This forum has been around for over 20 years. During that time, there have been multiple serious issues plaguing the NFL. Strikes, lockouts and other labor strife. The site kept going. There were multiple instances of players committing domestic abuse against women. The site kept going. There were cases where people were murdered by players, or where players were around when people were murdered (Ray Lewis, I'm looking at you). The site kept going. Drug arrests, PED violations, DUI arrests. The site kept going. The NFL was shown to have ignored the issue of concussions, which led to the premature deaths of many players. The site kept going. It seemed that nothing the NFL was too much to be tolerated. But then came the truly unforgivable. What was it that broke the proverbial camel's back?
That, of course, was players daring to take a stand against racism and police involvement in the shooting of unarmed civilians. The disproportionate number of black males in jails. The large disparity of sentence length between blacks and other ethnicity's for the same crime. The large disparity of blacks facing arrest for minor drug offenses. A handful of players decided to protest this situation with a peaceful, symbolic gesture. It started with one player, Colin Kaepernick. When he was told that sitting was disrespectful, a former (Navy Seal? Green Beret?) told him that kneeling during the National Anthem was considered acceptable; that this was a common practice at military funerals by comrades of the fallen. This spread to a handful of players, and then a slightly larger group- never more than a total in the low dozens; then waned to less than ten players league wide. This sparked outrage at those who specified this protest against social ills as disrespect for the country, the military, the flag. The players would deny this, but the idea was out there, and the reaction of "pampered, overpaid ingrates spitting on the country that gave them this chance" became a meme. So, lets look at those charges.
First, pampered. Anyone who has watched an NFL game who thinks the players are "pampered" is not watching the game. It is violent, and players continuing to perform through injuries that would have most of us in the emergency room is just accepted as normal. Overpaid? These guys are doing something that only a few can achieve or withstand on a weekly basis for months at a time. They are literally looking over their shoulders every day, as the team looks for a better, or equal/cheaper replacement. Every year, the team brings in new guys to try to unseat them from their jobs. As far as being ungrateful, they weren't given anything. They didn't inherit millions, or usually grow up in stable conditions. They fought and resisted being sucked down by their circumstances to reach this position. Are they grateful to be there? Of course they are. Do they hate their country? No. they simply want to make it a better, safer environment for everyone.
So, because of the actions of a few, which became the reaction of most players when the president called them "SOB's", this site will be shut down. This is an action that is within the purview of the site owner. But to punish thousands who overwhelmingly condemned the protests to somehow "show the NFL they can't push us around" is, to me, a childish act of petulance. Coming from someone of a somewhat advanced age (full disclosure, I'm turning 68 in a matter of weeks), this is not something I'm typing hastily, or without considerable forethought. This is the reaction of a political snowflake, who needs to hide in a safe zone from the slings and arrows of different perspectives.
Do I think this will make any difference? No. But this makes me feel better. Adios, and hopefully, Auf wiedersehn.
To protest is fine, but there is a time and a place. The reasons behind these protests may be legitimate, but the time and place was not and is not. Kneeling during the anthem to honor your military brothers or sisters if that's the case is a hell of a lot different than what we are talking about here. I had a military veteran tell me this,
" Do you know a reason when you should kneel, sit or do anything but stand during the National Anthem, unless you physically can't stand, there is none and it doesn't matter your reason. In order to pay respect to the flag and to honor your country, you stand during the playing of the Anthem and the failure to do so is the opposite of honoring which is dishonoring. Using our flag and our anthem to draw attention to your protesting cause is shameful and does indeed show disrespect".
" However, the right to protest and kneel during the anthem is also a legitimate right, but that doesn't make it the correct thing to do.
I agree with this 100%
Ricky,
You and I have butted heads a few times as I was often very critical of the Packers for one reason or another, but in this great country we can do that. I wish you and yours nothing but the best, and maybe we will butt heads again if you are going to futures - I'll be Big L
