OT: I am now done with the NFL

[zonairish]

There is nothing in the players' union agreement with the NFL that states players must stand for the Anthem. If the NFL owners want to make that a legal requirement, then they have to come to agreement with the players' union.

You are absolutely correct. Most recognize that players may have the right to do it. They may not agree with them doing it or doing it during the anthem. That said, I have been to concerts were the group has a protest of sorts sometimes eliminating time I could be enjoying the concert.that I paid for. I certainly do not think its proper thing to do where I spent hard earned money to put up with this BS likewise going to an FB game you want to get away from this garbage that you see in the news and enjoy

 

[SALittleGiant513]

There is nothing in the players' union agreement with the NFL that states players must stand for the Anthem. If the NFL owners want to make that a legal requirement, then they have to come to agreement with the players' union.

What are you even doing man? We were arguing about this 3 months and you just said what I said... Why man?

 

[SALittleGiant513]

An open letter to the NFL….


You graduated high school in 2011. Your teenage years were a struggle. You grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Your mother was the leader of the family and worked tirelessly to keep a roof over your head and food on your plate. Academics were a struggle for you and your grades were mediocre at best. The only thing that made you stand out is you weighed 225 lbs and could run 40 yards in 4.5 seconds while carrying a football.

Your best friend was just like you, except he didn’t play football. Instead of going to football practice after school, he went to work at McDonalds for minimum wage. You were recruited by all the big colleges and spent every weekend of your senior year making visits to universities where coaches and boosters tried to convince you their school was best. They laid out the red carpet for you. Your best friend worked double shifts at Mickey D’s. College was not an option for him. On the day you signed with Big State University, your best friend signed paperwork with his Army recruiter. You went to summer workouts. He went to basic training.

You spent the next four years living in the athletic dorm, eating at the training table. You spent your Saturdays on the football field, cheered on by adoring fans. Tutors attended to your every academic need. You attended class when you felt like it. Sure, you worked hard. You lifted weights, ran sprints, studied plays, and soon became one of the top football players in the country. Your best friend was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division.

While you were in college, he deployed to Iraq once and Afghanistan twice. He became a Sergeant and led a squad of 19 year old soldiers who grew up just like he did. He shed his blood in Afghanistan and watched young American's give their lives, limbs, and innocence for the USA.

You went to the NFL combine and scored off the charts. You hired an agent and waited for draft day. You were drafted in the first round and your agent immediately went to work, ensuring that you received the most money possible. You signed for $16 million although you had never played a single down of professional football. Your best friend re-enlisted in the Army for four more years. As a combat tested sergeant, he will be paid $32,000 per year.

You will drive a Ferrari on the streets of South Beach. He will ride in the back of a Blackhawk helicopter with 10 other combat loaded soldiers. You will sleep at the Ritz. He will dig a hole in the ground and try to sleep. You will “make it rain” in the club. He will pray for rain as the temperature reaches 120 degrees.

On Sunday, you will run into a stadium as tens of thousands of fans cheer and yell your name. For your best friend, there is little difference between Sunday and any other day of the week. There are no adoring fans. There are only people trying to kill him and his soldiers. Every now and then, he and his soldiers leave the front lines and “go to the rear” to rest. He might be lucky enough to catch an NFL game on TV.

When the National Anthem plays and you take a knee, he will jump to his feet and salute the television. While you protest the unfairness of life in the United States, he will give thanks to God that he has the honor of defending his great country.

To the players of the NFL: We are the people who buy your tickets, watch you on TV, and wear your jerseys. We anxiously wait for Sundays so we can cheer for you and marvel at your athleticism. Although we love to watch you play, we care little about your opinions until you offend us. You have the absolute right to express yourselves, but we have the absolute right to boycott you.

We have tolerated your drug use and DUIs, your domestic violence, and your vulgar displays of wealth. We should be ashamed for putting our admiration of your physical skills before what is morally right. But now you have gone too far. You have insulted our flag, our country, our soldiers, our police officers, and our veterans. You are living the American dream, yet you disparage our great country.

I am done with NFL football and encourage all Americans to boycott the NFL as well.

. ....I know not the original author, but I think this explains the feelings many of us have.

This is something else...

