doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT-another American pastime at risk?

I used to count on the NFL to control the crowding of the various venues I tend to haunt on Sundays. Be it a trout stream or a bird covert (or even my local COSTCO). Now I'm hearing that my quiet time might not be so quiet anymore. Yet another good opiate for the masses seems to have hit a snag. I don't really have a dog in this fight, I've never been a fan of professional sports and my hero worship has always been limited to a pretty select group of people, even as a kid. Not sure how this will all play out, but it seems the culture wars have claimed another American institution. For the folks that are fans, I'm sure this is a big deal. We certainly live in interesting times.

In NASCAR, the Petty race team policy is - you don't stand, you're fired. Seems simple enough. If I want to watch politics I watch Fox News, not a bunch of over paid football players disrespecting the flag that 650,000 Americans died for.

does anybody know what these guys are protesting?

I think the same thing that creates these big rich spoiled brat entertainers, are the same lower school and colleges that're molding their fans. It's got some traction, so it looks like an opportunity to take more increments out of a crumbling nation. Where have we seen this strategy before.

So far, the 'polls' say about 70% of the country does not agree with the chumps, but the 30ish% get the pc megaphone. The ravens/jags game on foreign soil had some clowns sit for the US National Anthem, and stand for God Save the Queen. The game was reported to have been picked up by AFN for troops taking a small break from putting their lives on the line in some world's worst sewers.

I suppose since I don't bet on these games it's easier for me to disengage, but though I catch highlights here and there, I will not give the league hours of my viewing time and I go out of my way to not patronize the sponsors. It's generally easy, there're so many options.

I like following the game and commitment it takes, but by happen chance, it turns out to be in a lower college division. Plenty competitive, athletic and complex. Go figure, the coach makes the whole team take a knee, for a prayer.

I suspect the NFL will quietly tell the broadcasting networks to go to commercials instead of showing the national anthem. Baseball does it that way. If no cameras show the protest and the network commentators don't talk about it 95% of this will go away in a week. The only people who will be directly affected will be the fans at the game. You will reduce the audience from 50 million to 750k in one step. About a 98% reduction in one step.

It's like what you do to a three year old who is acting up to get attention. You can't always give him a swat on his bum like he might need. But if you just ignore him he will stop because even a three year old figures out it is not working. You need to remove the attention they are getting. First step is to not show it. Second step is to not talk endlessly about it. Don't debate it just stop paying it any attention. By that means you will have taken away their platform and they can get back to their job, playing football now protesting for social change.

If they want to make a real change challenge them to give up one game check a year or to not show up for the game and forfeit that check. Money talks and BS kneels. Kaepernick did not start this until he got benched. He was trying to keep himself in the spotlight. So I have zero interest in keeping him in the news.

Obviously the NFL executives are unwilling to enforce their own rules. Shameful.
The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the NFL League Rulebook. It states:
�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.

A friend of mine said it best, most would be in prison if not playing in the NFL. Come to think of it, some are.

The President of the United States has been ridiculed and lambasted for daring to comment on pro football player's protest of our Country's flag and National Anthem. The last prez freely commented on all liberal issues including the pending trial of a gun owner for the alleged murder of a black youth who could have been the son of that previous prez. He was applauded for his interference.

I do not agree with the player's protest and I do not have to agree with them. What we are seeing across the Country and on this BBS is a protest of that protest. Great thing about America is both sides have every right to express their own opinion...Geo

The protests aren't the only problem the NFL has. The brain injury thing is turning a lot of people off football in general.

The tough part about it Geo is that there have been African American and Hispanic players that have been punished by the league for expressing their opinion about endorsements and memorials. Maybe, an American greatness doesn't translate to user or employment agreements. Seems to me that the only real problem is the hypocrisy to support a political narrative. But, apparently there are enough perceived fans that form their moral compass based on the actions of actors that won't take to the field without mo money, mo money, mo money.