It’s been proven that the anti-American protests are sinking the NFL.

Attendance and TV ratings are stuck in quicksand as fans turn away in disgust.

And now the NFL is taking another huge financial hit as a result.

In addition to the loss of receipts at the gate and in ad revenue, NFL merchandise sales have also gone in the tank

THE NFL HAS ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR FAIR SHARE OF BAD NEWS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. FIRST, THE LEAGUE FINDS OUT THAT ALL THREE THANKSGIVING GAMES SAW DOUBLE-DIGIT DROPS IN VIEWERSHIP FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

NOW, ALONG WITH THAT LUMP OF COAL, WE LEARN THAT THE NFL’S MERCHANDISE SALES HAVE CRASHED AS WELL.

ACCORDING TO THE SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, NFL MERCHANDISE SALES HAVE FALLEN BY 20 PERCENT OR MORE, SINCE THE 2009 RECESSION. WHILE THE TIME SPAN OF EIGHT YEARS ALLOWS A MYRIAD OF DIFFERENT EXPLANATIONS FOR THE DROP IN SALES. AWFUL ANNOUNCING WRITES THAT, “SOME LICENSEES FEEL IT HAS TO DO WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM PROTESTS.”

ACCORDING TO ONE LICENSEE, AND VETERAN, THE DROP IN SALES IS AN ALARMING REALITY WITH MANY POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS.

BILL SKINNER OF TEAM PROMARK SAID, “MY NFL BUSINESS HAS BEEN STRUGGLING. AS A VETERAN, I’M BOTHERED BY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM PROTESTS, SO I’VE WATCHED MUCH LESS NFL.”