If the NFL owners are trying to protect their business by siding with the kneeling players, they are not living in the real world. Some will be bankrupt in a year. I think that’s just fine.
The players are the owners' employees. They already tolerate a great deal of non-conformity from them, and they know there is no league without players. They also know there is no league without fans, but they are hoping that the fans will just swallow. I agree with you that they have miscalculated. But they are looking for someone else to resolve the matter while being able to publicly side with their employees.