Tags
free speech, Mike Pence, National Anthem, NFL, Patriotism, President Trump, Roger Goodell, Ronda Rousey
As regular readers know, I’ve been commenting on the social justification—justifornication?–of the NFL for some time:
09-22-17: NFL: Arrogance
09-27-17: NFL: The Breaking Point
10-01-17: NFL: The Non-Controversy Controversy
11-30-17: NFL: They Chose Poorly
12-30-17: NFL: The Wilted Rose
I haven’t been moved to comment since the end of 2017, and it has been a blessed relief. But once again, the noble players and their enablers are in the news—Fox News:
A decision from NFL owners requiring players to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” if they are on the field when the anthem is played triggered intense reaction from supporters and opponents Wednesday, as one owner revealed that he abstained from the vote.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said the change was approved unanimously at the league’s spring meeting in Atlanta. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Fox News in an email that San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York was the only abstention.
‘I want to work with my team to make sure everything we do is about promoting the right types of social justice reform and getting to a better America,” said York, who added that he planned to meet with his players to discuss the new policy.
Well of course, because what’s the primary reason for being of professional football if it’s not “getting to a better America,” and “promoting the right types of social justice reform”? I’m sure that’s why fans attend games and watch the NFL on TV:
Announcer: “There’s the snap, and quarterback Cornelius Selfabsorbed drops back, and throws a long bomb to wide receiver number 29, Galufus Washington, and HE DROPS IT! HE HAD IT IN HIS HANDS, BUT JUST STOPPED AND DROPPED IT! WHAT COULD HE BE THINKING?!
Second Announcer: “Wait, he’s kneeling…yes, HE’S KNEELING ON THE FIELD TO PROTEST MICRO AGGRESSIONS! The referees are indicating a virtue signal, wait…yes, IT’S A MICRO AGGRESSION VIRTUE SIGNAL! That’s going to be a ten-yard gain for the San Francisco Only Our Lives Matters! AMAZING! WHAT A BLOW AGAINST NORMALALITY!
Announcer: Isn’t that “normalcy”?
Second Announcer: Shhh! Don’t grammarsplain.
Color Man: WHOOOEEEE! That’s the tenth virtue signal for Washington already this season. He’s already gained 120 social justice yards, and I believe that means he’s leading the league!
Announcer: And listen to that crowd! They love social justice here in San Francisco!
Second Announcer: That’s right! These San Francisco fans are the greatest in the Strive Against White Privilege and Oppression League!
New York Jets chairman Christopher Johnson told Newsday that he voted for the new policy because ‘I felt I had to support it from a membership standpoint.
Well sure, but I suspect it’s a great deal more about the “we’re bleeding money like mad” standpoint.
credit: wnd.com
I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players,’ he said. ‘Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest. There are some big, complicated issues that we’re all struggling with, and our players are on the front lines. I don’t want to come down on them like a ton of bricks, and I won’t.
Free speech? So the players can verbally accost the referees whenever they like, or say whatever they please during interviews before, during and after the games? They can stop to virtue signal and give speeches whenever they feel like it? In the middle of a play when the Super Bowl is on the line? I’m sure that would be just fine with Johnson because there are “some big, complicated issues that we’re all struggling with.”
Sure, like shutting up and playing football like adults. That’s a big one.
York said other initiatives were in the works, including a suspension of all concessions sales during the national anthem.
‘If we want to be sacrosanct, if we want to honor the flag, we’ve got to make sure we go through a litany of things,’ he said. ‘We’re not going to force people to stand in their seats, but we’re certainly going to make sure we’re not profiting during that two or three minutes of time during the game.
Sorry, but actually having been to a sporting event or two, I distinctly recall every fan, with the exception of a few drunks and obvious knuckleheads, pausing to honor the flag and anthem, and the vendors do the same. Haven’t see a litany yet. What sort of sporting events has York been attending?
The controversy even reached the White House, with President Trump telling supporters in September 2017: ‘Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say ‘get that son of a b—- [itch] off the field right now, out, he’s fired.’
