More players taking a knee in the preseason

[PolarVortex]

You do what you want but I will not attend another NFL game until the NFL cleans up its act.

When you boycott the NFL, you play right into the hands of the kneeling players. They want a reaction or they wouldn't be doing what they are doing. The most effective way to neutralize their protest is to ignore them completely.

 

[JohnShadows]

NFL's tangled ties with national anthem don't run deep

As ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and others have pointed out, NFL players have only been on the field for the anthem on a regular basis since 2009. At the time, sports leagues were paid millions of dollars by the U.S. Department of Defense to honor members of the military during the playing of "The Star-Spangled banner" without informing the public that they were watching a paid promotion.

A report released in 2015 by Arizona Republican Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake found that the Pentagon spent $6.8 million on sports marketing contracts with the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer on what the senators dubbed "paid patriotism." The practice was subsequently banned by the Pentagon.

(a) What a waste of taxpayer $, pissing it away on something like this.
(b) Unintended consequences are a bitch. They shouldn't have ever started this "tradition", and should just keep the players in the locker room now. Trump's going to troll them either way.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Yelling racism and name calling is all you got, because without them you can’t make a argument that what the players have done

Brandon Marshall, Malcolm Jenkins, et al make this a silly argument. They've been actively talking about and putting money into this issue. This argument is so common though that they've begun wearing "You aren't listening" as a response.

Certainly hasn’t help the so call issue they are supposedly trying to address

Institutional problems like that would require the government to get involved. Doesn't invalidate individual expenditures if they so choose.

It’s turned into a power struggle between the employees and their employers.

One the NFL created by its own doing.

It’s a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

On the owner's part, yes.

yet other then hurting the industry that has thrived and has benefited both employers and employees, nothing tangible has been accomplished or will be.

NFL just got another big TV contract with Thursday Night Football. Ratings did fine relative to losses across the medium of TV to newer methods such as streaming and what not. The NFL has record profits. There are no obvious signs at all of attendance issues being related to the anthem outside of well... message boards and twitter.

It's just as funny when people say they protest the NFL because of Kaepernick's blackballing, but that's another matter. The NFL isn't really being hurt by this by much of a substantive measure all things considered. Owners may feel threatened by it, it does not mean they are correct.

Eventually the media will tired of This and will move on to stirring the shit elsewhere and the players will reflect back and understand that they choose the wrong battle to fight.

Not so long as Trump keeps tweeting about it... Thereby keeping it in the newscycle.

 

[The Oldtimer]

The NFL needs to set the rule one way or another. Either way the protest are allowed or there not.

Go back to pre 2009 and have the players stay in their locker rooms until the NA is played.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Brandon Marshall, Malcolm Jenkins, et al make this a silly argument. They've been actively talking about and putting money into this issue. This argument is so common though that they've begun wearing "You aren't listening" as a response.

Actually players donating money and running their mouth hasn't help their so called cause. The newly rich and famous ( regardless of race) just love to have that PR that makes them look like they actually give a shit, instead of fat cats living the good life. A case of trying to convince themselves and the public they are the same fellow they were when they were nobodies and poor. in the mean time pay no mind to their fancy houses, cars and vacations.

Institutional problems like that would require the government to get involved. Doesn't invalidate individual expenditures if they so choose.

Doubt the government could fix human nature.

One the NFL created by its own doing.

Geez that's a good one. The players and folks like you make it about race and the owners are suppose to" prove" they're not racist by eating shit, smiling and nodding their heads in agreement. Yelling racist has been a tried and true tactic, that demands that the other side prove they aren't racist by agreeing with you.

On the owner's part, yes.

Don't kid yourself, profits go down it will affect everyone. There is nothing to be gained by either side on this issue of criminal justice. Nothing will actually get accomplished except tarnishing the NFL and possibly effecting the bottom line and not to the good.

NFL just got another big TV contract with Thursday Night Football. Ratings did fine relative to losses across the medium of TV to newer methods such as streaming and what not. The NFL has record profits. There are no obvious signs at all of attendance issues being related to the anthem outside of well... message boards and twitter.

It's a PR black eye that will have a effect that can't be measured. New advertisers deciding not to advertise during NFL games for example, so not to be connected with the mess. Common sense should tell you that this isn't good for the industry.

Not so long as Trump keeps tweeting about it... Thereby keeping it in the newscycle.

Think he's done with milking this for PR.

 

[Center Ice]

Not so long as Trump keeps tweeting about it... Thereby keeping it in the newscycle.

Trump loves to trigger brittle bitches. They fall all over it every time.

Anyway, it's not like it's an important sport like hockey!

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

It amazes me that the broadcast stations continue to show/announce who is kneeling. Don't they realize they are only hurting their own viewership by reporting on it?

 

[Psych-Ward]

Ignore it, it'll go away......

Just like the insignificant players doing it.

 

[Dude]

IMHO, this entire issue is blown out of proportion. Beyond the patriotism angle and all that, the bottom line is that players that participate in this demonstration are doing so on their employers time and coin. I believe that is not acceptable. It has been said that there are many ways to do such things, so, dear kneeling players do it in your own time and space.

 

[Manster7588]

Go back to pre 2009 and have the players stay in their locker rooms until the NA is played.

That would work too.
In fact it may just be the easy way out for the NFL.

 

[GNG]

How many "black power" signs during the anthem?

Too many.

 

[GNG]

That would work too.
In fact it may just be the easy way out for the NFL.

It may be the easy way out but is not a good solution.

 

[Manster7588]

It may be the easy way out but is not a good solution.

I'll disagree. It ends the anthem protests and fans on both sides of the argument can move on.

 

[Dude]

That would work too.
In fact it may just be the easy way out for the NFL.

Agree, best to ignore it. The NFL is not proper platform for activism. We want good football games, not soap box chit.

 

[MTVike]

Agree, best to ignore it. The NFL is not proper platform for activism. We want good football games, not soap box chit.

I agree with their right to protest, but not on the job.

Don't show it.

 

[Dude]

I agree with their right to protest, but not on the job.

Don't show it.

Agree, that IMHO is the bottom line.

 

[michaeljordan_fan]

I agree with their right to protest, but not on the job.

Don't show it.

That is up to the employer, not the public. When you have a workforce that is highly skilled and not easily replaceable, it's not as simple as saying if you do this you're gone. Also as others have noted, the pressure put forth by those boycotting the NFL is matched by those who were upset over the league wanting to mandate standing "or else".

 

[AlaskaGuy]

 

[NWPATSFAN]

So...you “respect” it only when others are there to see you.

So that's what you took from what I wrote

There in lies one of the problems in America these days.

 

[williewilliejuan]

So that's what you took from what I wrote

There in lies one of the problems in America these days.

Exactly. Not enough people share my honesty.