The NFL preseason has kicked off, and with it comes a new wave of protests against police brutality during the National Anthem. During the first week of preseason play, 15 players from five different teams have in some way protested during the anthem. Some knelt, others raised a fist in the air. One player for the Jacksonville Jaguars turned away from the field while the anthem was playing. Of course, these protests sparked a new level of outrage on social media. Calls to boycott the league have grown even louder.

Yes, President Trump has tweeted his dismay of the whole situation.

These players have been called unpatriotic because they are "disrespecting the men and women who fought for their country". They have been called "a bunch of crybaby millionaires" who are "out of touch with reality." But is it really fair to go this far?

Now, I have no problem with peaceful protest. The First Amendment is one of the most important aspects of our free society. I wouldn't call for these players to be cut right on the spot for this. That being said, the argument of being out of touch with reality does have some merit.

I recently started working at Walmart. What would happen if I started protesting against capitalism and harassed customers to the point no one would shop at the location I work at? The chances are pretty strong that I would be fired. The same principle should apply here. If enough players start to hurt the league's viewership, driving profits down, the team owners should be allowed to not have these players on their teams.

No one is entitled to play in the NFL, just like anything else.

But I wouldn't call these players unpatriotic for protesting anything. All they are simply doing is actively pointing out what many would consider an injustice. They are asking, at the very least, that the problem stops being ignored. They don't hate this country. They just want to see this country be the best that it can be, where anyone can make it to the big time without some force holding them back. While I do agree with the nuance of the argument, I also point out some serious problems.

For starters, these players, like any other citizen in this country, has a political leaning. Some are stronger than others, but they all lean in some direction. And when politics has become so polarized, with debates becoming more about "owning the other side" as opposed to trying to persuade the person you are debating that your arguments are stronger, a civil discussion seems less and less possible. The Philadelphia Eagles had a chance to make real headway with having a discussion with the president over these matters. They refused to take. The same is true of the Golden State Warriors after winning the NBA title.

They have let their own personal politics cloud their judgment.

On top of political bias where they parrot political talking points, they don't give any factual evidence of what they are saying. They stick by statistics that have been proven false time and time again. This makes it very hard to have an honest discussion about important issues. Don't tell me that point X (whatever it may be) is a problem and just expect me to take it at face value. I want to hear some facts. Hopefully, you would sit through my facts so that we can be a resolution closer.

In 2018, the NFL Anthem protests are still going strong, despite push back and falling ratings. But like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott pointed out, now is the time to take another step in solving this issue. Now is the team for real discussions to happen. Now is the time to come up with real ideas.

Now is the time to take action.