Football is back and regardless of who they're cheering for NFL fans packed bars Thursday night like Timothy O'Toole's in Streeterville.
But it was as quiet as a tennis match at the Bureau Bar in the South Loop.
Owner Kenny Johnson says he's sticking with his stance of not showing NFL games in his two bars. He's taking a stand to support Colin Kapernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest injustice.
"I knew it was a risk on the business side of things," he said. "He shouldn't be blackballed for standing up for something he believes in."
"It's not that we don't love America," he added. "My father was a captain in the United States Navy for 30 years."
Football fans at his bar support his decision.
"Bears are my favorite team," said fan and patron Robert Charles. "But there are more important matters."
Despite hate messages and phone calls -- Johnson says he's not changing his mind.
"We're prepared for the long haul," he said. "You know it's not really about the money for us, it's about the stance and what we believe in."