 

[ivan brunetti]

You are absolutely correct. Most recognize that players may have the right to do it. They may not agree with them doing it or doing it during the anthem. That said, I have been to concerts were the group has a protest of sorts sometimes eliminating time I could be enjoying the concert.that I paid for. I certainly do not think its proper thing to do where I spent hard earned money to put up with this BS likewise going to an FB game you want to get away from this garbage that you see in the news and enjoy

If you want to get away from the BS of politics in the NFL, then stop playing the anthem all together. If you play the anthem, some will stand and some will not. It is like asking kids to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Some will recite and some will not. If a show of affirmation is mandated, it loses all relevance.

 

[deadirishpoet]

People can take whatever side they want, just be honest about your motivations.

Where were you boycotters when the NFL employed dog fighters? Where were you boycotters when the NFL employed guys who beat women? Where were you boycotters when the NFL employed a guy guilty of child abuse? Where were you boycotters when the NFL employed Ray Lewis? Where were you boycotters when the NFL employed known steroid users/cheaters?

You were watching the NFL.

So if you're taking the moral high ground on this one "for the troops", just know that we know you weren't there before, so we know where your morality begins and ends.

And enjoy the rest of the NFL season because you'll still be watching, you just won't be talking about online.

Wrong on so many levels
I have not seen or listen to an NFL game since I started this thread , and life goes on
I will give Shahid Khan credit. He did returned my season ticket payment with a letter to reconsider next season.

 

[deadirishpoet]

This is something else...

Like what? It was spot on

 

[francade]

“These white people are the same white people that only wants to be entertained by Black people and not challenged by Black people.”

What a bunch of bullshit. If the nhl were doing the same thing, I’d be just as vocal. I say protest all you want, just don’t get all hot and bothered when people that don’t agree w/ your protest boycott or lose respect for you. You supporters of the kneelers are funny. You tell us it’s their right but then tell us that we’re not supposed to hold it against them. We don’t have a right to disagree w/ their protest?

 

[notredamerises23]

Jacksonville's on the rise?

I've been hearing that the past 5 years and in regards to whether you believe it's childish and ridiculous what me and my sister are doing means little to me because I got to live with myself not with you.

Well, that’s great—go ahead and do so though it all seems ridiculous to me.

As for the Jags, two dominant wins this season. If Bortles develops even just a little this year, the Jags are contenders in the AFC South.That division should have three good teams: HOU with Watson showing promise, Titans with Mariota and a bevy if offensive weapons and a great OLine, and the Jags with a good defense. With developing offensive weapons).

@deadirishpoet Remember this? Called the landscape of the AFC in week 4... it bad, eh? Still think Pittsburgh will make it a 4th quarter game and might pull it off, but the AFC South should be the best conference in the NFL next year.

 

[DougsDad]

If they have the legal authority to do that, all the power to them. I think it would be an excellent response by the players to use their massive combined social media power to lobby for a boycott of all of Donald Trump's hotels and services and it would be great to see the NBA guys like Steph Curry jump on board as well. I'm sure if they spread the word enough they can do some pretty irreparable damage to the Trump Fortune and put some extra stress on the old man. If he wants their livelihoods taken away, He has the right to voice it. I'd like to see them do the same.

Now I know why I don't like you.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Now I know why I don't like you.

0% concerned how you feel about me. Have a nice day DougsDad!

 

[stu4don]

You guys just missed one hell of a game!

 

[Syd4ND]

Have not watched 5 minutes of the NFL this year. Until this weekend I didn't even remotely regret that decision. Still much more content with standing up for my principles than disappointed "I missed a hell of a game."

 

[echowaker]

Have not watched 5 minutes of the NFL this year. Until this weekend I didn't even remotely regret that decision. Still much more content with standing up for my principles than disappointed "I missed a hell of a game."

I watch because i love to watch football at any level anywhere. could care less about the political BS.

 

[nemeth#5]

I watch because i love to watch football at any level anywhere. could care less about the political BS.

I agree..... if someone is using their platform to voice their opinions, it is alright by me as long as it is non-violent. People hate it because they do not support it.

 

[mec22]

I understand that the NFL has decided to show the kneelers at the super bowl. I think we have finally found the basket of the deplorable.

 

[irish4life888]

I agree..... if someone is using their platform to voice their opinions, it is alright by me as long as it is non-violent. People hate it because they do not support it.

I've never been huge into the NFL but I disagree. I don't care what their politics and am totally fine using their fame and popularity to advance their cause. But leave it off the field. If I'm paying 500.00 to take my kid to a game, I don't want to see any political bs. Just my humble opinion.