AFAIK, both teams have protesters, yet one team wins. It is patently silly to draw any connections between protest and victory. What's more, the fact that the players are well paid does not mean that they must forfeit any right of protest, using then biggest stage they can. Finally, you seem o.k. with the President of the US calling for punishment of protesters. Although he talks like one at time, he is not some bozo in a bar. He is using the power and prestige (what ever's left of it) to attack political protests. Not very American, is it?