-a-knee. From college teams all the way down to elementary school Pee-Wee football leagues, players are kneeling during the national anthem … some of the coaches, too. By example these adult coaches are teaching these children disrespect for America. Not only are NFL’s TV ratings and advertising revenue down, attendance is also down. This past Thursday Night Football saw a less than half-full stadium at kickoff as the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Los Angeles Rams. TV viewers are turning off the NFL games in disgust just as soon as some player decides to exercise his First Amendment rights in front of a national audience that wants football and respect for tradition, not politics.

“They’re ruining the game,” Trump said of kneeling players.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, “CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC could take a $200 million hit to their estimated $2.5-billion in NFL advertising earnings if fans continue to turn off the TV.”

Due to declining print and online readership, plus sagging advertising revenue, iconic Rolling Stone magazine – a once-great publication founded in 1967 that focused on music, movies and pop culture — is throwing in the towel and is up for sale by majority owner Wenner Media, it was announced last week by Variety magazine. In recent years, however, the magazine went far-left liberal and expanded into areas they had no business venturing into. Their readers want to know what’s hot and who’s not. They didn’t ask for or want some proven phony news story about college rapes in Virginia. Rolling Stone was sued heavily over this story by multiple plaintiffs in civil court and they lost big time.

Hollywood box office receipts are down across the nation. People are going to Hollywood-produced movies less and less. Movie theater ticket prices have risen and so has NetFlix – the inexpensive at-home movie-viewing service with nearly 52 million subscribers in the USA in 2017, according to Wikipedia. So many of today’s movies are all about super-action heroes possessing ‘powers’ that are riddled with sex and graphic violence turning off many conservative fans and parents. In December comes another Star Wars movie sequel — complete with openly gay characters in a place far, far away. Oh boy. You would think Hollywood would come up with better movies, but they don’t.

“Media tracking company comScore expects the North American box office to finish the traditional summer season with a nearly 16-percent decline in revenue for the period, more than 2014’s huge 14.6-percent drop off, to become the industry’s biggest decline in modern times,” according to Fortune magazine.

The recent Primetime TV Emmy awards show out of Hollywood – hosted by Steven Colbert — had the worst TV ratings ever in is 69-year history, according to Fox News. By all accounts the National Football League’s once high TV ratings are history for now. Why is all this happening? Music’s Rolling Stone magazine turned political. Hollywood and their products went far-left political. That Emmy awards show was entirely political with hateful Trump bashing from beginning to end. The NFL has also become a political arena, and they are paying the price.

About the Author

Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.