What's your opinion?
I am personally not offended.
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What's your opinion?
I am personally not offended.
Who cares.
I don't think it is an effective protest for what they're actually protesting... but Trump is so far off on this it's ridiculous. He needs to let it go... but people are so dumb about their military fetish in this country, he's sadly playing to a majority IMO
They're silently kneeling or locking arms and sitting. Nothing violent, nothing derogatory.
If people are are offended by that they seriously need to find a hobby. Better yet go in the mirror and tell yourself you're a snowflake.
I personally feel the need to stand, and I've always participated without even questioning it. Maybe because I never had to. I've flip flopped on this one a bit, as when Kap started doing this I was admittedly bothered. Not because of the cause, it just felt like an attention grabbing thing. But, I've never really dealt with the issues some people have had in life, and I'd rather someone protest quietly and peacefully instead of rioting, looting, and burning down other peoples property.
Reminds me of everyone freaking out over Tebow kneeling on the field and how some people just couldn't handle it. I couldn't figure out why anyone cared....
I am sure you all know how I feel. Instead of burying our heads in the sand it's time to do something about the problem. The war on drugs is the cause of all this. Cops are using this war to rape and pillage poor and minority communities. Focus on the real crimes. They dont have the money to test rape kits where I live. How about a war on rape.
I relate with this line of thinking very much. I also thought this was attention grabbing and also thought BLM was bull****. I still don't agree with the method, but I do think we should respect their right to protest, especially when it's done in such a peaceful manner as the players are doing.
The President is a child and needs to focus on issues that actually matter.
I think this part of the narrative has been lost on why Kaepernick began kneeling instead of sitting during the anthem:
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/h...g-to-kneeling/
if any of you are the idiots burning your nfl stuff
i'll take your tickets for the Falcons game sunday and or your Julio Jones jersey
#takeaknee for no other reason to piss off the flag fetish snowflakes
Lol
I'm a stander, but someone taking a knee doesn't bother me. If people were sending tweets or making noise, that would be another thing.
Now that so many players are protesting and none of them are getting cut, can we finally agree that the reason Kaepernick isn't in the league is because he sucks?
If someone wanted to be disrespectful they could turn their backs. But even then I would defend their right to do so. I even think flag burning should be a protected form of expression.
I also think that a lot of the folks in the "Black Lives Matter" side of things are taking an approach to the problems between minorities and the police that is not constructive.
The thing that is most seriously lacking imo in this whole controversy is a sense of empathy. And I'm talking about empathy that goes both ways. For the police and the difficult job they do (in the overwhelming majority of cases while showing respect to people of all races). And for those who are victims of stereotyping by police and the rest of society.
I stand because I like to think of the flag is representative of our greatest ideals. I also recognize we haven't always lived up to them and that freedom is freedom. I recognize my American experience is not the same as everyone else. It's regrettable the players' message has gotten lost in translation.
I agree that empathy has been lost by people on both sides of this. We shouldn't ever shy away from having discussions about these real issues. Our president has an opportunity to take the lead on this and facilitate them. Instead, he's decided to make this his latest us vs. them crusade.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sh...rticle/2636837
The Winston Poll from the Washington-based Winston Group found that the attitude of those fans went from an August rating of 73 percent favorable and 19 percent unfavorable to 42 percent favorable and 47 percent unfavorable, a remarkable turn against the sport.
According to the poll analysis, "more critically for the NFL, the fall off in favorables occurred among important audiences. Among males, NFL favorables fell 23 percent, going from 68 percent to 45 percent. In looking at a more specific audience, males 34-54, NFL favorables fell 31 percent, going from 73 percent to 42 percent. Among this group the NFL has a surprising negative image, as it went from +54 percent in August to -5 percent in September."
The best part of this story?
All of the advertisers she mentions also advertise on her show.
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment...vertisers.html
Jemele Hill, anti-Trump ESPN host, calls for fans to boycott NFL advertisers
Jemele Hill, host of "SC6," called on fans to take indirect action against the Dallas Cowboys after owner Jerry Jones told players they would be benched if they didn't stand up during the national anthem.
“Change happens when advertisers are impacted,” Hill wrote. “If you strongly reject what Jerry Jones said, the key is his advertisers.”
She urged “paying customers” to “boycott his advertisers” if they don’t agree with Jones’ comments. Hill quoted a list of Cowboys’ advertisers in one of her tweets, which included AT&T, Bank of America, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Ford Motors, MillerCoors and Pepsi, and sent a message to her 760,000-plus Twitter followers.
Tea Pain @TeaPainUSA 3h3 hours ago
Trump's NFL stunts ain't about kneelin' or sittin' or standin'. It's about black folks not doin' what white supremacists want 'em to do.
Tea Pain @TeaPainUSA 8h8 hours ago
Tea Pain Retweeted Donald J. Trump
To sum up...
Black folks speakin' up = hate America.
Nazis in the street praisin' Russia = very fine people.
The President (and VP) of White Grievance.
Jemele Hill suspended for 2 weeks for her tweets urging followers to boycott Cowboys (and ESPN) sponsors due to Jerry Jones promise that kneeling players would not play.
she signed a contract saying she would abide by their rules.
She's a big girl.
What were you saying earlier about principles ?
It only matters if you lose something in the process {Ali} ----- what did Stevie congressman lose ?
I didn't criticize her for it. I actually concur with you, she knows the risks, she took them. I will say I am surprised that a suspension was enough to mollify the network sponsors that she suggested a boycott of.
Same suspension for same infraction Bill Simmons.
Both over NFL
...........................
Trump turned her into a martyr -- what an idiot
Rembert Browne @rembert 3h3 hours ago
i love jemele, because few things are more inspiring than watching someone know they'll probably get punished and doing it anyway -- who's got next
ESPN is pathetic. Only suspends people when the bottom line is impacted.
