Fact check: Is America 'fed up' with the NFL, as Trump claims?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that the National Football League is "having a very hard time" filling stadiums because Americans are "fed up" with players protesting during the national anthem.

"At least 24 players kneeling this weekend at NFL stadiums that are now having a very hard time filling up," Trump tweeted. "The American public is fed up with the disrespect the NFL is paying to our Country, our Flag and our National Anthem. Weak and out of control!"

It's the latest attack on the league from the president, who has bashed players for taking a knee during the national anthem to silently protest racial inequality as well as officials for allowing the protests to continue. He suggested in September that team owners should fire protesting players, the vast majority of whom are black, and claimed NFL attendance and viewership are "way down" earlier this month.

But are the protests really hurting the league, as Trump says? Let's tackle the facts.

-snip-

Is NFL attendance down?

Trump claimed Tuesday that stadiums "are now having a very hard time filling up," building on a Nov. 20 tweet that attendance was "way down."

But that's not true, according to the NFL.

The league told NBC News that attendance is down just 1 percent from last year, which NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy noted was a "stellar" year and the third highest in NFL history.

McCarthy added that 98 percent of available tickets to all NFL games have been sold, with ticket sales down 2 percent over last year, in part owing to reduced seating capacity for the Los Angeles teams. Excluding those two teams, ticket sales are down 1 percent, he said.

-more-

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/factcheck/fact-check-is-america-fed-up-with-the-nfl-as-trump-claims/ar-BBFTweE?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=edgsp

[Wellstone ruled]

1. One of the main reasons for

NFL loss of eyeballs is,the cost of the NFL Sunday ticket and tens of thousands of people have cancelled their Direct TV and Dish Contracts. Plus the mega ticket prices at the local Stadiums.

[yallerdawg]

4. Don't forget a couple major markets...

have really bad teams - New York/New Jersey, Northern California.

There's 1% right there!

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Plus a major

demographic change is happening.

[pstokely]

6. also LA viewers being force fed Chargers and Rams

nt

[MyOwnPeace]

2. Passed a "red-neck" bar

today - sign outside said:

"We support our troops - not the NFL"

Stupid fucks!

It's NOT about the troops!

It's NOT about the flag!

It's about abuse to Americans - yes, those "minority" ones that have suffered for over 200 years and STILL have to put up with crazy shit that puts their lives in danger in "AMERICA - THE LAND OF THE FREE (well, at least some..........)"

[NNadir]

3. I'd rather hoped it would be down because of what it does to player's brains.

Speaking of damaged brains, I understand that Tom Brady is a big fan of Trump's.

[Yavin4]

7. It's a bad year quality-wise in the NFL.

A really, really bad year.