Sports/entertainment

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

I am not interested in the political statements of ANY entertainer. But that doesn't mean that the entertainers shouldn't be free to make peaceful political statements, without suffering career-threatening repercussions. When you told me in another thread that my "there is too much freedom in this freaking country" comment was an "idiotic"...what sort of "freedoms" did you think you were DEFENDING? Only the ones that you AGREE with?

Agree completely except when someone is being paid to do a specific job while representing the person who is paying them. The owner of a football team or any employer should not have to suffer the consequences of somebody else's free speech while performing a job for pay.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Fager Fan

I did just that. However, I'm sure that despite your words you understand the difference between a few dozen people rallying on some street somewhere and the NFL and their tens of millions of fans/viewers who may just want to enjoy a game.

Remember this is the same NFL that wouldn't allow the show of solidarity for fallen police, and let convicted felon dog killer Vick play for them, so being in our face with controversial issues has been going on awhile. Most of us haven't heard the words of some skinhead in years until Charlottesville happened.

Colin Kaepernick started this "movement"...and it wasn't gaining much traction until our clown president opened his mouth and called for the dismissal of the few protesting players. It was an irresponsible comment for him to make...and it will cause a huge explosion on the American sports-scene. And our bumbling president will have no-one to blame but himself.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by AndyC

Agree completely except when someone is being paid to do a specific job while representing the person who is paying them. The owner of a football team or any employer should not have to suffer the consequences of somebody else's free speech while performing a job for pay.

The owners of the football teams are supporting the players...financial loss notwithstanding. So...what is there for the "customer" to complain about?

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Colin Kaepernick started this "movement"...and it wasn't gaining much traction until our clown president opened his mouth and called for the dismissal of the few protesting players. It was an irresponsible comment for him to make...and it will cause a huge explosion on the American sports-scene. And our bumbling president will have no-one to blame but himself.

Incorrect. It had a lot of traction this seasoN well before trump decided to chime in.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by ElKabong

Incorrect. It had a lot of traction this seasoN well before trump decided to chime in.

wait and see what will come next...now that "Trump decided to chime in".

[Fager Fan]

Originally Posted by ElKabong

Incorrect. It had a lot of traction this seasoN well before trump decided to chime in.

Definitely. Had this gone away with CK then Trump would've had nothing to get mad over or comment about.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Fager Fan

Definitely. Had this gone away with CK then Trump would've had nothing to get mad over or comment about.

"To get mad over".

Someone should tell Trump that he isn't still in "The Apprentice". Or does he think that he "inherited" this country from his dad? Does he think that the football players are his "employees"?

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Fager Fan

Not apples to apples. No one agreed with many of the thoughts of white supremacists, only their right to protest as legally permitted. They didn't come into our homes under the guise of a ball game and then give the Nazi salute during the playing of the national anthem. I'm fairly sure that would create a similar uproar as disrespecting our country and military is doing now.

You are a funny guy. In another thread, when I was talking about the "mistreatment" that the horseplayers suffer at the hands of the horseracing industry...you were quick to point out to me that the racing industry puts out the "product" that they choose...and the horseplayer, as a "customer", can elect to either PURCHASE this product...or head for the door. And yet...here you are, presuming to tell the NFL how to run its business...to appease the couch-ridden fans such as yourself, who have their homes INVADED by these troublesome football players.

The horseplayers can't dictate to a floundering industry what to do...but the couch-potato viewer can point an accusing finger and dictate operating policy to the most popular sports enterprise in the nation.

[elysiantraveller]

I wonder how many people stand up when they are watching the national anthem being played from the comfort of their own homes.

Additionally, so many people on here say they don't care about the political persuasion or statements of people but have no problem gobbling up their entertainment and then complain about it. I for instance can't stand the political thoughts of Scarlett Johansson but she sure entertains me...

Is it possible to be both or is this just mostly faux outrage? How many actually boycotted the NFL today?

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by elysiantraveller

I wonder how many people stand up when they are watching the national anthem being played from the comfort of their own homes.