I’m sure a great many Americans would love to see that, but the sons of bitches are struggling with “some big, complicated issues,” so they can’t be expected to take a few minutes off for something so complicated as honoring America.
And do you know what Trump said about this new rule, gentle readers? He said people should stand proudly for the national anthem. PROUDLY?! That’s right; the President of the United States actually suggested Americans should honor the flag and everything for which it stands and act like they mean it. Can you imagine that?! What a racist!
Vice President Mike Pence, who left a game between the 49ers and Indianapolis Colts this past October after some 49ers knelt during the anthem, tweeted a link to a news story about the policy change with the phrase, ‘#Winning.’ Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, also tweeted about the story, saying he was “STILL NOT SICK OF WINNING!!!!”
Steelers guard Ramon Foster shrugged his shoulders when asked about the new policy, saying the owners will always hold an upper hand over the players.
‘If the team says ‘this is what we’re doing,’ and ownership (does too), you either deal with it or you’re probably going to get cut,’ Foster said. “You can fight the resistance on that one, but same as we can’t smoke marijuana because it’s illegal in certain states, or it’s legal in certain states, it’s the same issue. You have to adhere to the rules and if not, they’ll find a way to get you up out of there.
Poor Foster. But he’s a social justice warrior in a football outfit. He shouldn’t have to behave like an adult who understands what he’s suffering is called “being employed.”
The NFL Players Association expressed skepticism about the new policy in a statement: ‘The NFL chose to not consult the union in the development of this new ‘policy.’ NFL players have shown their patriotism through their social activism, their community service, in support of our military and law enforcement and yes, through their protests to raise awareness about the issues they care about.
As yes, the progressive definition of patriotism: pissing on America and normal Americans and screaming like stuck pigs when anyone suggests that’s not really, you know, patriotic. Normal Americans, which is what most football fans are, un-woke as they are, tend to notice that the player’s noble expressions of patriotism tend to occur only in stadiums on game days during the playing of the national anthem when there are TV cameras present to record and broadcast their exercise of superior morality and fervent devotion to their country.
The NFLPA did not immediately respond to questions about whether they would mount a legal challenge against the new policy.
Right. That would be based on the 93rdAmendment, the “right to virtue signal on TV with silly hair while being paid millions to behave like a self righteous ass” Amendment.
Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, a prominent protester, said the owners had ‘thwart[ed] the players’ constitutional rights to express themselves and use our platform to draw attention to social injustices like racial inequality in our country. For example:
‘Everyone loses when voices get stifled,’ said Jenkins, who added the Twitter hashtag, ‘#TheFightContinues’ to his statement.
That’s noted constitutional scholar Malcolm Jenkins, I’m sure, who will doubtless be nominated for a spot on the Supreme Court as soon as he has, through the vehicle of playing football, abolished racism and all other injustice by kneeling on a football field and spouting off about how noble he is.
The NFL started requiring players to be on the field for the anthem in 2009 — the year it signed a marketing deal with the military. Goodell insisted the league met with countless players over the last year to get their input on the fractious anthem debate anthem, which some have even pointed to as a major reason for the NFL’s declining TV ratings.
That would be because it is a major reason for the NFL’s declining ratings, to say nothing of ticket sales and game attendance, about which Goodell is saying nothing.
Goodell was asked who would get to decide what actions would be considered disrespectful to the anthem or the U.S. flag.
‘Well, I think the general public has a very strong view of what respect for the flag is and that moment,’ he said. ‘We have language in our policy that talks about that, standing attention, hats off and focused. And I think the general arbiter will the clubs and the league and we’ll work with our players to get their viewpoint also.
Speaking for the general public, that would be standing still, hat off, hand over heart, paying attention and not acting like a stupid, spoiled delinquent intellect in a grotesquely overpaid steroid infused adult hulk. You know, like actually patriotic Americans have been taught to do since grade school? One might even sing a bit: “oh-oh say can you see…”
Of course, all of this could be resolved if the players just shut the hell up and played football, which is what fans pay to see when they want to see a football game. This would free the player’s evolved social consciousness to concentrate on football games, and they would be entirely free to make a better America on their own time. They certainly have the money to do that. Any fan that wants to be hectored about social justice and told what racists they are can tune into ESPN, MSNBC, CNN, etc.
