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Goodell Succumbs to Protest Shakedown

So your contention is the ONLY place a black athlete can have his voice heard is by protesting the anthem?

not during their daily interviews, not on facebook, twitter, snapchat, instagram, and whatever other social media was invented while i typed this sentence. Nope. Only during the anthem can a black athlete be heard.

It’s a strawman argument that the disagreement with the protests is an attempt to silence anybody. Simply a statement that it’s an inappropriate time and place and audience. These athletes can say whatever they want on their own time.

I would contend that ONE place a black athlete can make a personal/nonviolent statement regarding injustice, racially offensive language, inequality, etc. is during the Anthem. I would also contest that while you may be PERSONALLY offended by that choice, your feelings are not entirely at issue here. I would also contend that your obvious ... discomfort with the choice of protests means that the protest has in some small part reached it's goal. I mean, who protests NOT to make folks uncomfortable?
 
I could explain that the players (mostly black) who knelt during the anthem only knelt because they were told by an honored war veteran that he felt that sitting was disrespectful to service members and kneeling was acceptable. But you already knew that.

I could explain that protesting the Anthem was done because the long version, not the abridged version we hear and sing, contains racially offensive wording. Maybe you knew that. Maybe you didn't. If you did, I doubt whether you have made the correlation between black athletes protesting racially offensive wording and kneeling while the Anthem is played.

The fact that some continue to overlook the stated basis of the protests and shape it in their own manner ... Eh, personally, I don't care about that because those folks would get upset about any type of protest. It makes them "uncomfortable" and they want it to stop. (snowflakes is the correct term, correct?).

Whenever folks protest anything, they have to realize that the likelihood that all their demands will be met is slim. I mean really, ending racial insensitivity in the U.S.? smh ... So, at some point they have to determine what is an acceptable outcome. In this case, money to groups fighting social injustice seems in line with the stated rationale behind the protests.


The kneeling was just putting a better look on sitting for the anthem. An attempt to have it both ways.

Star Spangled banner was written a long time ago when those phrases were not racial. Like back when gay simply meant happy. And only the abridged version was adopted as the anthem. Besides, i thought this protest had nothing to do with the anthem. I’m cofused. It does have to do with it now?

Stated basis of the protest? What was that exactly? There never was one. That’s an issue we still see here as some players are still going to protest because they don’t agree with others.

Over the life of the protest, the players have told us it was not about the anthem, not about the military, not about police. It’s about some non specific race issues.

These protests are not bringing any new awareness to anything. Whenever a cop shoots a black person, it is national news for weeks. It’s been that way for years. Was there really somebody in America who heard about or saw a player kneeling and at that moment they learned that the country has racial issues? I don’t see what these players kneeling for the anthem does to remedy anything or raise awareness.


Here’s my issue, lest anybody tries to put words in my mouth. They are at work. As a fan, they are on MY time. I disagree with any type of protest on gameday. Kneeling for the anthem also happens to personally piss me off, but that still doesn’t change that i don’t think it’s appropriate to bring protests to the game. It would be inappropriate for a player to be waving a Hillary or Trump flag during election season as well.

I hate it when a movie slips in a blatant political message. I hate it when a band tries to give a lecture between songs. These movie stars and musicians are free to say whatever they want off stage but when it’s showtime, i want the show and not your views on the planet.


As a fan of the league, it worries me that they caved in so easily, seemingly unwilling to take even the smallest criticism from media. The players had no leverage here. The protests are wildly unpopular. Fans mostly hate it, and only a small minority of players have actually protested. The league basically folded while holding all the cards.

i worry for the future of the game where they have already taken away practice just to get some good PR about concussions. Now they set the precedent that players can get things through protest. Makes me wonder how this once great game will look in 20 years.

to sum up,
say whatever you like on your own time. Raise money for whatever you want on your own. This is not a 1st amendment issue.

I find kneeling for the anthem offensive no matter how many times you tell me you don’t mean it that way.

i never felt these protests were effective or necessary since there was never a clear message, and the message they did seem to settle on (some sort of general racism i guess) is one that has been broadcast loudly in media over the past decade. Plus they directed their protests at the wrong people. Are NFL fans the problem?
 
For those who claim that race isn't an issue, I, for one, never noticed that it was only black athletes who were doing it. See, I don't see them as black athletes or white athletes or anything other than the entertainers they are.

