Boycott the Knee?

[BlueStarLizzard]

I don't support him more, but I have no doubt that he's been taking a lot of heat in the locker room. He can claim it was a screw-up, and that his teammates would have been there with him if not for coincidence -- but we all know that's a lie. He wasn't just lounging around out there -- he was standing at attention, with his right hand over his heart, every inch the Army Ranger. So good for him, and to hell with the rest of the team.

The whole idea of staying in the locker room (or in the tunnel) to "avoid the controversy" is bullshit. The league rules say all players shall stand on the sidelines during the playing of the national anthem. Whether you're taking a knee on the field or hiding out in the locker room, it's still a violation of the league's rules, and it's still disrespectful of the flag and the anthem.

IDK. I kind of applaud the ones who are avoiding it and don't want to get involved. They are football players. They are there to play football, not engage in political statements of any kind.
And if they go out on the field during the anthem, they end up embroiled in the whole mess, regardless of their personal views on the subject. They stand and they're screwed by the rest of the team, the media and the big wigs at the NFL. They kneel and they're screwed by everyone else. There is just no middle ground. Even if whatshisface had said "Look, I was an Army Ranger. I have a personal stake in standing for the National Anthem that has nothing to do with football or politics" he'd still have been pilloried by the Left and by his team. Because none of them care about anything but their narrative.

[freakazoid]

IDK. I kind of applaud the ones who are avoiding it and don't want to get involved. They are football players. They are there to play football, not engage in political statements of any kind.
And if they go out on the field during the anthem, they end up embroiled in the whole mess, regardless of their personal views on the subject. They stand and they're screwed by the rest of the team, the media and the big wigs at the NFL. They kneel and they're screwed by everyone else. There is just no middle ground. Even if whatshisface had said "Look, I was an Army Ranger. I have a personal stake in standing for the National Anthem that has nothing to do with football or politics" he'd still have been pilloried by the Left and by his team. Because none of them care about anything but their narrative.

Even by avoiding it you are making a statement.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Even by avoiding it you are making a statement.

I think "I don't want to touch this subject with a fifty foot pole. Please, leave me out of it." is a perfectly valid statement to make.

[grampster]

  The league rules say all players shall stand on the sidelines during the playing of the national anthem. Whether you're taking a knee on the field or hiding out in the locker room, it's still a violation of the league's rules, and it's still disrespectful of the flag and the anthem.

Its not the NFL league rules.  It's actually in the NFL Game Operation Manual.

"The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.

During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses."

It's important to note the use of the word "may" here. The NFL is not considering punishing fines on players or teams who choose to kneel or stay in the locker room during the national anthem, the spokesperson says.


The bold part is where the hypocrisy in the NFL is. They have chosen not to discipline.

[Perd Hapley]

So I just saw a photo of some old white dude "kneeing" with the entire Cowboys line-up (I think it was the owner of the team), and it occurs to me that the "the knee" has become the furthest thing from edgy, or brave, or anything it may have been called a few months ago. Now that it is apparently the rule in the NFL, and not the exception, is the NFL just going to keep doing this, game after game? What is their exit strategy? Are they waiting for Trump to be impeached, or what?

[wmenorr67]

The biggest issue isn't if they kneel, stand on their tip-toes, or any other form of "protest", what has anyone of them done that has actually made a damn difference.

You can bring attention to any damn problem you want, but if you don't have a plan to help fix the problem all you are is a whiny little bitch.

[Perd Hapley]

They can't even agree on what problem they're on about.

[Sideways_8]

So I just saw a photo of some old white dude "kneeing" with the entire Cowboys line-up (I think it was the owner of the team), and it occurs to me that the "the knee" has become the furthest thing from edgy, or brave, or anything it may have been called a few months ago. Now that it is apparently the rule in the NFL, and not the exception, is the NFL just going to keep doing this, game after game? What is their exit strategy? Are they waiting for Trump to be impeached, or what?

That was Jerry Jones. They knelt before the National Anthem, and then stood with linked arms during it.

[Hawkmoon]

I think "I don't want to touch this subject with a fifty foot pole. Please, leave me out of it." is a perfectly valid statement to make.

And wouldn't just following federal law (the U.S. Flag Code) and the league rules [okay, the NFL Game Operation Manual] be a good way of not making a statement?

How about Tom Brady, the hypocrite? He linked arms with his teammates to show that he was with them -- but he stood on the right end of the chain, so he had his right arm free to put his hand over his heart. There's nothing like playing both sides in a controversy ...

