About the anthem protest stuff - What if...

[Manster7588]

Again, I didn't say anyone "had" to skip through the pregame material. If you or anyone wants to spend their time watching it, that's your decision. But at the end of the day, letting the anthem kneeling rustle your feathers isn't going to change them doing it. My whole point is that clearly, 2 years of this going on has proven that giving attention to it by demanding they stop/the NFL making rules against it has clearly only made it worse.

I've posted on this board multiple times about how the whole protest thing annoys me. I've said that I wish it would just stop so I can quit seeing politics inserted into sports that I, and many others, just wish to watch as a brief escape from things in life. All I'm saying now is that clearly, complaining about it has accomplished absolutely nothing. So why keep smacking our heads against the same wall? Why not take away their power to let it annoy us by not letting them rustle us over it? In situations like these, people only have as much power to bother you as you allow them too. They will get bored and move on if people quit playing along by getting mad about it.

Maybe I misunderstood this "What if... instead of allowing it to bother them so much, the people watching the games at home on TV just skipped the pregame rituals and didn't turn the games on until right around actual kickoff/game starting times?"

For me the protests dont really bother me. As I've said before, I think during the anthem is the wrong time to protest, and the NFL should have 100% control over what goes on during the broadcasts, since they OWN that airtime.

At this point the NFL has three basic options.

1. Tell the fans, they will allow the protests. If fans choose to walk away so be it.

2. Tell the protesters no more protests or they are suspended.

3. End the pregame Anthem.

The NFL has shown ZERO backbone in this. They are bowing to all sides. Make a fucking decision and run with it.

 

[Thruthefog]

A sniper that takes out all kneelers would be better.

Oh you don't like getting millions to play a game in a wonderful country? How about some fresh death for you instead.

These pathetic thugs only understand thugging.

This.

When people start getting killed for doing something, they stop doing it. Works every time.

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

I was really amazed that people got so rustled over this thread. All I was doing is suggesting people lighten up about it a bit. I just don't get why people are still letting it get them so emotional. Can't let other people control your feelings and rile you up so easily.

 

[rmilia1]

I'll start by saying that I absolutely understand why people wouldn't like the anthem protest stuff going on in the NFL. That being said, without delving too deep into the politics of it all, for people who are either upset by it or simply don't want to see it...

What if... instead of allowing it to bother them so much, the people watching the games at home on TV just skipped the pregame rituals and didn't turn the games on until right around actual kickoff/game starting times? As for people watching live, what if they just chose to ignore and disregard what they disliked about it, rather than allowing it to get to them so badly? I've been skipping the pregame ceremony stuff in sports for years when watching from home, simply because I'm only interested in the actual games themselves.

Nothing would spike a change faster than simply disregarding it all. People aren't going to keep up with an attention-seeking behavior (whether or not the motives are legitimate/good aside) for very long if people simply choose to not get outraged by it. In the end, the whole kneeling at the anthem thing isn't actually hurting people. So if it is that bothersome, take the power of it away by disregarding it, whether that means skipping pregame ceremonies on TV, or simply choosing not to acknowledge it when you do see it. That would cause the players to move on from it way faster than the league attempting to impose rules/people getting outraged over it ever will. When it comes down to it, nothing is forcing anyone to care about the player protests one way or the other if they don't want to.


Happy 2018 football season to all. Let's all learn to just get along and enjoy some football.

Or what if all the people watching live who it bothers so much decided they weren't going to get a beer before kickoff, go to the bathroom because the lines are shorter, quit taking pics on their gif damn phone or even bothered to take their hats off while the anthem they love so much was playing??

 

[Manster7588]

I was really amazed that people got so rustled over this thread. All I was doing is suggesting people lighten up about it a bit. I just don't get why people are still letting it get them so emotional. Can't let other people control your feelings and rile you up so easily.

If I read wrong so be it, but it sounded as though you were saying those who oppose the protest just need to STFU.
Sorry but you cant give one side the right to free speech and tell the other side to pipe down.

