MIDDLE NEWS.
STUART: I'M AN OPINION SHOW.
WE'VE BEEN REWARDED WITH GREAT
RATINGS.
HOWARD KURTZ, THANKS FOR JOINING
US.
SEE YOU REAL SOON.
>>> DID YOU KNOW THE NFL OWNERS
ARE GATHERING FOR THE ANNUAL
MEETING?
DID YOU KNOW THEY'RE QUITE
BITTERLY DIVIDED ON THE KNEELING
PROTESTS.
JASON WHITLOCK IS WITH US,
FOX SPORTS 1, "SPEAK FOR
YOURSELF" HOST.
WHAT IS THE DIVISION?
I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE OWNERS
WANT TO BRING FOOTBALL BACK TO
MAINSTREAM, MAKE IT POPULAR
AGAIN, GET THE RATINGS UP.
WHAT IS THE TWO SIDES HERE?
WHERE IS THE DIVISION?
>> THE DIVISION, VARNEY, THERE
ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE
OFFENDED BY THE KNEELING, AND I
THINK THAT IS PROBABLY THE
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF
OWNERSHIP, BUT THEY COUNTER
THAT, IF YOU PASS A RULE AT THIS
POINT, MEDIA IS SO RIGGED THAT
THE BAD PUBLICITY FROM PASSING A
RULE DEMANDING THAT THE PLAYERS
STAND FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
COULD BE OVERWHELMING AND SO
THEY'RE TRYING TO STRIKE A
BALANCE WHERE THE PLAYERS
ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT IS IN
THEIR BEST BUSINESS INTERESTS TO
STAND, AND BEST BUSINESS
INTERESTS OF THE PLAYERS OF THE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TO
STAND.
THEY'RE TRYING TO HAVE A
COMPROMISE DECISION RATHER THAN
HAVING TO COME DOWN WITH A STEEL
FIST AND DEMAND THAT THE PLAYERS
STAND.
STUART: I DON'T SEE THE
COMPROMISE.
YOU EITHER STAND OR YOU DON'T.
>> VARNEY I TEND TO AGREE WITH
YOU BUT IF I WERE RUNNING A
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAM
AND WAS THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
NFL I WOULD BE LOOKING PROBABLY
FOR A COMPROMISE POSITION
BECAUSE AGAIN THESE PLAYERS ARE
SO YOUNG AND SO CONTROLLED BY
SOCIAL MEDIA THAT IF YOU PASS A
RULE THAT THEY HAVE TO STAND IT
IS GOING TO PROVOKE MORE OF THEM
TO KNEEL.
THESE GUYS WANT TO PLEASE THEIR
TWITTER FOLLOWING, THEIR SOCIAL
MEDIA BRAND, THEY WANT A VIRTUE
SIGNAL AND PRETEND THEY'RE
TAKING A GREAT STAND FOR
EQUALITY.
THEY'RE KIND OF HOOKED ON THIS
AND OWNERS UNDERSTAND IT AND IF
YOU PASS A RULE YOU'RE GOING TO
MAKE THEIR ADDICTION TO THIS
TYPE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BRANDING
EVEN MORE ACUTE AND SO I JUST
THINK THE NFL IS TRYING TO WALK
A VERY FINE LINE.
STUART: BUT I THINK, WHITLOCK
AND VARNEY, ARE IN AGREEMENT ON
THIS AND THE AGREEMENT IS, YOU
STAND?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
STUART: THANK YOU.
OKAY.
TOOK US TWO MINUTES TO GET THERE
BUT I'M GLAD WE GOT THERE,
WHITLOCK.
NOW THE FINAL FOUR, NCAA, IT IS
ALL SET BUT WHY IS THIS LADY,
THIS IS SISTER JEAN THE NUN FROM
LOYOLA, WHY IS SHE GETTING SO
MUCH COVERAGE?
SHE IS WHAT, 98 YEARS OLD?
>> LOOK I THINK IT'S A CUTE
STORY AND IT IS A FEEL-GOOD
STORY, BUT I ALSO THINK IT
SPEAKS TO THERE IS SUCH A TALENT
DRAIN IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
BECAUSE THEY DON'T PRODUCE THE
HUGE STARS LIKE THEY USED WHEN
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR WOULD STAY
IN COLLEGE FOR FOUR YEARS, WHEN
BILL WALTON AND OTHER, PATRICK
EWING AND ALLEN IVERSON, MICHAEL
JORDAN, HAD THESE ILLUSTRIOUS
COLLEGE CAREERS YOU COULD BUILD
THE STORYLINES AROUND ACTUAL
SUPERSTAR PLAYERS.
NOW YOU HAVE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE
AND SISTER JEAN, 98 YEARS OLD,
HER INVOLVEMENT WITH THIS
BASKETBALL TEAM THAT CAME FROM
OUT OF NOWHERE.
LOYOLA IS THE ULTIMATE
CINDERELLA STORY, IT'S A CUTE
STORY, A STORY THAT WOULD
ATTRACT MY MOM, YOUR MOM, THE
CASUAL FAN, SO SISTER JEAN IS
KIND OF OUR REPLACEMENT FOR
MICHAEL JORDAN IN COLLEGE
BASKETBALL.
STUART: THAT IS A FOOD
EXPLANATION, WHITLOCK.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE BEING
MANIPULATED A LITTLE BIT, ISN'T
IT?
>> ARE YOU DISSING SISTER JEAN,
VARNEY?
SHE IS A SUPERSTAR, A MEGASTAR.
EVERYTHING THAT DICK VITALE
DREAMS ABOUT.
STUART: IN THAT CASE, WE'LL