The only way that this should have been handled would have been for the networks to black out these people and not give them the publicity and the exposure they want. Now it's too late because it has spread to the high schools. The NFL is too chickenshit to fine the players because the NFL is politically correct. So it was up to the networks.
The networks don't show the national anthem during NFL games, they always go to commercial breaks when the anthem is being played and everybody is standing in the stadiums because the networks use the time to make money instead. If the networks wouldn't give these people exposure, they would have quickly dissipated.
But it's too late so the media is at fault after the league.