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The Jets have a big problem. There is no way around it.
“There will be no club fines or suspensions or any sort of repercussions. If the team gets fined, that’s just something I’ll have to bear.” – Christopher Johnson on what he will do if Jets players kneel during the anthem.
Congressman Peter King ripped into Johnson on Twitter.
“Disgraceful that @nyjets owner will pay fines for players who kneel for National Anthem. Encouraging a movement premised on lies vs. police. Would he support all player protests? Would he pay fines of players giving Nazi salutes or spew racism? It’s time to say goodbye to Jets!” King tweeted.
Peter King turning on the Jets like this can’t be good for the team’s business.
He’s from the heart of Jets Country – Long Island. He represents the South Shore Long Island district that includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties.
While the Jets play and train in New Jersey, they still have a huge fan base on Long Island from their days of playing at Shea Stadium and training at Hofstra.
Obviously, there are people who think what King tweeted was wrong, but plenty will agree with him. This is a very polarizing issue.
But the Jets play their home games in a stadium that holds 82,500 seats. They need fans of all political persuasions to fill their massive stadium.
Last year they had a hard time doing that. A lot of empty seats last year.
So Johnson’s comment, whatever you think of it, can’t be good for business. I went to the Jets’ Facebook page to see what people are saying after Johnson’s comment.
Frank Jannette: I will never watch this team again I was at Super Bowl 3 with tickets from Gerry Philbin with my dad I was loyal always tried out at Hofstra in 1967. NO More am I a fan. I am a Vietnam Veteran. Now they will pay fines for not standing or respecting me or my Brothers on the wall. I hope you lose every game.
Steven A. Hecksel: I have been a die hard Jet fan since my Dad, a WWII veteran, took me at the age of 11, to my very first Jet game in 1969. I will defend the right to protest before the National Anthem or after the Anthem or for that matter before or after the game. But not during the National Anthem. The comments by the Jet owner has forced me and my family to give up support of this organization. Sad day.
But there were people who supported the owner.
James Christopher: Rooting for the Jets! Very glad to see the brave and patriotic stand this team’s interim owner has made. J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!
Craig Coleman: All these sensitive Sallies getting worked up over nothing. I do believe the Jets never had anyone kneeling to begin with. It was a brilliant move by Chris Johnson.. Brings this young team together and all the players know the man who signs the paychecks has their backs!! (who also supports their constitutional right, might I add) Excited for this season!!! Lets Go Jets!!!!!!
But before I continue, I need to point out that according to several constitutional scholars. The First Amendment isn’t applicable to the anthem kneeling issue.
“The First Amendment doesn’t apply to private institutions,” Cal-Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky told the Washington Post.
So perhaps people need to stop talking about “The First Amendment” and “Freedom of Speech” when talking about the anthem protests.
But I don’t want to get into a Constitutional debate here.
Wherever you stand on this issue, the Jets have a big problem. Whether you like King or not, the man has a lot of supporters out on Long Island. The man has been in Congress since 1993. He gets re-elected over and over out there, so clearly he’s pretty popular in his district.
Whether you agree with Johnson or not, there is no arguing he ticked off some people, including King, with his statement on the anthem.
It will be interesting to see how the Jets get out of this crisis.
Perhaps they will use crisis PR guru Matthew Hiltzik, who they have hired in the past. I have seen him at Jets practice on more than one occasion. Hiltzik has worked with celebrities including Justin Bieber, Ryan Lochte, Harvey Weinstein, Ryan Braun and Alec Baldwin. He’s a go-to guy to deal in the world of crisis PR.
May 28, 2018
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