Additionally, so many people on here say they don't care about the political persuasion or statements of people but have no problem gobbling up their entertainment and then complain about it. I for instance can't stand the political thoughts of Scarlett Johansson but she sure entertains me...

Is it possible to be both or is this just mostly faux outrage? How many actually boycotted the NFL today?

The national anthem is also played daily at the start of the horseracing day at every racetrack and OTB. Would you care to guess how many of the patrons there actually stand for this proceeding? About 10%...according to my educated guess. And those who stand are leaning on their desks...with their eyes transfixed on the past-performances.

And you never see anyone being accused of harboring any "disrespect"...towards flag, or country.

[TBD]

Well Thaskalos, I think your number of 10% standing is a little low. I attended over thirty days live racing last season at Tampa. There might have been 1% that did not stand, if that. I even watched the track surfacing crew stop their tractors, open the side door, stand on the tractor step, and remove their hats.

[crestridge]

There's a difference in neutral apathy and active disrespect; it's all in the mind/thought process. The race track gambler is only focused on the 9th race on "Sureshot" and making sure he has value financially; the sports player is attacking the very core beliefs by actively defacing a historic national symbol of strength for it's people in times of trouble/distress, to dilute it's meaning and value.

Colin Kaepernick has agenda to dilute the meaning of historically what this country is and has stood for. He wishes to replace/or eliminate this symbol of inspiration and replace it with "Sharia". His sympathies are with Islam, as he has defended and has a bias for this religion. His girlfriend is Muslim, her family is Muslim, Louis Farrakan stands with him, friends are secretly saying he will probably soon be married in a Muslim wedding. Now I can't explicitly say this is true because he superficially denies these assertions, but intuitively this is truth. Yes, he does believe racism is active in America (for which is truth), but this is secondary agenda. If he was primarily concerned with racism he would publish evidential data, make public speeches, write in journals and be specific concerning his argument. He hasn't done this. He's very smart, high I.Q. type, good grades in school, but is either manipulating the Africa American community or they also have the same agenda.

Do your research on him, don't be fooled, this is much more than what appears superficially.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by ElKabong

Hopefully your quote sinks in to some on here....

It's what most people that are turned off have been saying. Political views given while on the job? Proceed at your own risk. Natalie Maines wished she had a mulligan on that....

I’ve been in race control during a Nascar race. It’s amazing how orchestrated it is right up until the green flag, and then during the race they are very serious about delays etc. they are serious about the show.

I was at a Nascar race where the famous country singer was propped up on stage to sing the Anthem and promptly fell off the chair and behind the stage into a pit of wiring etc. he kept singing and was so drunk they turned his mic off half way through because nobody could understand him. They propped him back up on the chair and he acted like he was singing.........the race officials were so pissed off......they kept complaining that he "ruined the show"

They take it serious.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Fager Fan

Not apples to apples. No one agreed with many of the thoughts of white supremacists, only their right to protest as legally permitted. They didn't come into our homes under the guise of a ball game and then give the Nazi salute during the playing of the national anthem. I'm fairly sure that would create a similar uproar as disrespecting our country and military is doing now.

That would be interesting to have a player who has nothing to lose, like is in his last year, wealthy and not playing much to give the Nazi salute during the anthem. Wonder if the media and the NFL would stand up for his free speech rights?

[Fager Fan]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

You are a funny guy. In another thread, when I was talking about the "mistreatment" that the horseplayers suffer at the hands of the horseracing industry...you were quick to point out to me that the racing industry puts out the "product" that they choose...and the horseplayer, as a "customer", can elect to either PURCHASE this product...or head for the door. And yet...here you are, presuming to tell the NFL how to run its business...to appease the couch-ridden fans such as yourself, who have their homes INVADED by these troublesome football players.

The horseplayers can't dictate to a floundering industry what to do...but the couch-potato viewer can point an accusing finger and dictate operating policy to the most popular sports enterprise in the nation.

You keep comparing apples to oranges. You're boycotting over a small percentage increase in price of a product. We're fussing over disrespect of the flag, country and military. And we're doing exactly what I said, which is turning off the product. I swear I wouldn't have an issue if the NFL increased ticket prices.