J.J. Watt: Booing during moment of unity “was unfortunate”

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Before Thursday night’s NFL season opener, and after the national anthem played, the two teams gathered at midfield for a “moment of unity.” Audible booing could be heard from the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.

Texans defensive end J.J. Watt expressed confusion over the reaction after the games.

“The moment of unity I personally thought was good,” Watt said, via James Palmer of NFL Media. “I mean the booing during that moment was unfortunate. I don’t fully understand that. There was no flag involved. There was nothing involved other than two teams coming together to show unity.”

He’s right. It made no sense to boo. It wasn’t political in any way. But even an expression of unity has become political in this upside-down era of ours, because apparently everything must be viewed through a political lens, in the eyes of those who tolerate political viewpoints that mesh with their own but chafe in the face of any political viewpoints different than theirs as an invasion on their “escape” from having to deal with things that make them uncomfortable.

So what about a plea for unity makes someone uncomfortable? And if someone is made uncomfortable by an expression of unity, doesn’t that say more about them than about the people striving for something so basic and fundamental?