Who cares if they are afraid to take sides.
ESPN is taking a side, the side of the players. 80% of ESPN is owned by Disney, one of the most liberal corporations in the country. If they can't show the players protesting, they just won't show the national anthem. It's their own form of protest.
Several years ago, I would put ESPN on when I was doing something around the house to listen to in the background. Now, I don't formally boycott ESPN but I only watch it when they have a game on that I want to see. None of there shows, commentaries or anything else, just a game I want to see. When the game is over, the channel gets changed so they won't think I am still watching even though my TV has been turned off.
They aren't good for much more than that one game a week anyway.
Football is the only sport I take an interest in so don't need ESPN. So there! Lol
Same here. It's pretty easy to do without them.