More and more Americans now know what the players and owners and the whole NFL establishment think of them, and there are other choices for a bit of harmless viewing of violence: professional wrestling, for example. At least when wrestlers spout off, they’re not tediously insulting their fans, and they’re entertaining. Besides, they have Ronda Rousey.
But let’s put all that aside. I’m tired of logic and rationality. I’ve finally hit on a scam that will make me a billion, and the great patriots of the NFL have given me the idea. Ready, gentle readers?
What I want to know is why the NFL and the owners and Commissioner are oppressing women? Why are they anti-feminist? Why are they such crude vessels of mansplaining, testosterone, male superiority and privilege? Where are all the sisters of color? Why aren’t they in the offensive line? Why aren’t they referees? Why aren’t they owners? Why isn’t the commissioner a woman of color? Forget Saint Kaepernick The Radioactive, where are the black female quarterbacks! Don’t black female lives matter?
I’m going to shake down the NFL, every NFL sponsor, and get richer than Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson! Just as soon as I adjust my wig, put on my makeup, and get a new dress. Gotta practice an outrageously stereotypical black female accent too…
Stately McDaniel Manor 
Your obvious rage and this nationalism-at-all-costs on the conservative right is rather scary. “If you don’t demonstrate MY patriotism we are damn well going to force you to comply by creating social rules, laws, and decrees.”
This is all nuts.
I don’t see any evidence of rage.
It’s business. Football fans like the players to stand respectfully when the national anthem is played before the game. Why? Doesn’t matter why. Owners know this (now). If fans don’t see what they want, owners don’t make money. Owners tell players to do what fans want. Not nuts at all.
Dear Jeffrey:
What you said.
Dear Doug:
Rage? Come now. It’s satire. I’m mocking people who take themselves far too seriously and who have forgotten, if they ever knew, that they’re involved in producing entertainment, a product that people must want to buy for them to be successful. Their virtue signaling has convinced millions they don’t want that product anymore, thus the change in policy. Nobility goes out the window when money is involved.
As to patriotism, it’s not striking an attitude only when the national anthem is playing before a football game with cameras present. It’s a matter of love, sacrifice and character expressed over a lifetime. Besides, I’m just exercising the free speech so beloved by the players. Don’t I get to express my opinion about their opinions? I know I’m an old white guy, but golly!
Oddly enough, people who spend a great deal of money supporting professional sports tend not to like being called racists by the people they previously admired, such admiration being prima facie evidence of a lack of racism.
OK.. so… your post was from a point of satire in that the NFL passed the rule to respect the anthem because ticket sales are down… then you claim your freedom of speech to be as equal as that of the kneelers so why can’t you express it… then we have Trump wagging his tongue in the background of all this welcoming the new rule and suggesting anyone who doesn’t respect the flag and anthem should leave the country… and then you have Trump’s base… that base who relishes his every move, every thought, every rant he makes as better than gospel… and they believe him. The latter was the reason for my reply because the right considers themselves as the sole purveyor of what patriotism is.
I could care less about NFL ticket sales because I have no interest at all in professional sports (they make more money than I will see in a lifetime and constantly bitch about it… then they complain about getting their brains banged around). They can take if up with the player’s union. My rant.. with no satire.
Doug,
The guys watching TV are highly aware that they do not have feedom of expression at their place of work. Indeed, they know could be fired because of a posting on Facebook.
To them, this feels like being bullied by people who look down on them… yet still expect viewership.
Say hello to DJT as potus.
