I'm a vet and I fought for years to protect their right to be disrespectful and a bunch of jackasses. If the NFL says they don't have to stand, then they don't have to stand. You're also free to think they're pieces of garbage, as well.
I am also a veteran and would place myself between the idiots and the mob to protect their right to be a sanctimonious, clueless jackwagon. And yeah, that doesn't shield them from the rightful disdain and derision which comes their way.
However, it seems to me that whenever they put on that football uniform, that they are representing both their team, AND the NFL. Like any other employee, they lose certain protections when they are at work. Right now, the NFL has taken a noticeable hit to their brand and is losing a chunk of TV viewership, which will result in lower ad revenues from sponsors. Why? Because rather than discipline the offending players, they went all wishy-washy and refused to take a stand in favor of respecting the flag and the national anthem. The teams and the NFL should fine and/or suspend players for such disrespect. The players(and others) don't have to like it, but they should understand that as players,their are certain standards that they must either adhere to, or take the consequences for disregarding.
All companies have rules about dress, conduct in the workplace, and even offsite conduct. The NFL already has those, and needs to come down on these folks, because what they are doing is turning away folks from the brand name and causing market loss and thus revenue loss.
YMMV, or course, but that's the view of this disabled veteran.