I can guarantee that I if start political protests at work, I get fired. These guys have a CBA so, fired, isn't, really, an option. But, when the NFL can fine them for not following uniform rules, I'd think they have a method of getting their point across.

In the mean time, the NFL will pay the shakedown money and everything in the world will be solved.
 
If the owners had done something, the NFLPA would have stepped in. There is no statute that requires players to stand for the Anthem. It wasn’t collectively bargained in the last CBA agreement. NFL stated they only ENCOURAGED players to stand.


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Bullshit, they could have done something they are the boss and the players are the employee. Period. They were scared to because of all of the PC backlash they were expecting but the opposite happened. Now the league is bleeding money. This is a quick way to buy the players off period.
 
Bullshit, they could have done something they are the boss and the players are the employee. Period. They were scared to because of all of the PC bullshit backlash they were expecting but the opposite happened. Now the league is bleeding money. This is a quick way to buy the players off period.

SC you think it’s BS, because you are thinking the most common employee/employer template happens in the NFL. It doesn’t. The players have a union, the NFL is exempt from anti-trust laws. They have to agree to all terms related to each side.

This never would have been an issue 10 years ago. The only reason it is now is because of the Pentagon’s patriotism contract the NFL signed in 2008. At that time players were to be on the sideline during the Anthem. Before then players did not come out of the locker rooms until after the Anthem. The owners did not include any language in the CBA regarding requirements for players standing for the Anthem. Nor can I recall offhand if there HS been any protest of the Anthem until Kaepernick did it last year.

Since no requirement was included in the CBA, the owners can’t enforce it. Because they know they would lose in a lawsuit by the NFLPA as there is no agreement between the NFL and players on the matter itself. Poor foresight on the league in not looking ahead. But then again who would have thought protesting patriotism as being misconstrued.


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I assume they will take a cut from player salaries to fund it. Everyone wins!

The players are supposed to kick in $50 million according to Limbaugh today so it will probably not happen.
 
SC you think it’s BS, because you are thinking the most common employee/employer template happens in the NFL. It doesn’t. The players have a union, the NFL is exempt from anti-trust laws. They have to agree to all terms related to each side.

This never would have been an issue 10 years ago. The only reason it is now is because of the Pentagon’s patriotism contract the NFL signed in 2008. At that time players were to be on the sideline during the Anthem. Before then players did not come out of the locker rooms until after the Anthem. The owners did not include any language in the CBA regarding requirements for players standing for the Anthem. Nor can I recall offhand if there HS been any protest of the Anthem until Kaepernick did it last year.

Since no requirement was included in the CBA, the owners can’t enforce it. Because they know they would lose in a lawsuit by the NFLPA as there is no agreement between the NFL and players on the matter itself. Poor foresight on the league in not looking ahead. But then again who would have thought protesting patriotism as being misconstrued.


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They can fine them for the wrong color socks , don't give me that union bullshit. The owners can do what they want. They are a employee. Period. Like Jerry said you protest you don't play. No Cowboys have done it during the anthem since.
 
I would contend that ONE place a black athlete can make a personal/nonviolent statement regarding injustice, racially offensive language, inequality, etc. is during the Anthem. I would also contest that while you may be PERSONALLY offended by that choice, your feelings are not entirely at issue here. I would also contend that your obvious ... discomfort with the choice of protests means that the protest has in some small part reached it's goal. I mean, who protests NOT to make folks uncomfortable?

The goal was to make people uncomfortable?

I would think the goal was to make people aware of an issue, then win them over to your side so they help in solving the issue. Like MLK’s protests leading up to the Civil Rights Act.

inthis case, i was already aware that many black people don’t like cops and think they are treated unfairly. I am not a cop so i’m not doing that. Laws already exist that prevent discrimination. Do some cops go over the line? Sure, but it’s a very small minority and should be dealth with case by case.

If anything, these protests have cemented my views that they are wrong on their basic assumptions. I did read a bunch on these issues and the stats simply don’t back up the rhetoric of armies of cops looking to discriminate. If anything, they show the opposite. Whites are more likely to be shot by a cop. The % of interactions with cops that end in shooting are really low.

The next time a black person is killed by a cop, these players, or anybody, has every right to demand an investigation and be vocal. That’s good. Years ago, incidents ;like that were covered up, but now there is far more scrutiny which is good so long as the inquiry is fair. So go protest at the courthouse to make sure nothing gets swept under the rug. That’s an appropriate time, place, and audience. A football game just isn’t.
 