I have issues with these idiots that goes far beyond their “disrespect for the flag and national anthem”. A lot of them claim that’s NOT what they’re protesting, after all. Fine. So what ARE they protesting? That’s right… the total FRAUD that cops (and others) are running around 24/7 just looking for poor innocent “people of color” to kill. You know, poor innocents like Trayvon Martin or GG Mike Brown. This whole “Black Lives Matter” so-called movement is based on LIES and FRAUD and HYPOCRISY… and yes, its own special kind of RACISM.
Using a phrase from years past “you can’t put the toothpaste back into the tube” comes to mind. Most people were happy enough to watch the games to get away from it all. They made it part of their habit in life. The activities of the recent past of all of the parties concerned have shown how little the players and owners respect the fans. People want to watch a game, not be subject to political posturing.
A lot of previous fans have now found something else for a habit and are forever lost to the NFL.
Doug said “I could care less about NFL ticket sales because I have no interest at all in professional sports (they make more money than I will see in a lifetime and constantly bitch about it… then they complain about“… racism (Mike).
See, you understand the point. Why are you taking Mike to task for it?
Mike, I see that Rachel Dolezal (or is it Ncheki Diallo?) is still looking for work. Maybe she can give you some fashion pointers. She can probably help with some manufactured outrage about being hassled by the POleese, too.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/24/rachel-dolezal-welfare-fraud-case-leads-felony-the/
Mike and I agree we both have no interest in pro sports.. I perceive we differ on the kneeling for the anthem.
While I stand with “the general public” (aka, my fellow Americans) in expecting people at stadiums to follow time-honored ceremonial recognition of our flag and nation, I also believe that the NFL and all the other professional sports leagues cooked up this tradition on their own and for their own benefit. Anyone who doesn’t understand that professional sports is saturated with such theatrics had better open their eyes to the reality. Most of the professional sports league (owners groups) didn’t even exist 100 years ago!!
The ceremonial playing of our national anthem accompanied by showing respect in sports venues is just latter day theatrics, it never was an actual patriotic ceremony (like firing gun salutes at military funerals has been). The NFL (et al) dragged this into their business, it’s a business ploy under the proper label, “public relations.”
And this has nothing to do with First Amendment rights, either. If every factory owner decided to “recognize” employee “freedom of speech” gestures during their work shifts, I could believe this is actually something serious. As a matter of fact, manufacturing managers would likely be unanimous in quashing such “freedom of speech” and there would be nothing the employees could do about it.
As pointed out by someone else, the NBA in the past has levied fines on players (employees!) who refused to stand for the playing of the National Anthem. That’s your proof right there: “First Amendment Rights” is another puff of blue smoke from Blue Bubble Democrat team owners.
The most disturbing thing about the Democratic Party is its ability to degrade everything that really matters, including conversations, friendships, national pride and any kind of reasoned conversations. And here is another great example, a real red flag which should scare the hell out of we who believe in objective facts, truthfulness and honesty.
Hey, thanks! I am definitely going to quote your last paragraph in a future post on my blog about our divisive America and those who are so disenchanted with vanishing white America that they are judging anyone who opposes their idea of America as obviously un-American; a Trump legacy, I’m afraid.
Speaking of which, if you support Trump you surely do not support objective facts, truthfulness and honesty, But.. you are already ignoring that, I’m sure.
Dear Doug:
No one is calling everyone that disagrees with them un-American. They are, however, suggesting that claiming refusal to properly honor our flag and national anthem is patriotic ais not an obvious sign of patriotism. It’s progressives that claim dissent is patriotic, until someone disagrees with their views and policies. It’s rather like Barack Obama, who claimed to be the epitome of patriotism and respect for America and immediately said “now help me fundamentally transform it.” Honestly, if someone spoke about their wife the way Mr. Obama spoke about America, who would believe they loved their wife–or their country?
Mike… I wasn’t even going to bother commenting on your reader’s earlier paragraphs in his reply regarding the kneeling thing… but his last paragraph incensed me enough to object and say something. There is NO way anyone could misconstrue or misinterpret what he was saying in his last paragraph. There was NO literary context reference to his earlier subject of kneeling during the anthem other than finishing his reply with an overall exclamation. I am assuming, sadly, that he meant what he wrote in that last paragraph.
