STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Outraged by players kneeling in protest during the "Star Spangled Banner," Joseph O'Toole Jr. is sacking all National Football League broadcasts at Joyce's Tavern for all games effective immediately.

The Eltingville proprietor will carry on his family's business of serving beer, burgers and corned beef sandwiches -- just with no spotlight on what he sees as the NFL commissioner and players using the game as a political platform.

"No viewers. No fans. No sponsors. No money. That's what it boils down to," says O'Toole. By showing "disrespect" to the flag and anthem, he maintains that NFL owners and players "forget what privileges they have as far as being an American."

Joyce's Tavern is the first, and only business thus far, on Staten Island to go dark for the remainder of the season, but O'Toole refuses to feed the football machine as it currently operates. Hopefully major changes will happen with the league.

"They can still enjoy the freedom to throw a ball around and make millions of dollars," says O'Toole.

"When a player wore cleats with a 9/11 memorial dedication he was threatened with a fine if he wore those cleats," O'Toole adds, referring to an NFL rep's words to Tennessee Titans linebacker Avery Williamson in September, 2016.

"But the NFL doesn't fine players who take a knee and disrespect the flag. It's so out of hand. It's just a huge problem that should have been handled years ago," he says. "When you try to support your country and try to be patriotic, you're penalized,"

O'Toole is proud of his patriotism, but says he shakes hands sincerely with everyone and welcomes people of any creed.

'A SLIGHT DROP OFF IN BAR ATTENDANCE'

"I can tell you that the majority of my patrons are unhappy about what's going on in the NFL," says Carmine Gualtieri of Play Sports Bar in Annadale. "And I can sense a slight drop off in bar attendance since this started."

Still, the games must go on Sunday, Oct. 1, when Gualtieri will be giving out American flags. He said he also plans to hire a local musician to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" that afternoon.

Sean Kilcullen, co-owner of Bungalow 18 in Great Kills, expresses the opinions of several other restaurant and tavern owners around the Island interviewed for this article.

"We feel there are ways of protesting without being disrespectful," Kilcullen says. "I don't mind the locked arms," but as long as he sees players kneeling during the anthem, he plans to shut down the NFL broadcasts on Veteran's Day. Instead, he'll host a fundraiser for veteran's groups.

As is tradition, says Kilcullen, Bungalow 18 celebrates the national anthem each Sunday before bar service. That will always continue.

"Every Sunday when we play bingo, we have someone come in and sing, or someone come in with bagpipes, or we play the Whitney Houston version," says Kilcullen. "My father is a Vietnam vet. I love this country. If I'm home and the anthem comes on, I stand up...and I make sure everyone has their hats off when it's on."

Kilcullen also expresses a sentiment to which three other restaurateurs would not attach their businesses: "Back in the day, you couldn't talk politics and religion in the bar. And now, they're adding sports to that ... I want this country to be what it's meant to be, what the flag represents -- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- but we have to do it together."

THE BUSINESS OF FLAT SCREENS

Ross Branca of Rookie's in Rossvile says, "When that flag is flying high in the sky and the anthem is playing, you are to respect the men and women who have died and are willing to die so that you have the right to exercise your First Amendment right; your right to play a game and earn millions doing it."

Still, the bottom line at Branca's bar: Losing "one of the most popular sports in the world" on flat screens would put too big of a dent in business.

That's part of the problem, says Ken Tirado of Killmeyer's Old Bavaria Inn. "Now that every dive bar can afford to plaster their walls with flat screen televisions, everyone's a 'sports bar' -- I pass."

The Charleston saloon keeper switches gears on the matter: "I do have a donation box set up so people with more serious concerns can drop off donated toys for the children impacted by the hurricanes."

Greg Fosdal of newly opened DaddyO's in Tompkinsville says he "can't afford to boycott anything. I'm trying to build up Sundays for football."

Regardless of how he feels personally about the situation, Fosdal says he must stay neutral as a business owner: "At the end of the day -- Trump and the NFL don't really care if I'm in business or not."