The National Football League is committing brand suicide by allowing players to protest during the National Anthem before its games. 

Last weekend, about 200 players protested the National Anthem including a game played in London, England.

The players were responding to very critical comments made by President Trump about the football field protests. 

Fans are giving the NFL a huge backlash with critical comments and football team jerseys are being burned on social media. 

TV viewership is also down from last year. 

Political correctness is the root cause of the controversy. 

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell allowed these protests to occur while the league normally discourages teams from individual expression on the field. 

For example, the league prevented the Dallas Cowboys from wearing stickers on the back of their helmets honoring slain Dallas police officers. 

Goodell ignored a rule in the league's operations manual that set out the NFL's expectations for players during the National Anthem.  

Unfortunately, for the NFL and fans, Goodell allowed political correctness to rule the day. 

The entire controversy could have been avoided if Goodell used its policy to fine Kaepernick last year after his first protest.  

Political correctness is destroying the NFL brand.