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

If I read wrong so be it, but it sounded as though you were saying those who oppose the protest just need to STFU.
Sorry but you cant give one side the right to free speech and tell the other side to pipe down.

That's not what I was saying at all. I said multiple times that I think the "protesting" is done in an ignorant and poorly thought out manner at best. I've always said that there are far better ways they could be going about it than they are, and they could actually focus more on commAll I'm saying is that the reality seems to be that the best way to make it stop is to quit giving them a platform by paying attention to it when they do it. We can show them how little respect we have for what they're doing by refusing to acknowledge it. Nothing would rustle them harder and make them move on from it faster than not getting validation for it, and negative attention is still validation in their eyes.

Sometimes you have to ignore a kid's constant whining when they're just being a brat and throwing a tantrum. They'll eventually wear themselves out.

 

[Manster7588]

That's not what I was saying at all. I said multiple times that I think the "protesting" is done in an ignorant and poorly thought out manner at best. I've always said that there are far better ways they could be going about it than they are, and they could actually focus more on commAll I'm saying is that the reality seems to be that the best way to make it stop is to quit giving them a platform by paying attention to it when they do it. We can show them how little respect we have for what they're doing by refusing to acknowledge it. Nothing would rustle them harder and make them move on from it faster than not getting validation for it, and negative attention is still validation in their eyes.

Sometimes you have to ignore a kid's constant whining when they're just being a brat and throwing a tantrum. They'll eventually wear themselves out.

No argument. The more reaction they could give them reason to carry on.
I have no issue calling attention to a problem, I have issue using NFL time to do so.

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

No argument. The more reaction they could give them reason to carry on.
I have no issue calling attention to a problem, I have issue using NFL time to do so.

Alright. Whatever.

 

[SDPaddlefish]

I'll start by saying that I absolutely understand why people wouldn't like the anthem protest stuff going on in the NFL. That being said, without delving too deep into the politics of it all, for people who are either upset by it or simply don't want to see it...

What if... instead of allowing it to bother them so much, the people watching the games at home on TV just skipped the pregame rituals and didn't turn the games on until right around actual kickoff/game starting times? As for people watching live, what if they just chose to ignore and disregard what they disliked about it, rather than allowing it to get to them so badly? I've been skipping the pregame ceremony stuff in sports for years when watching from home, simply because I'm only interested in the actual games themselves.

Nothing would spike a change faster than simply disregarding it all. People aren't going to keep up with an attention-seeking behavior (whether or not the motives are legitimate/good aside) for very long if people simply choose to not get outraged by it. In the end, the whole kneeling at the anthem thing isn't actually hurting people. So if it is that bothersome, take the power of it away by disregarding it, whether that means skipping pregame ceremonies on TV, or simply choosing not to acknowledge it when you do see it. That would cause the players to move on from it way faster than the league attempting to impose rules/people getting outraged over it ever will. When it comes down to it, nothing is forcing anyone to care about the player protests one way or the other if they don't want to.


Happy 2018 football season to all. Let's all learn to just get along and enjoy some football.

Good post. The problem is all of the attention that the liberal ESPN gives to this stupidity, which is one of the reasons ESPN is going downhill so fast. Bring on the football!!!

 

[RobToxin]

About the anthem protest.

I am so far past giving a shit. I think PaddleFish is right. The media has blown this shit up for ratings and the more it stirs people up, the more the media will harp on it.

Because in the media business, controversy creates cash.

There are things in this world that, yes, if you ignore it, it will go away.

This is one of them.

 

[GhostOfPoverty]

About the anthem protest.

I am so far past giving a shit. I think PaddleFish is right. The media has blown this shit up for ratings and the more it stirs people up, the more the media will harp on it.

Because in the media business, controversy creates cash.

There are things in this world that, yes, if you ignore it, it will go away.

This is one of them.

You're right.

But @broncosmitty called it in the first response in the thread, people like being angry way too much to think like that. The overwhelming majority of the responses ITT were very emotion-based against my proposal to be more lighthearted about the topic. They just can't comprehend that they're giving the "anthem protesting" athletes all the power by getting so upset about it, thus driving up media attention for the drama it creates. They could easily remove their platform by quitting caring so much, but instead they'd rather keep beating their heads against a brick wall.

