Americans Throw Penalty Flags at Both Goodell and Trump for their Positions on the NFL Stand/Kneel Issue

Americans Throw Penalty Flags at Both Goodell and Trump for their Positions on the NFL Stand/Kneel Issue; 82% Say ‘Advise Parents on Risk of Youth Football’

South Orange, NJ, October 27, 2017 — By a 47% to 42% margin, Americans believe that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should have ordered the league’s players to stand during the national anthem.

By a wider margin – 55% v. 37% – people said it was inappropriate for President Trump to request that people sign a petition saying that the players stand.

These were among the findings of the latest Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted this week across the nation among 715 adults, on landlines and cellphones.  The poll has a margin of error of 3.7%.

“The president’s base, which polls consistently show to be in the 35% area, seems to support him at every turn without wavering, and that extends to his war of words with the NFL,” said Rick Gentle, director of the poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute as part of the university’s Stillman School of Business.  “The 37% support on this question is consistent with that.”

“But clearly,” added Gentile, “Goodell’s position lacks strong public support.  “This is a tough issue for people who love football, love the flag, and still respect freedom of expression.”

MATTERS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY IN YOUTH FOOTBALL ADDRESSED

The Poll also asked a number of questions related to the safety of youth football.  Asked if football organizing groups should have medical personnel advise parents about the dangers of playing organized football before their child signs up to play, a huge 82% said yes, with only 11% saying no.

Asked if they thought youth football leagues through high school are taking adequate steps to improve the safety of the game, 49% said yes, and only 22% said no.

Respondents were also asked at what age he or she would allow a child to play football, 39% said ages 7-11, 27% said ages 12-15, and only 9% said age 16 and over.  20% responded “never.”

“It is significant that one in five – 20% – say ‘never’ for the sport considered the most popular one in America,” noted Gentile.

The Official Seton Hall Sports Poll podcast discussing this topic (and yesterday’s release on baseball questions) with Seth Everett and Rick Gentile can be found at https://itunes.apple.com/mt/podcast/seton-hall-sports-poll/id1053266467.

 

ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.

For more information, visit www.shu.edu.

About the poll:

This poll was conducted by telephone October 23-25 among 715 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.

Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.

Media: Media: Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com;
Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034

The results:

1. After a meeting with players and owners last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced he will not order the players to stand for the pre-game playing of the national anthem. Do you agree with his position or disagree?
   1. Agree 42%
   2. Disagree 47
   3. Don’t know/No opinion 11

 

2. President Trump has asked people to sign a petition saying that they support standing for the national anthem in response to the NFL not insisting its players do so. Do you think it’s appropriate for the president to make such a request?
   1. Yes 37
   2. No 55
   3. Don’t know   8

 

 

 

3. If you were to allow your child to play football, at what age would you allow him to play, 7-11, 12-15, 16 or older or never?
   1. 7-11 39
   2. 12-15 27
   3. 16+   9
   4. Never 20
   5. Don’t know/No opinion   6

 

4. Do you think youth football leagues through high school are taking adequate steps to improve the safety of the game?
   1. Yes 49
   2. No 22
   3. Don’t know/No opinion 29

 

5. Do you think football organizing groups should have medical personnel advise parents about the dangers of playing organized football before their child signs up to play?
   1. Yes 82
   2. No 11
   3. Don’t know/No opinion   7