YOU JUST KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT, FELLAS: “NFL Blames ‘Confluence of Events’ for Ratings Declines… As for a potential backlash by some viewers angered at players not standing for the national anthem to protest of police brutality, the NFL said it sees no evidence to that being a factor in declining ratings: ‘In fact, our own data shows that the perception of the NFL and its players is actually up in 2016.’”