I'm comfortable knowing that only a pittance of that political " social justice" scam money is going to be out of my pocket. I ain't buyin it untill the athletes dig into their own pockets for this 'so called' injustice.

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They can fine them for the wrong color socks , don't give me that union bullshit. The owners can do what they want. They are a employee. Period. Like Jerry said you protest you don't play. No Cowboys have done it during the anthem since.

Listen SC you and I have the same values in reference to what the real world practices are regarding employer/employee structure. These guys as a matter of principle needs to use a platform on their own friggin time to address the issue they feel awareness is needed.

We just have to agree to disagree on what the NFL can/cannot do without repercussions under Labor laws. The uniform fines, fines for team infractions, penalties etc, were collectively bargained. The agreement that the players role during the anthem wasn’t. Hence the standoff, UNTIL the next CBA negotiation.

As for Jerry....please. He talks out both sides. Saying no one can kneel during the anthem, but kneeling with the whole friggin team 5 minutes before the anthem itself.




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Too many false agendas to get behind their protest of the National Anthem. I do not accept their choice of platform. Everyone has choices.

Too many false agendas heightened by the media.

Don't you wonder why it is always only one race that has to point to skin color?

Never mind that the idea behind it is false. Very few cops kill whites or blacks. And even fewer are killed by a over aggressive cop. It is usually the over aggressive criminal. White or black.

I get sick about skin color topics anymore, as they are all agenda driven. And often racially motivated.

There is no white alive responsible for slavery anymore than any blacks and whites are responsible for wiping out a whole Indian Nation. And throwing them ****** land and saying live on that. Slaughtering them, was the height of wrong.

Even on this board you seemingly have black posters quick to support media driven crap that again is simply false. Or take tougher stances for players of their own color.

My skin my skin I am black you are white. Black TV, black pageants, many agendas that point to skin color.


Just all of it is ******* ridiculous.

But by all means allow yinzselfs to be sheep , and buy into theses color agendas.

Do you wake up and say I am a white male, or a black male?

I don't. It is a ignorant mindset. When color is one of your life agendas.What you focus on.

Let the focus be on God, family, & country. And you would be amazed how your agendas change.

Wake up and try being a good man. OR woman. Don't feed into bullshit thrown on your plate.

My SGT. never buys into any of this crap and neither does my brother. I never even hear them bring up race topics.

I know there is enough ****** up people of all skin colors.

If you think otherwise, Continue being ignorant sheep.
 
Too many false agendas to get behind their protest of the National Anthem. I do not accept their choice of platform. Everyone has choices.

You are not alone Steelin

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...ts-plague-redskins-vs-cowboys-kickoff-photos/

In fact, I am embarrassed to say I still watch the Stillers at my favorite club ( military, naturally ),.... the negativity toward the NFL is so bad. They won't even let an NFL game be shown on the TV and hardly anybody wears a jersey in public in this Podunk town.
 
So your contention is the ONLY place a black athlete can have his voice heard is by protesting the anthem?

not during their daily interviews, not on facebook, twitter, snapchat, instagram, and whatever other social media was invented while i typed this sentence. Nope. Only during the anthem can a black athlete be heard.

It’s a strawman argument that the disagreement with the protests is an attempt to silence anybody. Simply a statement that it’s an inappropriate time and place and audience. These athletes can say whatever they want on their own time.

I don't have to set where the protests happen. The fact that they used the anthem, was very impactful to getting their concerns heard. If people are talking about it and spun up about it, then it wasn't a sham, it was a successful protest.

They aren't doing anything illegal, or anything that could even get them fired or suspended. Yet a lot of people incorrectly make this protest about something else to avoid a valid concern in our black communities.

It was simple and the athletes have enacted change and raised money for their cause. I assume with the payout that the protests will be over.
 
So you have a big protest....to garner the most publicity you possibly can....you get the pointed attention of POTUS .... For literally weeks.....Success!

Regardless of costs, the protest was wildly successful. I just have one question. Can anyone simply enunciate what the cause of the protest was? And how that cause has been advanced?
Thanks in advance.


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I don't have to set where the protests happen. The fact that they used the anthem, was very impactful to getting their concerns heard. .

That's it? The impact of these stupid protests extends only to being heard and nothing beyond that?

Oh it was very impactful. It pissed off millions. It added to the already declining fan interest in the NFL, and it created another yet another issue that further divides America as if we don't have enough of those.

