Great news to kick off the NFL's championship Sunday. Despite the U.S. government shutdown, American military members stationed overseas will be able to watch Sunday's AFC and NFC championship games.
The American Forces Network, which services troops and U.S. government employees in foreign nations, caused a furor when it announced Saturday on its Facebook page that it was not available due to the government shutdown.
But on Sunday morning, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy tweeted the AFN would air the AFC and NFC championship games between the Patriots and Jaguars (CBS, 3:05 p.m. ET) and the Vikings and Eagles (Fox, 6:40 p.m. ET). The league worked behind the scenes with AFN to solve the impasse.
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"Due to the shutdown, key employees at AFN were furloughed. However, the Department of Defense was able to find a solution and restore the channel," McCarthy said via email. "We appreciate the efforts of everyone who made it possible for our brave service members around the world to get a taste of home and enjoy today’s games."
Great news as Armed Forces Network will air both Championship Sunday NFL games today for our service members around the world
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) January 21, 2018
Dana W. White, chief DoD spokesperson, said in a statement, "Despite the government shutdown, DoD determined the operational necessity of television and radio broadcasts constitutes them as essential activities. We will continue to find solutions to support our troops at home and abroad. Congress must come to a resolution, support our troops and pass a budget soon."
The NFL has long had a close relationship with the U.S. Armed Forces, raising millions for veteran charities and embedding soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines into its pregame rituals.
But that mutually beneficial partnership between the military and the nation's most popular sport has been tested since Colin Kaepernick and other players began taking a knee during the U.S. national anthem to protest racial injustice.
To try to head off protests before Veterans Day, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell personally met with leaders of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW) in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 30.
It was a smart move that paid off.
Both veterans groups left it up to individual members and posts to decide whether they wanted to protest the NFL on Veterans Day weekend. While some individual posts boycotted games that weekend, there was no mass uprising by national veterans groups.