Personally, political differences aside, I consider his remark part of the divisiveness problem. Ideology does not Trump “truth, justice, and the American way.”
Amen to that.
“Speaking of which, if you support Trump you surely do not support objective facts, truthfulness and honesty”
How nice of you, Doug. Based on your picture, I’d guess you and I are about the same age. I’m a strong supporter of Trump, even though I don’t support each and every one of his policies. But guess what? Until not too long ago, I had been a lifelong Democrat, and most people would consider me a liberal, even a “lefty” in some regards. And yes, I supported and voted for Obama in ’08. But it was shortly after that I started to open my eyes and see what “the Left” is really all about. I’ve now come to realize that despite being (in my opinion) fairly intelligent and knowledgeable, I had also been thoroughly brainwashed and programmed: Dem/liberal/left = GOOD; Rep/conservative/right = BAD. Sorry, but using the broad brush, that is now and always been a LIE. I still lean more left than right on many issues… but I am now EMBARRASSED to call myself a “liberal”, lest I be associated with the hypocritical SJWs and their ilk.
I’ll stop now, I could go on for hours. But just one more thought, back to Trump: Just know that TDS is real, it’s very real.
I respect your reply, Jello. Our stories are similar yet totally reversed party-wise. Here’s where we defer a bit. following my teen years and military experience I evolved into being a solid “liberal conservative” but obviously there’s no official party for that. I have never had a solid ideological preference because for me it’s about the issues as they present themselves over the shifting sands of time. I always voted for the man in presidential elections.. not the damn parties. But.. I followed up my vote for a president to include the same party as represented in my state senator and district representative when it came time to elect them. My feeling is that if the president I want is to be effective then I should try to give him support with congressional representation. Obviously it doesn’t always work that way. I was raised in a republican household and I tend to lean to old school republicanism when it comes to commerce, trade, and fiscal responsibility. I’ve own three businesses in my past so I appreciate those concepts. But I also have a progressive streak when it comes to social responsibility for the greater good.. and I have a huge interest in international diplomacy and want my leaders to reflect that competency.
This “new” Trumpian republicanism is totally absurd and I want nothing of it.
Re: “Speaking of which, if you support Trump you surely do not support objective facts, truthfulness and honesty, But.. you are already ignoring that, I’m sure.” FYI, when a strange man makes assertions which are beyond his ability and knowledge as you have done, we can be sure we know who the incompetent fool is..
Supplementary: you claim to be a Republican who does not support President Trump which likely means you decided to jump in with the Bush Family Incompetents, one of whom got his ass kicked by Trump in the primaries. Success = competence, failure = incompetence and again with your own statements you prove to be on the side of arrogant, self aggrandizing incompetents like the Bush Family.
“Doug” is a Major Fail alumnus. ;-)
If you wanna discuss facts and truth that’s one thing.. but the name-calling because my analysis of truth and facts doesn’t fit nicely into your ideology, gets a bit old.
You are not the one to define anyone or anything. You “miss” my factual statement which establishes you as the incompetent. This is not “name calling,” it’s simply proper identification of the kind of man you are. You’re self proclaimed siding with the Bush Family is the fact to which I refer. Everyone saw what happened to the Jeb Bush boy, he was laid flat on his back by Donald J. Trump. Now is the time for you to take a hike. Goodbye, “Doug.”
*yawn*
This guy is obsessed with Donald Trump. Check out his blog, I smell a Cuckoo bird. Cuckoo birds barge into other birds nests, as unwanted parasites, even with the other bird pecking violently the Cuckoo just won’t go away! Hahaha!
Kinda like an “alt-Trump base”, isn’t it? His base is obsessed with him because they know not what they want, but find it inside of him. On the other end of the spectrum, my “obsession” is that he’s incompetent for the job. Seems like we’re both a couple peckerwoods.
I bet a psychologist would love a peep inside your head, could maybe make his career. Pretty scary dude, kinda……. stalker scary. Have a great day!
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