All this over a big fat lie.
 
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Too many false agendas heightened by the media.

Don't you wonder why it is always only one race that has to point to skin color?

Never mind that the idea behind it is false. Very few cops kill whites or blacks. And even fewer are killed by a over aggressive cop. It is usually the over aggressive criminal. White or black.

I get sick about skin color topics anymore, as they are all agenda driven. And often racially motivated.

There is no white alive responsible for slavery anymore than any blacks and whites are responsible for wiping out a whole Indian Nation. And throwing them ****** land and saying live on that. Slaughtering them, was the height of wrong.

Even on this board you seemingly have black posters quick to support media driven crap that again is simply false. Or take tougher stances for players of their own color.

My skin my skin I am black you are white. Black TV, black pageants, many agendas that point to skin color.


Just all of it is ******* ridiculous.

But by all means allow yinzselfs to be sheep , and buy into theses color agendas.

Do you wake up and say I am a white male, or a black male?

I don't. It is a ignorant mindset. When color is one of your life agendas.What you focus on.

Let the focus be on God, family, & country. And you would be amazed how your agendas change.

Wake up and try being a good man. OR woman. Don't feed into bullshit thrown on your plate.

My SGT. never buys into any of this crap and neither does my brother. I never even hear them bring up race topics.

I know there is enough ****** up people of all skin colors.

If you think otherwise, Continue being ignorant sheep.

Shaq and Barkley had enlightening responses to the whole issue......start putting action to your purpose....

"O’Neal said he would stand for the anthem.

“When you do it at a moment during the National Anthem — and I know people say it’s not about the flag — but when you do it in that moment, there’s a large majority of people that say you are disrespecting the flag and they won’t even listen to your conversation,” O’Neal said.

“When you give people a choice to listen or not to listen, they’re always going to go to the excuses,” he added.

The 15-time NBA All-Star, whose stepfather was an Army sergeant, stressed that when someone kneels during the anthem, people will immediately tune out because, “if you disrespect the flag, I’m not gonna listen to you.”

All of the analysts said the only way to go about protesting is in a peaceful and respectful way.

O’Neal said he would “try to do it much bigger” by holding large press conferences, like past icons of social activism.

“When I always look at the photos of Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, they held a press conference and they made their case known. I would do it like that,” O’Neal said. “Because when you do it like, respectfully, people have no choice but to listen.”

http://www.nationalinsiderpolitics....rkley-protesting-anthem-nothing-fix-problems/

Barkely said bluntly (as there is no other way Charles can say it)....

“I’m sick of hearing about protests. It’s time for us to push some action. I’m proud of the NFL players for finally getting together with the owners today, talking about prison reform and things like that. We got to work with the police. And I want these players — they got so much money, so much visibility — they can go to the owners of these teams and say, ‘Listen, let’s go into these communities, put some time and some effort in there.’ We have spent so much time, worrying about who’s kneeling and who’s got the fist up, and we have not come up with solutions. So, I’m sick of hearing about the anthem protests … Everybody! We’re all in this thing together. It ain’t a black or white thing. It ain’t a cop against people. It’s all of us.”

Barkley has urged NFL players to take action before, but he also put blame on the media for ruining Colin Kaepernick’s message.

“I’m sick of these media guys who have hijacked the whole Colin Kaepernick situation and made it about who’s protesting, who’s standing for the Anthem. I mean you guys have really done a terrible job on this entire story and really ruined it and made it a more divisive issue. We’ve lost what Kaepernick initially kneeled for. It’s not about the flag. Everybody loves the American flag. Nobody’s trying to disrespect soldiers. You guys in the media have made it about that. I hope these players smarten up and realize you guys love writing about this junk. It gives you something to talk about on the radio 24/7. But let’s quit talking about who’s kneeling and not kneeling and let’s come up with some solutions. ....”

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/10/cha...nthem-protests-nfl-nba-video-colin-kaepernick
 
Well I hope that covers it for now. Get back to football and stop the bullshit. All you ended up doing was pissing millions of people off. Congrats. And extorted money for what? All over some communist dictator shirt wearing cop hating privledged asshat. What was gained will be lost during the next cba. I hope they budget well. You can rest assured we're going to lose a season. Stupidest **** I've ever witnessed in pro sports.
 
Oh it gets better... They are taking money from breast cancer/ cancer awareness and forcing it into social justice groups for blacks.

That's where that 90/100 million U.S. coming from.
 
