Minnesota Airport Doesn’t Want to Accept Super Bowl Flights Until NFL Stops National Anthem Protests

A regional airport commission in Minnesota has decided to take a stand against the NFL, for allowing players to kneel during the playing of the national anthem. The commission floated a resolution looking to bar flights into the area for Super Bowl LII.

During a Thursday meeting, the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport Commission spoke out against the NFL’s national anthem protests and hinted that they may turn away overflow air traffic for the Super Bowl scheduled to be held in Minneapolis next February, according to the Washington Examiner.

The small airport based in Crow Wing County could see overflow air traffic, or diverted traffic, if other airports suffer weather-related delays as the volume of travelers climbs for the big game.

During last week’s meeting, commission member Jeff Czeczok introduced a resolution condemning the NFL for its protests and resolving that the Brainerd Lakes Airport would not accept the Super Bowl flights unless the NFL were to stop the protests.

Czeczok also reminded the board of Brainerd’s close historical relationship with the notorious Bataan Death March of World War Two, and all those American soldiers who died so miserably while wearing the American flag patch on their uniforms.

“I just would like to remind the people sitting at this table that, you know, we have a national organization that has team members kneeling down during our national anthem,” commissioner Czeczok said.

Another commissioner, Marty Johnson, criticized the media for supporting the protests and for “spotlighting” them and giving them many times more oxygen.

One commissioner, Don Jacobson, agreed with Czeczok’s sentiment but said his colleague was going about addressing the issue in the wrong way.

The majority of commissioners voiced their support of the condemnation, and all but one of the board members commented positively on the matter. However, the resolution did not pass for lack of a second.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.