I have no problem with individuals expressing their First Amendment rights - none at all. What I have a problem with is a) turning a sporting event into a political statement and b) the complete hypocrisy of pampered, millionaire athletes 'identifying' with people with whom they have absolutely nothing in common beside perhaps their skin color. If an NFL player wants to make a political statement, then, by all means, give a speech, buy some TV time and have a debate. But, I watch sports to watch sports not to hear some lunkhead who has less than a solid HS education use his forum to preach his brand of politics. I would say that the vast majority of NFL players are woefully ignorant of even the most basic issues facing our country. For that matter, I don't appreciate actors, musicians, etc. who do the same thing. I'm not paying my money or spending my time watching the NFL to hear what some DE from Jacksonville thinks about the state of the world. He's absolutely got the right to have and express an opinion but pick an appropriate time.
And the very notion that NFL athletes have been discriminated and put down by the Man/System is beyond ridiculous. They've pretty much all had the world given to them since they were in high school. Not that they don't work hard and put their bodies at risk but, c'mon, they haven't been harmed one iota by the System. Not one iota.