The NFL is wrong in its hypocritical pursuit to make the world a better place.

orse yet, the league’s actions send the false signal that Arizona is more racist than other states. A signal that no one should tolerate, let alone believe.

If you’ve been under a rock for the past few days, the NFL yanked the 1993 Super Bowl from Arizona because the state failed to pass—by less than 2 percent—a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Phoenix and Tempe, two of the state’s biggest cities, already observe the man.

The referendum was dumped by the suntanned voters for many reasons.

Undoubtedly, one of the reasons is because people thought the slain civil rights leader was a jerk.

And although this narrow-minded, racist attitude exists, it is not a pervasive reason why the idea failed.

The primary reason was because the NFL tried to force the voters’ hand by saying it would move the Bowl if the referendum failed. Pride isn’t always right, but the people dug their heels in when told do this or else.

Arizona also is the home of the retired. Retired people don’t want another day when their services will be cut. They like their golfing and cashing dividend checks when it’s convenient for them.

That’s narrow-minded also. But it’s reality. People must focus on what really happens and leave the hypothetical and ideal to scholarly, professor-types.

Many business headquarters and service industries locate in Arizona. Another paid holiday is not only a day when an owner cannot make money, but a day when the owner must pay his employees for not working while he doesn’t make money.

Nobody ever said business sense wasn’t nonsensical at times.

Already, NFL Commissioner Pete Tagliabue’s office has fielded calls advocating similar moves against states with liberal abortion regulations. This will have increasing importance as states vie for expansion teams and the money and jobs it will bring to state coffers.

But wielding power is no justification for abuse. Already, the league’s action is spurring pleas to other athletic franchises. Some believe baseball should follow the NFL’s lead and should pull its minor league operations from the state.

This is a league that has decided it will use the money its events bring in—an estimated $200 million—to force political agendas.

This newfound leadership from the NFL is dangerous and hypocritical. The attitude seemingly is if you can’t keep the players from dealing and taking drugs, let’s make the world a better place.

However, the league’s actions have done just the opposite. It has fanned the racism fire—which thrives on ignorance and bigoted big-mouths.

It sets the stage for ranking racist states and sends a distressing signal to businesses and events that potentially could bring a financial windfall to areas: Do what I tell you to do or I’ll take my money and go elsewhere.

Certainly the criteria for defining a racist area is not embedded in whether the locale honors black leaders.

If that was the case, there’s no way NIU could be racist.

See you at the commons.