Vice President Mike Pence made headlines on Sunday by leaving the San Francisco 49ers/Indianapolis Colts game early because of perceived disrespect of the National Anthem, which has been a political football over the past few weeks.

Soon after Pence’s departure, he took to social media to voice his displeasure:

However, Pence’s stand has a litany of flaws but one glaring issue in particular. The San Francisco 49ers (and Colin Kaepernick, in particular) were the first team to participate in kneeling/sitting during the anthem dating back to the 2016 preseason.

Why did Pence think he was going to get a different result?

According to Donald Trump’s Twitter account, he suggested to Pence that he leave if anyone doesn’t stand for the anthem.

Sadly, this grandstanding and “look-at-me” show of behavior by Pence and to a lesser degree, Trump, illustrate one simple thing. We have two guys in the White House, who are simply better off sticking to politics than trying to flex their muscle over the National Football League.

Pence, who apparently posted a three-year-old photo today of he and his wife at a Colts game on Twitter (complete with filter to try to throw off people) to celebrate today’s occasion, has been off the grid publicly in regards to the anthem controversy.

After today’s mess, he probably was better off staying out of Indianapolis and not disrespecting Peyton Manning’s retirement ceremony.

Just to be clear, I don’t believe kneeling or sitting for the anthem in relationship to actual cause. There are many ways to show concern over racial injustice and inequality that could have a more meaningful impact.

However, those players have the right to express themselves and how they feel until someone tells them otherwise.

As weird as this sounds, the person that should tell them how to handle it should be their respective team owner or NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Donald Trump and Mike Pence are extremely unqualified to discuss football matters, which is saying something considering Trump’s football ties since the 80s.

They haven’t addressed the actual reason why players are protesting and seem far more interested in using this situation as a way to galvanize their base.

This administration continues to use their office as a popularity contest rather than as an office to do something resembling good for this country.

Using a Colts game as a way to flex some sort of flabby, atrophied political muscle is incredibly daft.

Regardless of how you feel about the anthem situation, we deserve better. Plain and simple.

Leave the football issues (which ultimately this is) to the football people. Do you see me talking about health care, North Korea, and birth control?

HELL NO.

I don’t know much about it.

Basically, that is what is happening here. Pence and Trump have attempted to co-opt this situation for political gain.

If this were an election year, MAYBE I’d understand.

However, my brain is a far, far, far, far, galaxy away from understanding why this took place today.

Ultimately, players and some fans don’t have any interest in listening to Trump and Pence’s opinion on NFL-related matters.

Yes, fans are boycotting the league. Let them do it.

I love football. I don’t need a cock-eyed administration telling me that I should not.

On a related note, I have often been cross against Peyton Manning on this blog. He didn’t deserve to have his day upstaged to a degree by this nonsense.

He is one of the greatest players in NFL history and deserves to be treated as such.

Our Vice President should offer some sort of an apology to him and to the Colts, who went out of their way to accommodate Pence and his wife.

By the way, get better at social media. Don’t post a three-year old photo in an attempt to trick people. You should be better than that.