Andrew HawkinsVerified account [MENTION=266]Hawk[/MENTION] Oct 8
Just so we're clear..
CAN play in NFL:
Steroid users
Domestic Abusers
Rapists
Accused murderers
Racists
Cant play:
Protesters
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ng-anthem.html
NFL 'quietly tweaks' its policy on players standing for the national anthem by giving teams the incentive and power to punish the protesters
A reading of the rule on Monday Night Football revealed a small change to the language of the policy, opening the door for teams to punish protesting players
The new language didn't appear on the internet until the last two weeks
Teams can now be docked multiple draft picks if players kneel during the anthem
The new version of the policy removed language saying that punishment would come from the league office, giving teams the ability to punish players directly
NFL policy continues to state that players 'should' stand for the national anthem but stops short of saying they 'must' do so
http://deadline.com/2017/10/vikings-...pn-1202185363/
Vikings Win But ‘Monday Night Football’ Ratings Hits Season Low
Snaring a 7.0 in metered market results, last night’s MNF was down double digits from last week’s Kansas Chiefs’ 29-20 victory over the Washington Redskins. Down 17% in the ratings, that’s actually a regular game season low for the ESPN broadcast game and matches the MM result of the second game of the doubleheader MNF opener on September 11.
That comes a day after Sunday Night Football also hit a season low with its ratings down too.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/nfl-own...hem-1507653315
NFL Owners to Discuss Policy on Standing for Anthem
The National Football League’s owners will discuss next week whether to unilaterally change league policy and require players to stand during the national anthem.
....
“I don’t believe that the anthem per se is something that needs to be collectively bargained,” Lockhart said.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has said that league official assured him that players who did not stand for the national anthem would not face penalties.
If the policy is changed, however, players that protest could face discipline from the league.
I can’t wait for Dak or Dez to kneel and Jerry has to sweat balls to bench them. And then they either get benched for one drive like Rivera benched Cam for not wearing a tie (that first drive led to an INT thrown by Derek Anderson) or they start losing games and Jerry gIves in.
https://www.facebook.com/AdamSchefte...46218148764153
ESPN obtained following letter that Roger Goodell sent to NFL teams within past 30 minutes:
To: Chief Executives/ Club Presidents
From: Commissioner Goodell
Date: October 10, 2017
Re: Fall Meeting/National Anthem
We live in a country that can feel very divided. Sports, and especially the NFL, brings people together and lets them set aside those divisions, at least for a few hours. The current dispute over the National Anthem is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game, and is now dividing us, and our players, from many fans across the country.
....
Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem. It is an important moment in our game. We want to honor our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us. We also care deeply about our players and respect their opinions and concerns about critical social issues. The controversy over the Anthem is a barrier to having honest conversations and making real progress on the underlying issues. We need to move past this controversy, and we want to do that together with our players.
....
Which stil blurs the fact that white police are given carte blanche when dealing with apprehendee's of color
https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net...ba&oe=5A85010F
So much winning....
As much as this has been dragged into sideshow territory and blurred into a wrongheaded referendum on patriotism, I don't want to lose sight of the fact that this began as a protest about policing and the black community--broadly speaking, as an issue of equal rights.
I'm fascinated, though, that it has now become to some degree an issue of labor. So, yeah, who are they willing to lose? And how effectively will the NFL be able to enforce restrictions on expressions of social dissent along racial lines with a labor force that is 70% black?
For a little context on this all...
Aug 14, 2016- Colin Kaepernick sits for the national anthem.....and no one noticed
Aug 20th, 2016- Colin again sits, and again, no one noticed.
Aug 26th, 2016- Colin sits and this time he is met with a level of vitriol unseen against an athlete. Even the future President of the United States took shots at him while on the campaign trail. Colin went on to explain his protest had NOTHING to with the military, but he felt it hard to stand for a flag that didn't treat people of color fairly.
Then on on Aug 30th, 2016 Nate Boyer, a former Army Green Beret turned NFL long snapper, penned an open letter to Colin in the Army Times. In it he expressed how Colin's sitting affected him.
Then a strange thing happened. Colin was able to do what most Americans to date have not...
He listened.
In his letter Mr. Boyer writes:
"I’m not judging you for standing up for what you believe in. It’s your inalienable right. What you are doing takes a lot of courage, and I’d be lying if I said I knew what it was like to walk around in your shoes. I’ve never had to deal with prejudice because of the color of my skin, and for me to say I can relate to what you’ve gone through is as ignorant as someone who’s never been in a combat zone telling me they understand what it’s like to go to war. Even though my initial reaction to your protest was one of anger, I’m trying to listen to what you’re saying and why you’re doing it." Mr. Boyer goes on to write "There are already plenty people fighting fire with fire, and it’s just not helping anyone or anything. So I’m just going to keep listening, with an open mind. I look forward to the day you're inspired to once again stand during our national anthem. I'll be standing right there next to you."
Empathy and understanding was shown by Mr. Boyer.........and Mr. Kaepernick reciprocated. Colin invited Nate to San Diego where the two had a 90 minute discussion and Nate proposed Colin kneel instead of sit.
But why kneel? In a military funeral, after the flag is taken off the casket of the fallen military member, it is smartly folded 13 times and then presented to the parents, spouse or child of the fallen member by a fellow service member while KNEELING.
The two decided that kneeling for the flag would symbolize his reverence for those that paid the ultimate sacrifice while still allowing Colin to peacefully protest the injustices he saw.
Empathy, not zealotry under the guise of patriotism, is the only way meaningful discussion can be had. Mr. Kaepernick listened to all of you that say he disrespects the military and extended an olive branch to find a peace.
When will America listen to him?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/o...imes&smtyp=cur