[Hawkmoon]

It's either rampant hypocrisy, or a massive cognitive disconnect. Steelers star was on the teevee this morning:

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2017/09/26/steelers-ramon-foster-we-didnt-ask-for-this/

“I was kind of pissed at how people reacted to it,” said Foster. “In a sense, that we didn’t ask for that. We were thrown into this by some comments outside of the business and the sport of football. To see the backlash that I’m getting from back home, from people in my hometown on something I had no idea was going to go over like this or to have to warn my kids about certain stuff that hey, if somebody says something at school you have to let me and your mom know. We didn’t ask for that, we didn’t ask for this whole situation.”

You didn't? Who did? The fans certainly didn't ask the entire Steelers team (except for Alejandro Villanuevo) to cower in the tunnel during the national anthem, so if you didn't ask for it, and the fans didn't ask for it ... then who, exactly, DID ask for it?

“For the fans that criticize us, bring it back to football. Take your political views somewhere else,” said Foster. “If you choose not to watch it, we hate to lose you but we want to play football right now. We’ll deal with everything else when we can.”

It wasn't the fans who brought politics into the stadia -- it was a bunch of players "making a statement" by disrespecting the flag and the national anthem. That's not football, Ace -- that's bringing politics into the football environment. Don't blame the fans. Blame that idiot, Kaepernick, and the other players who followed his lead.

[Scout26]

Blame that idiot, Kaepernick, and the other players who followed his lead.

And those that followed his lead....like you.   All you had to do was stand on the sideline during the anthem. Not all that hard to do.  By not doing that, you brought the backlash upon yourself and your team.

[Angel Eyes]

https://twitter.com/KrisParonto/status/912530159625936896

"Average @NFL salary, 2.4 million. Average @USArmy Private salary, 35k. Tell me whose[sic] oppressed?"

[TechMan]

Well this is an interesting site:  The Database of NFL Arrest Statistics

[BobR]

Well this is an interesting site:  The Database of NFL Arrest Statistics

How did the Raiders get so far down the list? I always thought they were the hit leaders in the National Felon League. Don't pay attention for a few decades and everything changes. 
bob

[Ben]

How did the Raiders get so far down the list? I always thought they were the hit leaders in the National Felon League. Don't pay attention for a few decades and everything changes. 
bob

They outsourced to their fans.

[MechAg94]

And those that followed his lead....like you.   All you had to do was stand on the sideline during the anthem. Not all that hard to do.  By not doing that, you brought the backlash upon yourself and your team.

The other interesting part of all this is 1) how few of these players really know what the hell they are kneeling for, and 2) how little they actually do for those causes beyond just kneeling.  I heard it mentioned today that Kaepernick has never been registered to vote. 

[Hawkmoon]

The other interesting part of all this is 1) how few of these players really know what the hell they are kneeling for, and 2) how little they actually do for those causes beyond just kneeling.  I heard it mentioned today that Kaepernick has never been registered to vote. 

I wonder if he ever registered for the [non-existent] draft. Is it still a requirement for males to register when they turn 18?

[DittoHead]

https://twitter.com/KrisParonto/status/912530159625936896

"Average @NFL salary, 2.4 million. Average @USArmy Private salary, 35k. Tell me whose[sic] oppressed?"

Neither of them 
This seems like a really dumb argument to try to make. Lower salary = oppression. 

[Brad Johnson]

DirecTV posted a FB ad promoting NFL Sunday Ticket. After scrolling through the comments I'm guessing DirecTV wishes they'd posted an ad for something, anything, else. A fair number of respondents specifically mentioned getting a refund on the NFLST package. Anecdotal evidence suggests the number of folks dropping the package is significant. At $300 (or more) a pop that quickly translates into serious money.

Brad

[zxcvbob]

http://babylonbee.com/news/amazing-took-years-tebowing-finally-taken-nfl/   

[Perd Hapley]

Neither of them 
This seems like a really dumb argument to try to make. Lower salary = oppression. 

He actually didn't say that anyone was oppressed. If there's a weakness in his argument, it's that the kneelers are not, ostensibly, protesting their own, personal oppression, so their salaries aren't relevant.

[DittoHead]

He actually didn't say that anyone was oppressed.

I thought it was implied. If not, I don't see how the Private's salary is relevant.

[Perd Hapley]

I thought it was implied. If not, I don't see how the Private's salary is relevant.

He didn't imply that anyone is oppressed, either. The kneelers are the ones claiming that someone is oppressed.

[freakazoid]

Apparently David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson of The X-Files have gotten in on the knee, https://www.cnet.com/news/x-files-gillian-anderson-david-duchovny-take-a-knee-nfl-colin-kaepernick-donald-trump/
 

[Perd Hapley]

Hey, what does it mean if we're "tea-baggers," and the Left are all on their knees?