NFL: "We're not protesting the anthem, we're protesting racism and bad cops". My inner veteran: "BULLSHIT! If that's true, you're doing it wrong".

I said my final say on it all on FB, I am not getting in to it any more. Unification comes through everyone being open to the idea that what they have been doing could be wrong. And through that communication. Do I think the athletes are right? no. I do look at it as a simple case of the athletes using the stage they have to show support...yes. What it all started with vs what it is now is completely backwards and this video I watched this morning really sums it up as clear as it can be:

dallas-sportscaster-on-nfl-players-taking-a-knee-all-1818769991

My favorite thing is when people say "don't even ask my opinion" when that's all they want you to do is ask them. Or even they say I'm not getting into this but here is my opinion. Opinions are like a$$holes everyone has one and they usually stink.

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Quote from edwardaneal

I agree with the OP 100%. And I refuse to materially support and be a part of what is taking place. As such football season in my house is officially canceled. For the remainder of this season and until these over paid thugs get the message there will be no professional football allowed on any television in my home. In addition the products of any companies that are known sponsors of the NFL will be avoided and where possible we will find replacements.

Who here will join me?

Stick and ball sports has never been allowed in my home or Play room. If you have to watch it you need to go some where else.

Quote from Br4hm4

I said my final say on it all on FB, I am not getting in to it any more. Unification comes through everyone being open to the idea that what they have been doing could be wrong. And through that communication. Do I think the athletes are right? no. I do look at it as a simple case of the athletes using the stage they have to show support...yes. What it all started with vs what it is now is completely backwards and this video I watched this morning really sums it up as clear as it can be:

dallas-sportscaster-on-nfl-players-taking-a-knee-all-1818769991

This says so much and so many will not listen. I served so all have the same rights! The one doing the most complaining did not serve at all. I'm done.

Quote from Maverick5990

This says so much and so many will not listen. I served so all have the same rights! The one doing the most complaining did not serve at all. I'm done.

So if you didn't serve (in your opinion) people have no rights to give his or her opinions?

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Quote from rnj12

So if you didn't serve (in your opinion) people have no rights to give his or her opinions?

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Not at all.

Referring to anyone as a "THUG" is a personal attack. If you can't understand that, you can not understand why players are kneeling. It's the same casual bigotry that has become the very reason we are heading in reverse. When others say "they don't see it", the problem only grows larger like a cancerous tumor. Eventually someone decides to take a stand about the words spoken, or negative actions, loss of lives and we end up on this line drawn in the sand.

SO, there will be those who don't watch the NFL because of players refusing to kneel. There will be many not watching because Kap doesn't have a job for taking a knee. At some point a decision will be made and the change pushed for will not occur. There are no rules to a civil rights movement. A lady decides not to give up her seat and sits quietly, a group of teens and adults sit at a WoolWorth counter--neither yelling or screaming but are besieged by angry mobs of people who are verbally and physically aggressive. So, when would be the right time to take a knee? How about at the tomb of the unnamed soldier? The Lincoln Memorial?

When you're more concerned about your sports than social injustice it may speak loudly about your character. Calling any one a whiner for an injury in any professional sports--is pathetic. So, taking a puck to your face and losing your teeth makes you a man? What next, taking 20 kicks to your groin being the standard?

Last point for those who feel so disrespected. Kaepernick actually started his protest by sitting. He later contacted two former NFL players to figure out the best way to protest without disrespecting the flag. Taking a knee as opposed to just sitting seemed a bit more respectful when given to the two choices perhaps. If you feel like you need to burn every piece of NFL apparel, season tickets, block channels in your home and so forth--that's your right. Veterans fight for people to have the right to do as they please...you should know this when you raise your hand the first time and each time thereafter for reenlistment. You don't get to pick and choose your contract by lining out what you will defend-- The inner veteran BS call may be part of the problem. It is at the greatest moments of being uncomfortable that we explore what it is that truly causing it. We look deeper into ourselves, strip down to the truths of all truths and look at the world from a view other than our own. It's at that moment we see the patterns of hatred and inequality. We decide that first we don't want to be a part of the rampant negativity. When we say we're a Christian we truly have to understand what God says about hating our brothers..

Somehow I knew that the love of the sling would be infiltrated with this..

Quote from FunCycle

I have said it once already, but I will say it again. The NFL needs to look at what happened to NASCAR when they spoke about the Confederate flag, it was the straw that broke the camels back for NASCAR just look at the attendance now. Now people we are talking about the American flag, the flag that pulls all of us together, holds us together and the Pride of being an AMERICAN. This is showing what is wrong with America today.

Quote from Tech_Rick

Let me also say for the record, that if Christian players were to decide to protest abortion by laying down and curling into a fetal position during the anthem, I would also be against that. As much as I detest abortion, the anthem has nothing to do with it. When you have a grievance with your brother, you address the issue to your brother, you don't go around cursing and disrespecting your own family name.

So let me ask you this. Nascar banning a racial flag from the races made people stop watching? Wow I was at Daytona 500, Daytona In July, and Bristol in August. I didn't notice a drop then again I wasn't counting heads either.

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Quote from edwardaneal

I agree with the OP 100%. And I refuse to materially support and be a part of what is taking place. As such football season in my house is officially canceled. For the remainder of this season and until these over paid thugs get the message there will be no professional football allowed on any television in my home. In addition the products of any companies that are known sponsors of the NFL will be avoided and where possible we will find replacements.

Who here will join me?

