I don’t think they showed the national anthem on TV back in the day when Cosell was calling the games. And that was ok.
But the difference now is that this national anthem kneeling situation needs to get resolved. And until it does, I think they have to continue to show it.
At some future point in time, if people quit the protesting, then I can see not showing it.
Right now, its just a big part of the game
As for their “business relationships,” it boggles the mind that ANY pro league would want to be in business with a place that has devoted more than 50% of its programming to whatever Steven A. Smith’s jackass opinion is that particular day or what Mike Golic’s pet Jew and a hispanic woman who looks like a garbage bag full of loose mango pulp when she wears a black thinks on “Get Up.” Disney killed the golden goose that the original ESPN handed to them years ago.