I think even more than a political statement, it's doubling down on a self imposed narrative of being an oppressed group and all that goes with it. God forbid they ever get that massive boulder off of their shoulders and stop blaming others for any shortcomings they may have.
Take away the 3 points given to the home team. On a neutral field Iowa is at least a 10 point favorite. The line will settle from -6.5 to -7.5. I like it a lot under -7, over -7 and on the road against a rival, not so much.
While moving on in life is a viable and logical option, if everyone let's say below the top 4 left the sport simply because making a team would be an outside shot, it would leave a pretty sparse field.
Pretty good chance of that - since he may very well have to cut weight for 4-5 years after this one, taking a break from it may be good for the body and soul.
The problem is that many of the owners in this league are activists themselves. And when your job is to support the owners, you do what they say or you get the pink slip.