 

[NEhomer]

If the protests piss you off that badly, try lifting your knuckles up off the ground.

Good point OP but it's wasted on these clowns.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'll start by saying that I absolutely understand why people wouldn't like the anthem protest stuff going on in the NFL. That being said, without delving too deep into the politics of it all, for people who are either upset by it or simply don't want to see it...

What if... instead of allowing it to bother them so much, the people watching the games at home on TV just skipped the pregame rituals and didn't turn the games on until right around actual kickoff/game starting times? As for people watching live, what if they just chose to ignore and disregard what they disliked about it, rather than allowing it to get to them so badly? I've been skipping the pregame ceremony stuff in sports for years when watching from home, simply because I'm only interested in the actual games themselves.

Nothing would spike a change faster than simply disregarding it all. People aren't going to keep up with an attention-seeking behavior (whether or not the motives are legitimate/good aside) for very long if people simply choose to not get outraged by it. In the end, the whole kneeling at the anthem thing isn't actually hurting people. So if it is that bothersome, take the power of it away by disregarding it, whether that means skipping pregame ceremonies on TV, or simply choosing not to acknowledge it when you do see it. That would cause the players to move on from it way faster than the league attempting to impose rules/people getting outraged over it ever will. When it comes down to it, nothing is forcing anyone to care about the player protests one way or the other if they don't want to.


Happy 2018 football season to all. Let's all learn to just get along and enjoy some football.

Agree with a lot of this...fwiw...the anthem, pregame chatter, etc. I rarely watch...when toe meets leather is normally when I'm watching...My interest in it is more along the lines the aftermath.

 

[PhillyGreen]

Even before all this anthem stuff was happening I did not start watching until kickoff. I never gave a shit about pre-game stuff and I still don't. As a veteran it bothers me that people kneel for the anthem. I recognize the right to do so and understand that I served so people have the freedom to do these things. So I get over it.

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

As the ratings last year proved, a s**t ton of people are skipping the games entirely; not just the pregame.

The SB had Tom Brady & another Eastern-Time-Zone team, and it still had the fewest viewers in 9 years:

Eagles’ 1st Super Bowl Win Draws 103.4M Viewers, Smallest Audience In Nine Years – Update

When players were standing, people were watching. When players started attention-whoring, people tuned out.

NFL revenue went up!

 

[PhillyGreen]

As the ratings last year proved, a s**t ton of people are skipping the games entirely; not just the pregame.

The SB had Tom Brady & another Eastern-Time-Zone team, and it still had the fewest viewers in 9 years:

Eagles’ 1st Super Bowl Win Draws 103.4M Viewers, Smallest Audience In Nine Years – Update

When players were standing, people were watching. When players started attention-whoring, people tuned out.

I doubt the ratings drop had anything to do with the protests. Neither team in the Superbowl had players that took a knee during the season. Both teams had insane rating numbers in their particular areas.

To be honest the drop in ratings was simply business. The SB ratings has been breaking records or close to it for a while. Eventually the market was going to tap out and you were going to see a decline. There is no way you can truly expect the ratings to break records every single year. That is just not sustainable and the SB ratins history proves that.

Super Bowl television ratings - Wikipedia

When you look at the history you see how there will be sharp increases and the it will settle down and increase again. It is a repetitive cycle. The NFL does not make it's money off of how many people watch the games. They make their money from TV deals with networks and advertising during the games. They make insane money with SB advertising. The ony way the NFL is going to really lose money is if advertising drop and companies pulled out and that frankly is not going to happen. Superbowl 52 may have had a rating drop but it was still #10 in Single programing watched all time. No business is going to pull out because 9 million less people watched a program. Especially since 103 million still saw their ad.

NFL ratings my be dropping but that does not mean the ratings are still not high. In fact last seasons prime time games had 37 of the top 50 rated T.V. programs watched last season. So the NFL accounted for 75% of the highest rated programs last year.

The boycotting is not hurting the bottom line.