Happy anniversary to the National Football League. Originally known as the American Professional Football Association

Happy anniversary to the National Football League. Originally known as the American Professional Football Association. it kicked off on Sept. 17,1920 in Canton, Ohio, which now officially makes it a century old.

Alphabetically, it was the All-Buffalo franchise, the Canton Bulldogs, the Chicago Cardinals, the Cleveland Tigers, the Columbus Panhandles, the Moline Factors, the Muncie Flyers, the Pitcairn Qualents, the Toledo Maroons, West Buffalo, the Wheeling Stogies, Many problems plagued the game of pro football with increasing regularity, one being the World War I fought in Europe.

But they played the game. No racism, for the Civil War was history. Yes, there were some issues regarding this, but who thought a hundred years later it would grow into a country-wide protest, a display of anger that brought looting, clashes with the police and other law-biding protectors. Where as in 1920 African Americans didn’t even have dreams of one day playing professional football, the current NFL now has two thirds of blacks dominating the rosters.

But the racism lives on as the NFL finds a way to finally take the field following a shutdown caused by COPID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. At this time, a virtual college draft was held, followed by the season schedule. Now it’s when, where and how the league will take the next step regardless of the virus restrictions. No fans allowed in the stands, players, coaches and officials will be tested, and what happens next will be decided by the NFL. Hopefully, the restrictions could be eased up, but for now it’s play as they may.

As of this writing, 16 NFL teams have posted statements, mostly minimum ones under the franchise logo or with the owner’s name attached to their respective social media channels. They’re all different, but generally they condemn the killing on Sunday, Maiy 31, of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, one now guilty of murder for holding his knee on the neck of Floyd for almost nine minutes, and despite the 45-year-old Floyd continuously crying out that he’s out of breath, three other Minneapolis cops stood behind and allowed the tragedy to continue and for Floyd to die.

It’s telling that the half of the league’s teams have felt moved enough by the deep pain and desperation shown by so many black Americans since the incident. They are satisfied that the fired officer who permitted the crime has been arrested and charged with 3rd degree murder and 2nd degree manslaughter, and with the other three who just stood and watched also arrested and fired.

But if you are assuming some owners would be on board, given their silence, it’s assumed they are not. It’s striking to see where statements haven’t come from the PittsburghSteelers, as well as the Philadelphia Eagles, whose owner, Jeff Lurie has in the past been supportive of players’ efforts to work for equity in justice, although both clubs did release statements on Tuesday afternoon.

The NFL East remains largely silent, with no statements from the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants, and this was as of noon on Tuesday. Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots has said nothing. He was reached out on Monday to provide a statement, but nothing followed.

Others, like Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Biscotti and New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson, wrote about actionable steps they are immediately taking. Biscotti is donating $1 million, with players deciding how and where the money should be distributed. Benson, who also owns the New Orleans Pelicans, announced the formation of a Social Justice Leadership coalition with the players from both teams.

Said Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis, whose late father had a history as an ownership renegade: “To be honest, I’m surprised that the resulting violence hasn’t been worse.”

Really? Well maybe he’s missed the looting, the clashes between the law officers, the damage to cities like Minneapolis, Atlanta, New York, Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and just fill in the rest that viewers have been watching being put on fire, damaging stores and causing the permanent closing of businesses that had battled the pandemic and were hoping to be back in business. But not now, the angry rioters joined by known terror groups and rowdy outsiders from other areas of the country. Everybody contributed and apparently haven’t slowed down.

Silence will not make this go away. There are actual steps needed to teach us how to interact with police but not work towards changing the behavior of the police themselves.

The fact is, the NFL is uniquely positioned to be a force for good right now. All but two team owners are wealthy white people, and one of them, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Shad Khan, are one of the teams still silent, while Kim Pegula and her Buffalo Bills have issued a statement that included money, connections and influences to guide local, state and even federal leaders toward change.

On statements credited to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, it was mostly word salad and certainly eye-rolling. While the commissioner might have something of a moral conscience, given that there are reports he is bothered by the lack of black head coaches and general managers in the league, the fact remains thatGoodell cant truly use the power of the NFL without the backing of those who pay his salary — team owners.

This is the good old United States of America they are damaging. It began with the killing of an innocent man, it is now in its ninth  day of violence.  A Yankee Doodle Dandy call to those making a mess, especially upon innocent people, the magical words are “cool it, enough is enough, stop.”

God Bless America. For those who don’t think this way, pack up and take the trash with you.