Has the kneeling before games changed your opinion of the NFL?

The league found itself front and center in the political world after President Trump said this past weekend that players who kneel during the national anthem should be fired, even going so far as to call someone who does that a "son of a [bleep]."

His comments set off a firestorm and scores of players reacted by taking a knee prior to this past Sunday's games. Heck, some teams didn't even come out for the anthem, while one performance -- by a Michigan singer named Rico LaVelle at the Lions' game -- ended with the singer getting on a knee and raising a fist.

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Trump's remarks opened the chasm between those who support the players taking a knee and those who oppose it even wider, with the hashtag #takeaknee trending in response.

They also followed another foray into the world of sports when he criticized Steph Curry for hemming and hawing about whether or not he'd visit the White House with his NBA champion Warriors.

Trump did compliment NASCAR on Monday morning after the organization came out against those who kneel for the national anthem, although Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted his support for those who do.

Even with other leagues getting involved, the anthem controversy is a messy affair mostly for the NFL and comes at a tough time for the league, which is battling sliding ratings and bad press in connection with head injuries that have left players with health issues long after they retire. Now, it also runs the risk of fans jumping ship in the name of patriotism. It's a dicey matter with no end in the foreseeable future.

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