@Tech_Rick you actually clicked like on this response, so I'm surprised that you missed the posters statement of "over paid thugs". So, my apologies if you missed everything that they stated in agreeing with you 100%. Forgive the late response but work takes priority over my forum browsing lol smh..when will they understand that SS research is hard work!

Quote from rnj12

So let me ask you this. Nascar banning a racial flag from the races made people stop watching? Wow I was at Daytona 500, Daytona In July, and Bristol in August. I didn't notice a drop then again I wasn't counting heads either.

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NASCAR had already taked down and average of 1/3 of the seats in just about all of there tracks, except some tracks like Bristol. I have followed NASCAR since about 1957. I no longer watch the races except for maybe the last 20 or 30 laps if at all. You ever wonder why they very rarely show grand stand shot? I always wait for the shot just to see how many of the seats are empty. Bristol for this last race looked to be around 1/3 empty. They advertised Darlington as sold out but there were plenty of empty seats on race day. I no longer follow what is even happening in NASCAR because of the decisions that they have made in the last few years. Have you ever wondered why they are going to these young drivers and the sponsors are backing out? How many of the older drivers are still in it? Just saying my 2 cent. I go way back I even watched races at the old race track in Myrtle Beach (1/8 mile) I think it was. Lee Petty, Cutis Turner, Crawfish Crider, Dink Widenhouse, Ralph Earnhart to name just a few. I still say the same thing about the Confederate flag it was the last thing in a long line of mistake that NASCAR has made and it showed in attendance as soon as they opened there mouth. Whether you agreed or not.

Quote from FunCycle

NASCAR had already taked down and average of 1/3 of the seats in just about all of there tracks, except some tracks like Bristol. I have followed NASCAR since about 1957. I no longer watch the races except for maybe the last 20 or 30 laps if at all. You ever wonder why they very rarely show grand stand shot? I always wait for the shot just to see how many of the seats are empty. Bristol for this last race looked to be around 1/3 empty. They advertised Darlington as sold out but there were plenty of empty seats on race day. I no longer follow what is even happening in NASCAR because of the decisions that they have made in the last few years. Have you ever wondered why they are going to these young drivers and the sponsors are backing out? How many of the older drivers are still in it? Just saying my 2 cent. I go way back I even watched races at the old race track in Myrtle Beach (1/8 mile) I think it was. Lee Petty, Cutis Turner, Crawfish Crider, Dink Widenhouse, Ralph Earnhart to name just a few. I still say the same thing about the Confederate flag it was the last thing in a long line of mistake that NASCAR has made and it showed in attendance as soon as they opened there mouth. Whether you agreed or not.

Wow I never would have guessed a flag would have made such a difference. I would have said maybe cause Sr died, Jr sucks, Jeff Gordon retired, Dale Jarret retired but never cause they did away with a racial flag while trying to make it more racially correct. 43 drivers all white males except Danica Patrick and she will never amount to anything ex pet a toy for the rest of the drivers to pass around. Screw Nascar, they did away with a flag I won't ever watch again.

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I'm amazed that we have fought for so long to do away with the flag and by gone monuments of men who have helped reaped such horrors that would be death sentences today. It, along with so many other things, belongs in a museum along with so many other inappropriate reminders of an ill nation. We use these relics as teaching tools to show present and future generations a history that we dare not repeat. NASCAR losing viewership may be a bit deeper than the flag but it's easier to blame it on the flag. As pointed out--an era of great drivers, who names were the life of the tracks are no longer in the sport. When Michael Jordan walked away from basketball, they suffered a huge drop in viewership. The NBA was honest about the loss of revenue and tried their hardest to inject new life into the sport. Whatever the NFL and other sports learn from this protest, may it be fruitful. I pray that we not let our hearts become bitter with the growing pains and above all things I pray that lives not be loss needlessly. We are truly better together than apart.

Quote from Zorasmiles

I'm amazed that we have fought for so long to do away with the flag and by gone monuments of men who have helped reaped such horrors that would be death sentences today. It, along with so many other things, belongs in a museum along with so many other inappropriate reminders of an ill nation. We use these relics as teaching tools to show present and future generations a history that we dare not repeat. NASCAR losing viewership may be a bit deeper than the flag but it's easier to blame it on the flag. As pointed out--an era of great drivers, who names were the life of the tracks are no longer in the sport. When Michael Jordan walked away from basketball, they suffered a huge drop in viewership. The NBA was honest about the loss of revenue and tried their hardest to inject new life into the sport. Whatever the NFL and other sports learn from this protest, may it be fruitful. I pray that we not let our hearts become bitter with the growing pains and above all things I pray that lives not be loss needlessly. We are truly better together than apart.

Perfectly said.

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Now it's been a few days in on this. I am seeing and hearing many discussions - not just here but all around. It's hard, it's challenging and it hits many of us emotionally. But I truly believe if we can have discussion civilly these type issues we will never grow as people and communities. Keep asking questions and keep an open mind - YES ITS UNCOMFORTABLE to talk about... but what else can we do - we talk, discuss and LISTEN to what the other persons view point.

But there is still something else about this whole thing. The very real possibility of destroying another spectator sport. You do not piss off the spectators because you will lose. So in the end what have you really gained. You just maybe have taken away a lot of money and jobs.

@FunCycle I understand what your saying... I look at what we gain as a community... we gain dialogue, we start discussions... civilly. It hurts to see violent protest - here we have an opportunity to see how we can keep an open mind and try to understand this peaceful protest- Again; No I don't agree with the act of the kneel at that time during a National Anthem ... but my mind is open! And if that means this sport of Football has to go through a little uncomfortable segment for a moment in our countries history ... 15 years from now - maybe, just maybe we will all be better off for it.