Extortion 101...................KEEP doing something until you get what you want.

The NFL contributes to many many many causes. Why is it up to the players to decide which cause?????

Just curious






Salute the nation

The players are the deciding factor cause they're the image of the league and can influence the younger generation who rarely delve into social agendas. The result is just a big mess
 
So you have a big protest....to garner the most publicity you possibly can....you get the pointed attention of POTUS .... For literally weeks.....Success!

Regardless of costs, the protest was wildly successful. I just have one question. Can anyone simply enunciate what the cause of the protest was? And how that cause has been advanced?
Thanks in advance.


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I would like America to be what Germany was for me in 87-90 when I served.

No race topics. I started dating this African woman. Damn fine as hell, just as crazy. Her Czechoslovakia'n GF was white and preferred black guys. She was just as crazy. So I hooked up my Sgt with this Czech. who was convinced I was crazy as well. We went out on the town, and there was never white this or black that. Just people co existing. Not caring about what skin color they were. Nobody stared at each other, or had any agendas,except for maybe drinking too much, and women. A lot of women. I remember him asking me where the hell I found those two. Had to let ol girl go eventually though, as she was always wildin. Treeing off in the Bahnhauf , jumping on cars etc. I was like man this girl is going to get me court marshalled. lulz. She forced herself onto the post, drunk as hell. Shouting my last name. She came in one gate, I got word of it, and I went out the other. Some crazy times, I could write books. At the same time, there was no hate towards each other. Any of us. Of course people would fight. But not for skin color reasons. Which was a welcomed time in my life as I reflect back.

And yes this country has issues. More now than ever.

But there is so much potential for greatness in the US.

People just have to get off this race **** for good.

I noticed my area is a mixed community and people seem to get along well here. I am in Penn Hills close to Monroeville. Whatever it takes things need to change.

I mean you almost wish there was no social media, and news.

Take them out of the equation and these issues become minuscule.
 
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I mean you almost wish there was no social media, and news.

Take them out of the equation and these issues become minuscule.

bingo. our media is a vile creature, unfortunately. btw, where were you stationed? my older brother was in a comms unit in ansbach, 88-91... i think it was part of 1st armored div.
 
bingo. our media is a vile creature, unfortunately. btw, where were you stationed? my older brother was in a comms unit in ansbach, 88-91... i think it was part of 1st armored div.

I was Artillery 13 Echo (Cannon Fire Direction), in Babenhausen. They closed the base long ago. They were Ansbach's neighbor.
 
I would like America to be what Germany was for me in 87-90 when I served.

No race topics. I started dating this African woman. Damn fine as hell, just as crazy. Her Czechoslovakia'n GF was white and preferred black guys. She was just as crazy. So I hooked up my Sgt with this Czech. who was convinced I was crazy as well. We went out on the town, and there was never white this or black that. Just people co existing. Not caring about what skin color they were. Nobody stared at each other, or had any agendas,except for maybe drinking too much, and women. A lot of women. I remember him asking me where the hell I found those two. Had to let ol girl go eventually though, as she was always wildin. Treeing off in the Bahnhauf , jumping on cars etc. I was like man this girl is going to get me court marshalled. lulz. She forced herself onto the post, drunk as hell. Shouting my last name. She came in one gate, I got word of it, and I went out the other. Some crazy times, I could write books. At the same time, there was no hate towards each other. Any of us. Of course people would fight. But not for skin color reasons. Which was a welcomed time in my life as I reflect back.

And yes this country has issues. More now than ever.

But there is so much potential for greatness in the US.

People just have to get off this race **** for good.

I noticed my area is a mixed community and people seem to get along well here. I am in Penn Hills close to Monroeville. Whatever it takes things need to change.

I mean you almost wish there was no social media, and news.

Take them out of the equation and these issues become minuscule.



Our sporting events also contribute to the divide within this GREAT country. You're right about the social and media in general as both are a driving force towards divide. As to what will it take to reverse.............. SORRY to say but I think something very catastrophic such as a war on our soil. I mean something to a survival mode where everyone must kick in to defeat a foe. That may not even work as there are some who would not acknowledge a common enemy but rather embrace it in a rebellious way of not cohere ing to the common good. It's a catch 22 as to the fix as weather it is mass rioting and we turn onto ourselves or if an enemy appears and we must team together to defeat, either way lives will be lost and I hope our nation can find enough common ground to repair itself.



Salute the nation
 
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