Discussion: NFL To Weigh Changes To Policy That Says Players 'Should' Stand For Anthem

Americans are losing healthcare coverage and World War III is on the horizon and this is the issue the US prioritizes???

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I cannot wait for the collective bargaining agreement talks on this one.

I am completely disgusted by everything. There is no point in living, to be honest here. Politicians and their governments have been cowards; the MediaWhores continue their vapid cowardice; businessmen who part of a multi-billion dollar enterprise are cowed. Historians should be having a field day because they now have an answer to the classic question: how could the German people let this happen?

The same way it’s playing out: the deep cowardice on all levels. It seems that the idea of a “rabid German supporter of the Nazi Party” is eternally discredited by his 21st century American counterpart: they were almost all cowardly men who just pretended nothing was wrong.

Land of the free and home of the brave? More like Land of the Shriveled Dick and Home of the Cucks.

If any of these sonsofbitches had been around in 1776, we’d all still be be royal subjects.

This is all pointless.

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Never give in to bullying
It only makes the bully more agressive

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Wow - turning this country into a fascist dictatorship isn’t taking as long as I thought it would.

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Sure is a good thing the NFL doesn’t have any other issues to deal with, like ongoing traumatic brain injury.

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I believe the DOTUS is the only one who actually needs to move past this controversy. In fact, it was no longer a controversy until, out of nowhere, he decided to make it one. Here’s a solution, drop the anthem at NFL games. It’s not a “real” tradition and no one would give a crap.

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It’s been 49 years since Tommie Smith and John Carlos bravely protested during the national anthem at the 1968 Olympics. Since then, white men have learned almost nothing about activism.
First and foremost, you don’t get to make the rules for protest and activism. Protest and activism is a voice which says, “Hey listen up. Something is wrong here and it’s gone way beyond a one-off situation and has been institutionalized”.

It’s not the protest that needs to be addressed, it’s the underlying issue they are protesting which needs to be addressed. For example in one of your NFL cities there was a killing of a young child by police officers who were told he might have a gun. The police drove within a few feet of him and “had to open fire in self defense”. Question here: If it was an armed man, would the policeman driving the car pulled up so close as to put his partner in jeopardy?
Has the NFL been involved in getting justice for that boy? Did the NFL can the police methods into question.

Or near a now-former NFL city St Louis, when a prosecutor waits until dark to announce a grand jury decision which he knows will incite the black citizens to protest, and by the way, put his police force in jeopardy of bodily harm. Did the NFL question this prosecutor publicly holding him accountable. Did the NFL at least come forward with a position on this?

It’s the underlying institutional issue that needs to be addressed, not rules for protest during our anthem.

Create any rules of protest you want, it’s simply whistling past the graveyard.
Maybe it would do you some good to spend some time with Tommie Smith and John Carlos. They may teach you something you didn’t learn in school.

For disclosure purposes, i am a white man who watched in 1968 as the protests were happening as I watch the current protests.

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I can only speak for one former life long fan–me–that the above is the reason I’ve stopped watching football at any level. I refused to watch young men turn their brains to mush for my entertainment. The level of denial at all levels is sickening.

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The very idea of Freedom of expression is the choice to stand or not stand for the Anthem, the Flag, or any other idolatry of the State.

If we coerce people into specific actions to ‘support’ the Flag or Anthem, we’re no better than North Korea or the Soviet Union.

If you want to disrespect a Veteran, you do that by disrespecting what they fought for–the Freedom of people to choose.

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I was a US Army officer for 23 years. When I was sworn in in 1960, I raised my right hand and did “solemnly swear that I would support and defend the Constitution of the United States…”

The oath is not to support and defend the flag, the president, whoever. It supports and defends all US citizens’ right to free speech, which can be expressed by kneeling, to call attention to injustices, as Is occurring now in the NFL, and NBA.

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Speaking of the Wayback Machine, let’s not forget perhaps the most respected athlete in American history:

“I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world.” – Jackie Robinson, the year before he died.

I can’t wait for Trump, Pence, and the GOP to start trashing him…

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Come on, folks! Don’t you know what “should” means? From a legal or regulatory standpoint? “Should” means “it would be nice if you did this, but no biggie.” If some action is required, the words used are “will” and “shall.” “Should” is a big nothingburger.

Our local paper printed a fullpage ad last Saturday with, gods help us, the US Public Law on National Anthem etiquette. Uniforms “should salute.” All others “should face the flag and stand at attention” yada yada. In the absence of an actual flag, all “should stand” and do those other things. Should, should, should. That and $5 will get you a cup of coffee.

Trump and a few owners don’t know what they’re demagoguing about.

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IMHO is they bow to the the tin pot tempest they deserve to lose all tax breaks and special congressional recognition. At this point I am glad I quit watch games back in the early 00’s.

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What was the fucking point of the owners standing or kneeling in support of their players after this Trump-owned bullshit started? Optics? Protecting the precious brand? Once again, rich white guys calling the shots.

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Didn’t Trounce declare that the NFL was failing in his classic projection?

If the NFL is losing customers and public interest, how does turning off the majority of their fan base make any sense in any way?

I seem to remember some sort of walk out about 20 or 30 years ago and that really hurt the NFL. Apparently they learned nothing from their past mistakes.

I say, cut all their salaries by at least 1/2, cut ticket prices, beer and merch the same.
Make the owners pay for their own stadiums and repay every tax dollar they ever took and are currently taking and right that into their charter.
If the owners don’t like that, then they clearly don’t respect the flag and troops and should find another country to rape and pillage.

That’s called, putting the shoe on the other foot.

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I’m old enough to remember when the Hitler Youth had to do the same thing to please Der Fuhrer…

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How about we just stop singing the anthem at sports events

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NFL owners taking money from the Department of Defense in order to display the Flag and honor Veterans is much more un-American than anyone exercising their Freedom of expression.

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Yea well I was never a fan of the NFL, over hyped, to costly, to much tax revenue going to millionaires. And here I was beginning to like these guys, I will have to see what they come up with, if it is a Boy Scout image, I’ll loose interest again.

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